Walking into Coppell High School room D109, the first thing you will see is special education teacher Linda Jurca spreading an infectious smile to all of the students in the room.

 Jurca has preserved this smile for over two decades at CHS.

Jurca is retiring after the 2023-24 school year, with 22 years of teaching special education. After teaching at Lamar Middle School in Irving for 10 years, she started teaching at CHS where children attended. 

“It is a great place and while it’s academically rigorous, it’s also a safe place for kids,” Jurca said. 

Jurca opted to teach special education because of her experience in the field after teaching it in middle schools and her fervor for helping high school students prepare for the future.

“I just love working with teenagers of all sorts,” Jurca said. “I think it is really gratifying to get to know everyone individually and see how they grow through high school.”

Jurca attests the comforting environment at CHS to a newfound patience and compassion that she has developed over the years teaching special education. 

“Over the past few years, I have seen a lot more students struggle with depression and anxiety,” Jurca said. “I think I have learned a lot as far as how to support kids who are struggling with emotional issues and not just the academics.”

Jurca also developed the confidence to take risks when teaching. As time went on, she adapted to the changing environment of high school education, and adjusted her curriculum to match.

“I have gotten better with changing lesson plans to accommodate students in learning the material or helping them grasp the content.” Jurca said. 

After retiring, Jurca plans on traveling to places such as the Caribbean and to volunteer in the community. 

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