A former special education teacher pleaded guilty Tuesday to three counts of assault, admitting that she put pepper and soap in a 6-year-old student's mouth.Donna Varney, 55, was a teacher at the Jewett Street School, and prosecutors said the assaults took place over several months in the 2012-2013 school year.Hillsborough County Attorney Patricia LaFrance said that in the fall of 2012, a student refused to behave and do her schoolwork. Varney told the student that if she continued her behavior, she would put pepper in her mouth, LaFrance said.Aides in the classroom told police that Varney then took the child to a sink and put pepper on her tongue, LaFrance said. A few months later, Varney put soap in the girl's mouth after a similar incident, officials said.Varney also pleaded guilty to assaulting the same student in 2013 when she flicked a book in the student's face. None of the incidents were reported to police until April 2013, LaFrance said.Prosecutors said the classroom aides were prepared to testify that they were shocked by Varney's actions and didn't consider them appropriate discipline.Varney was sentenced to serve seven days in jail, with another 358 days suspended for five years. She also must relinquish all teaching certificates and undergo a mental health evaluation. She was also ordered to stay away from students and their families.Varney was also ordered to not be in a position of authority in any capacity over any unrelated child under the age of 13 or over any disabled individual.During sentencing, Judge Gillian Abramson likened Varney's conduct to that of a bully and said she hoped the seven days in jail served to show her what it feels like to be bullied.