Hi, I am Tricia Polchowski and I am a Consultant Teacher for Monroe #1 BOCES in Fairport, NY. I have been teaching for 33 years and love teaching as much as I did when I started in the field. I earned my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education from SUNY Fredonia in 1990. I worked as a substitute teacher in the Buffalo area until 1993 when I moved to Fairport after getting married. I started my teaching career at St. Michael's Catholic School in Newark, NY. I taught both kindergarten and first grade for three years while there. I moved to teaching middle school special education at Palmyra-Macedon Middle School in 1996. I earned my Masters Degree in Special Education with concentrations in learning disabilities and behavior disorders from SUNY Geneseo in 1996. In 2000 I was looking for a new challenge and accepted a position at Monroe #1 BOCES where I taught a self contained special education classroom for students with autism for several years. In 2006 and I returned to school to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and licensed behavior analyst in NYS. During my time at BOCES I created the autism consultation program, mentored new teachers, and presented trainings on a variety of current educational issues. I have presented around the world on topics related to autism, behavior, and seizure disorders. In 2013 I moved to the Regional Programs and Services Department of Monroe #1 BOCES. In this department I am assigned to St. Joseph School all day to provide all special education services to children with Individual Education Plans. This year will be my tenth year at St. Joseph's School.
In my personal time I have been married to my husband, John, for 30 years. We have two children, John and Paige. My son John is 25 and has autism, epilepsy, and a traumatic brain injury and is the best young adult I know! He has taught me about grit and perseverance and I pass that lesson along to my students. He currently attends the adult program at School of the Holy Childhood. My daughter, Paige, is 21 and attending MCC to achieve her goal of becoming an art teacher. Your children will come home talking about my kids as I love to share stories about them. I also have two Cavapoo dogs named Pepper and Oliver. The students love to hear about their antics! In my free time I love to spend time with family, go for walks, make crafts, and volunteer in the community.