Braintree Teacher Spotlight: Susan O'Brien

BRAINTREE, MA — Teacher Appreciation Week is a time to celebrate the incredible work educators in the community do. Many Braintree teachers have made a difference in the lives of their students by giving them the the tools and emotional support they need to succeed. Patch asked parents what teacher has influenced their child the most, and for one student, that teacher is Susan O'Brien, of the East Middle School.

Jeffrey Burrell's daughter Brianna is an eighth grader in the Pathways program at the middle school, a curriculum tailored to students who require some individual support. According to Burrell, Brianna has struggled with attention and emotional issues since a very young age.

"There have been times throughout her young life we didn’t know how school was going to go," Burrell said.

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Brianna's parents were worried middle school would be difficult for her, but once Brianna hit sixth grade, Burrell's worries subsided when Brianna met O'Brien.

"This is where (Brianna) she met her guardian angel, Susan O’Brien....," Burrell said. "Sue was the one person that always said, we got this. Don’t worry. Sue would email my wife and I sometimes eight to 10 times a week with a recap or update on how a day or week went, then went on to assist us in telling what to focus on that night to keep Brianna on track."

With the help of O'Brien, Brianna is not only heading to high school next year, but is enrolled in all college prep classes. Brianna will still work closely with an advisor, but for the first time in their lives, Brianna's family is looking beyond to college, Burrell said.

"Special education teachers make an enormous impact in getting a child to succeed, but very rarely get even close to the recognition they deserve," Burrell said. "These teachers see what could be and not what statistics say, will be."