Fathia Balgahoom is an educator who has worked at multiple facilities in New Jersey, including the Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts and Apple Tree Preschool. Fathia Balgahoom is dual-certified as a Social Studies and Special Education educator. She began training for her career in education at Montclair State University, earning a New Jersey Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS) in Social Studies.
Before receiving her CEAS in Social Studies, Fathia Balgahoom completed a teacher preparation program in accordance with the New Jersey Department of Education. Requirements for the CEAS in Social Studies include a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, with at least 30 credits in the field of Social Studies and 12 of those coming at the advanced level. Half of those credits must be in the field of social studies, including at least one course in American history and another in world history.
Having satisfied the academic requirements at Montclair State University, Fathia Balgahoom subsequently fulfilled the basic skills assessment and praxis II text requirements, followed by the Department of Education’s physiology and hygiene requirements. With her CEAS in Social Studies, Fathia Balgahoom is eligible for employment at New Jersey public schools as a social studies instructor. She expanded her social studies skills by attaining a Teacher of Social Studies Standards Certificate at Rowan University Global in Glassboro, New Jersey.
Her training and certification as a social studies instructor have allowed Fathia Balgahoom to provide lessons to more than 100 students, with a focus on blending the established curriculum with culturally relevant pedagogies. She has covered many periods of history and taught several social classes, including US History I, US History II, and World History.
In 2023, Fathia Balgahoom continued to expand her educational offerings by enrolling in a Masters in Special Education Graduate Endorsement track at Rowan University. The program, which is only open to students with an instructional CEAS or a standard certificate from the Department of Education, has been designed with a focus on meeting the needs of young students living with various educational, psychological, and sociological needs.
By completing the Graduate Endorsement track, Fathia Balgahoom will simultaneously achieve her Master’s degree and qualify as an educator of students with disabilities in the state of New Jersey. Rowan University offers several additional tracks, from the Autism Spectrum Disorders track to the Early Childhood Special Education track.
Fathia Balgahoom previously earned a Teacher of Students with Disabilities Certificate through the New Jersey Department of Education by meeting all state requirements, including a Department of Education Commissioner-approved assessment of basic skills. The certificate not only endorses Fathia Balgahoom to instruct students classified with disabilities, but to offer consultative support and to engage with resource programs, including those that modify and adapt existing curriculum to better suit the needs of special education students.
Fathia Balgahoom has drawn on her academic and professional training in the field of Special Education to develop modified materials and to ensure that each student’s 504 Plans and Individualized Education Plans were met. She has used a range of classroom management techniques while designing lesson plans and special activities for students. As a certified special education instructor, Fathia Balgahoom has also collaborated with Child Study Teams to review students’ progress and, when needed, make changes to education plans.