BY WILLIAM HALLIDAY, Freshman
BLYTHEWOOD -- Josh Fulmer is one of the most dedicated teachers at Blythewood High School. Not only is he a teacher, but an alum of BHS as well.
“It is an honor to teach at the high school that I graduated from,” Fulmer states in a recent interview, “It was always a goal of mine to go to college and come back to the town of Blythewood and teach. Giving back to my hometown, and being a servant, has always been a career and life goal of mine.”
Fulmer is a special education teacher at Blythewood. His job is very challenging and requires patience.
“Some of the students that I teach, can't communicate the same way you and I do. Making sure that I understand what they need, is vital,” he states
“He definitely loves his students,” says Fulmer's coworker, Meredith Halliday. “He has a big heart and helps them with all of their needs.”
“I teach from the heart,” says Fulmer. “I try to relate to each student in a way that is meaningful for them. All students are different, and learn differently. I try to gain respect and build a relationship with students to learn and understand them better. Once I have established those things, I can open a door for students to reach their full potential academically and behaviorally. I want the students to express themselves in the classroom and throughout the school.”
Education
Fulmer graduated from Clemson with a bachelor's degree in Special Education. He has taken multiple Praxis exams which classify him as a highly qualified Special Education teacher.
“I am required to take professional development courses multiple times throughout each school year which help me stay current in my field,” he
states.
Teaching Style
Fulmer tries to keep his students on a schedule and keep them active throughout the day.
“He keeps complete control in the classroom. There is rarely anytime where the students are not working on an activity,” Halliday said.
Fulmer also has to have his students reach a goal by the end of the school year, called an IEP goal. These goals are incorporated into his daily lesson plans.
He teaches his students so they can learn and keep that knowledge.
“My style of teaching has always been this. I am going to show you how to do a task correctly, then we are going to guide through the steps together to complete the task, then I am going to let you show me that you can correctly do that task on your own,” Fulmer said.
Apart from Fulmer’s amazing teaching career, he recently married Brittany Fulmer. She is also a special education teacher in Richland District Two.
Fulmer has a great passion in what he does and has many teachers and coaches that inspired him.
“There are many teachers at Blythewood High School that inspired me to become a teacher throughout my educational experience,” he states. “So many coaches and teachers that still teach at Blythewood today, have positively affected me in so many ways, and have impacted me in becoming the teacher I am today and the teacher that I ultimately want to be.”
Coaching is another passion just behind his teaching job. Fulmer is also the assistant coach of the Blythewood wrestling team. One of his students is on the team.
Fulmer loves building relationships with his students. He values even the smallest conversations.
“My favorite thing about my job is building the positive relationships with the students,” states Fulmer. “Being able to build relationships, trust, and respect from students is a very special thing. I love interacting with each of my students and other students throughout the school. My hope is that they take what I have taught them and use it in their lives outside of high school.”
Fulmer helps his students reach their goals. From helping a student make the wrestling team, to preparing a student for a job, he helps them anyway he can.
Organization is also a vital part of his job. The class needs to be organized to run better.
“Paperwork and documentation is also very important, which makes the need to be organized important,” Fulmer says.
The daily schedule is also very organized. The class starts off everyday watching the BHS news program. Fulmer thinks that the news show is very important to watch everyday. The rest of the day the students work on Math, Science, Reading, Writing, Social Skills, Job Training, Exercise, and daily living skills.
Fulmer loves teaching at Blythewood High School. He states, “I wanted to teach at Blythewood, because I was born and raised in Blythewood. It is where I went to high school, and I take great pride in my hometown and community.”
“I can see him teaching for a very long time,” Halliday said. “He loves teaching and has great relationships with all of the kids.”
Fulmer plans to teach for a very long time at Blythewood High School. “My passion is teaching and coaching,” Fulmer says.
“I plan on doing these two things for a long time. It is something that I have always wanted to do. I have no interest in finding a new job, even though some days are long and difficult! Nothing can compare to the life long positive relationships that you build with students each day. It is all about the little things for me.”
