As a child, elementary education major Brandon Tice was always passionate about helping individuals with disabilities and exceptionalities. Tice's passion for helping others who learn or act differently began after his three siblings (triplets) were born prematurely and developed multiple diagnoses, one being Autism Spectrum Disorder, that would go on to affect their lives and their overall educational journey.

His family learned firsthand how the impact of early intervention and a lack of resources often cause families to sacrifice more to ensure their children receive an adequate education. Something Tice feels every child deserves.

"I believe that education is a fundamental human right, even if a person has a disability," said Tice. "No one should have to move away from home to receive an appropriate education. Growing up, I saw my siblings struggling through the school system, and I wanted to find a way to help students like them feel welcomed in their school and receive the education they deserve."

A Path to Impact

Tice wanted to find a way to help families and other individuals struggling with a learning disability. That's when he came across the role of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®).

"I learned that a Board-Certified Behavioral Analyst works within a school system to help students, teachers, and families with behavioral issues come together to find ways to create a positive learning environment,” Tice said. “That type of environment is something my siblings needed in their earlier school years."

Once Tice decided on his career path, he started researching how to become BCBA® certified. He ultimately decided that majoring in Elementary Education would best prepare him and give him a better understanding of resources and common scenarios teachers, parents, and students face. After spending time in eight elementary schools either doing fieldwork, tutoring, or student teaching, Tice feels he has a better understanding of all the expectations teachers must manage beyond the lesson plans and general classroom safety.

"I decided to major in Elementary Education because I wanted to see what education looks like for a typical student in a general education classroom," Tice said. "A teacher can have anywhere between 15 and 30 students, all while navigating factors outside of their control, like teaching English language learners, state testing stress, planning a school field trip, professional development, parent-teacher conferences, papers to grade, and so many other 'hats' to juggle. Most teachers love what they do and pour everything they can into their classroom, but they still need help with their students who may have behavioral differences."

Next Steps After Graduation

With his student teaching completed and graduation quickly approaching, Tice is looking forward to taking the next step towards earning his BCBA® at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College. He plans to start his master’s degree in special education with a concentration in Low-Incidence Disabilities and add an Applied Behavior Analysis certification this fall.

"I hope that, with my background in elementary education and my personal experiences, I will be able to utilize the most helpful tool in the world of education—empathy," stated Tice. "While I will not be an elementary school teacher, I will be in schools to support students with exceptionalities. I want to make an impact on young learners' lives as early as possible, which will allow the students to reach their full potential. I want to help teachers by implementing behavioral strategies that are effective and reasonable for teachers to implement every day in their classrooms."

Although his education journey will continue beyond UAB and Birmingham, Tice will carry at least one memory from his internship.

“The most memorable experience I love to share is about a 4th-grade student who originally did not like me,” Tice said. “On the first day of student teaching in the classroom, he refused to work with me and even told me, ‘Just go back to college.’ I remember leaving the school after the first day feeling so defeated. I had no idea what I could do to change this student's attitude, not only about me but also about school.

Despite this rocky start, Tice returned on the second day with determination to connect with him personally. Their relationship developed gradually, and they bonded over shared interests in video games, WWE, and music. Initially, the student was work-avoidant, but he transformed into a respectful, eager learner by the end of my internship.

“This student came to school excited to learn and was respectful to others and even wrote me a goodbye letter on my last day,” Tice said. “I still have that letter sitting on my desk, reminding me why I do what I do.