Today we’d like to introduce you to Sunshine HeyMissTeacher.
Hi Sunshine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Mrs. Sunshine, a special education teacher and social media influencer in Los Angeles, California. I’m most known on TikTok (@heymissteacher) and Instagram (@hey_missteacher) for rocking fun prosthetic eyes and having a killer sense of style in the classroom. I lost all vision and permanently damaged my left eye when I was 5 years old and spent the next 20 years trying to “hide” and accept my disability. My mother raised me to never feel ashamed of my eye, so much so that when I first got my prosthetic eye at 7 years old, she threw a huge party to celebrate. Even under such a supportive mom, I found myself feeling insecure and alone due to what made me so different from everyone around me.
That started to change as I got older. In high school, I started talking openly about my eyes; it was always my “fun fact” when doing those silly icebreakers on the first day of class. I wanted to be in charge of the conversation surrounding my prosthetic eye.
This mentality continued as I moved into college. I first toyed with the idea of a “fun” eye when I was 20 years old. I was due for a new prosthetic and wanted to get a green one so it would match my little sister’s eye instead of matching my functional blue eye. My mom, as awesome as she was, worried about such an expensive commitment. She ended up persuading me away from getting a green prosthetic eye, as prosthetic eyes aren’t cheap, and insurance only covers one every 3 years.
Eventually, I graduated with my BA in Education and started my career as a Special Education Teacher. I wanted to guide and support kids that were like me, those with disabilities. Growing up, I had an IEP, and to this day, I have a 504 plan to ensure supports, such as neutral lighting and extra time on tests, are in place so I can properly do my job in spite of the challenges being 1/2 brings. Throughout the 6 years I’ve been teaching, I have often discussed the support I utilize with my students so they know their unique needs are nothing to be ashamed of. I LOVE seeing and teaching my students not only how to improve academically but how to increase their self-advocacy and independence, too!
This mentality of being proud and rejecting shame surrounding having a disability is just as prevalent in my classroom as it is on social media.
In late 2021, I pulled the trigger on my first “fun eye.” I’d always known my blue prosthetic eye, as lovely as it was, never looked or moved just like my functional eye. I remembered my mother’s warnings and had anxiety as I was getting fitted, but I didn’t want people to notice how my eye didn’t move perfectly or that something looked “off” -I figured if I had a working blue and prosthetic green eye people would notice the color difference before anything else, and that maybe, it would invite conversations and educational opportunities. I was right. Strangers would tell me how lovely my eyes were, to which I would state, “Thanks! This one is a prosthetic!” of course, I would tap my finger against my green eye to prove it. It was empowering to move away from trying to disguise my disability and move into showing it off.
In late 2021 was when I first started posting on social media. I posted about being a teacher, and I posted about my prosthetic left eye. People loved it, and I loved doing my part to normalize prosthetic eyes/teachers living their best lives.
Today, I’m still posting online and teaching full-time. Though, I’ve stopped wearing a green prosthetic left eye. Instead, I rock all sorts of designs on my eye, none of which resemble a “normal” eye color (most are made by a talented Ocularist in Portland, Oregon named Christina). It’s been a liberating experience to reject what I was always taught was a proper prosthetic eye and instead have some fun with it! At the end of the day, I want everyone to see how amazing it can be to embrace what makes you different, and I never want another one-eyed kid to feel like they are alone with their struggles.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As far as having one eye goes, bullying as I was growing up was hard, and fighting my own silly insecurities was definitely a challenge. Of course, teaching isn’t an easy profession and presents its own challenges, but I still love it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I discussed some of the answers to these questions in a previous section.
I am most proud of the impact I have had on in my student’s lives. Parents and kids have expressed how my kindness and passion shined throughout the school year, and there have been teary-eyed goodbyes from my students many times. Those moments are most precious to me.
I am proud of my growth on social media, too! I have been able to positively impact the lives of other one-eyed people, which makes me so happy. Parents of monocular children dm me to tell me how their kid feels seen and like their prosthetic eye more because of the videos I post. Other monocular people have connected to ask questions and seek advice, and I do my best to respond!
I love making a positive difference, and I am most proud of the impact I have on others.
How do you define success?
I see success as reaching your goals and being happy. Emphasis on the happy!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hey_missteacher/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@heymissteacher?lang=en
