Join us for a back-to-school get-together with other Special Education teachers right here on the Special Education board.
Tell us: what is special to you about teaching Special Education? Also, feel free to share anything you'd like to share about yourself or your teaching interests. Let's see who we have here!
I am a second year teacher for K & 1st in a district that heavily focuses on the inclusion of all kids to the maximum extent possible. I am working on my master's degree and trying to learn all I can because teaching is a very difficult skill to master!
Special Education is my favorite area in education because I work with such unique kids! I have always loved people that think differently and I realize all kids are unique in many ways but my students are exceptionally gifted in being unique. I feel like I learn so much by trying to see things from their point of view when trying to find the best ways to teach new concepts. Everyday is a new and exciting challenge and I know I am growing so much as a person through this work! It is SO REWARDING!
I love that my kids feel like they have a safe place to learn and feel successful! Keeping my kids for several years in a row helps build great relationships with them. My kids are quirky, unique and full of potential. I also love when their gen. ed teachers get to visit our room and see the great things the kids are doing and what they are really capable of.
The BEST part of being a SpEd teacher is helping my students learn how to be successful in school. As a 5th/6th grade teacher, my kids come to me with years of academic struggles under their belts, and frequently have stinky attitudes because of this. Having the freedom to let them work at their level leads to them figuring out that they can learn, that school isn't a race, that their ideas and thoughts are valuable, that they can control their behavior even when they get upset, that they can politely ask for help when they need it. It's magical!
I'm headed into year nine teaching a self-contained class of middle school students with significant disabilities. I'm so grateful that this is what I get to do for a living. I love, love, love seeing kids, who the world doesn't appreciate, grow leaps and bounds despite what they're supposedly capable of. I like the challenge of figuring out what works best for each student and designing a curriculum just for him/her. We're headed back on Tuesday, and I'm pretty excited to get started.
(But don't get me wrong - some days are crappy and hard, thank goodness for wine! )
This is my first full year of teaching SPED. I went back to school for my masters degree after working in a variety of different jobs for years. Special Ed. is so special because my students have the best attitudes despite their daily struggles. I am able to develop deep relationships with parents and students because we are working together to bring about positive learning in our children.
I love the challenges that I experience daily. I've already cried when I heard a student say the name of a letter after 4 weeks of instruction! Small improvements are so special to me.
I began teaching special education in a middle school self contained classroom over 8 years ago. Prior to that, I had substituted at all grade levels. I have been so blessed to be in the classroom with these young people. I am so biased when it comes them because I do not ever want them to feel left out, mistreated or invalid. Every accomplishment is celebrated, every behavior becomes a teachable moment, each day is filled with laughter, some tears, and so much joy. I lost a child at three to a TBI, and I vowed I would take care of other children the way the nurses took care of her. I will not lie and say that teaching this group does not come with its unique set of challenges, that schools provide resources , and that parents are involved more; but I wouldn't trade teaching this group of students for any other student in the school. They are my extended family. Many times I feel like we are looked at as the teachers who do nothing on campus, but when my students rode in the homecoming parade and went to prom, the sense of belonging they felt can never be replaced. Parents, staff, and community acknowledging their being included; priceless.
What I like about teaching special education is giving my students confidence in themselves and helping them focus on their strengths. I love being able to work with a smaller group of students that I can really get to know and better be able to help them learn. I teach middle school, so when I taught reg ed, I had up to 130 students at a time and I didn't feel like I could really get to know all my students. This will be my third year teaching special education.
I teach a 7-12 resource room,so I have some students for six years. I like seeing how much they mature and grow over the years. It is always a great feeling when they no longer qualify for services, and are staffed out!
As a primary grades Special Ed. teacher (K-4 and sometimes K-5), I feel very fortunate to be able to teach "my kids" for (often) many years in a row. I get to see some amazing growth and even some students exiting my program, which is what we live for. I love teaching in small groups because I get to know my students very well. When given enough time (Never, ) I love creating individual lessons for my students. I wish we didn't get such a bad rap. That is one thing I work to change. I don't argue, but set an example of what a good special educator should be. We have a lot on our plates and on top of it, we're (in my district anyway) expected to do everything a gen. ed. teacher on our grade level(s!) does as far as training, evals, paperwork, meetings, etc., even though it has nothing to do with our day to day jobs. There is just a major lack of understanding.
Despite all of that, I feel that my job is probably much more rewarding than a gen. ed. teacher's job .
Last edited by newspedteach; 09-01-2014 at 01:35 PM..
I love being able to work at my students current level of functioning and getting more in depth to learning about the children. I feel that I am able to build a great rapport with all students to make them feel respected and capable of fitting in with the surrounding community. I love talking to mainstream teachers about what makes our kids click to make mainstreaming more successful for all involved.
I have taught special ed since 1997. It has always been a challenge but the rewards are huge and worth the effort. I love that feeling when a child has been working on one concept for a year or more and FINALLY the light bulb goes off and they get it! i love how i have a little more freedom in my class to do the creative and interesting things that i love, to meet the students' needs. I especially love bringing out my students' strengths and helping them see the best in themselves
I love teaching special ed because I get to see amazing gains, work with the coolest kids, and make a real difference.
I got into special education because, when I was teaching music, I got to see how much growth the truly profound kids were making just in the music class alone! They loved music and they truly loved being there.
The kids I work with now are the kids that people have given up on. What a horrible feeling to think that so many people think you're annoying or unteachable. I don't believe that is the case at all! I get to work in small groups with these kiddos and truly make a relationship with them as well as their families. It's amazing what a child can do when they know you believe in them.
The best part of my job is knowing that I've truly helped a kiddo learn. They come back to me years later and remember me because I loved them and I helped them when no one else knew how. These kids are the most amazing kids in the district because they have to work ten times harder than any other kid just to make it through. I'm astounded by my students every day!
Teaching special education is the most amazing, and rewarding, job on the planet. I can't imagine teaching anything else!!!!!
I am entering my sixth year teaching students with special needs! I started a new job teaching students in grades three through five. This is a shift from my five years of experience with Kindergarten and first grade.
Over my last few years, I am most passionate about coteaching with the general education teachers, so our students have the chance to be included! I am a big believer students NEED to be in their general education classrooms to meet their full potential!
I am in love with the variety of strategies and teaching styles the students are exposed to through the coteaching model! In this environment, we are all able to learn from each other! This has been one of the best shifts in special education to date!
I am excited to be providing services to my students in cot aught environments because I love seeing my students success in the classroom with their peers!
I love it when we're sitting in professional development being trained on some SUPER NEW TEACHING TECHNIQUE/PROGRAM and I immediately recognize it as an OLD SPECIAL EDUCATION TECHNIQUE/PROGRAM. I immediately have to make the point that I've already been doing this for years and I get this look from the admins.
I know some like to look down upon the special educator, but little do they know that we have the background that drives their NEW DISCOVERIES. That is why I love doing what I do.
a place where they can learn at their own pace with exactly what they need to be successful. The thing that keeps me going is when students have been stuck on one concept for so long and then they have their "ah ha" moment. I live for those moments.
Our district has been back to school for almost a month now. It seems that over the summer our district sped directors have made many changes to our IEP timeline procedures among other things. This has been a very busy year so far.
I teach a self-contained 4th - 6th grade Special Day Class. I taught a primary SDC class one year and for 20 years I've been teaching the upper grades. Some of my students are with me for 3 years, some for 2 and some for only 1. I am fortunate to be able to see students go from 4th to 6th, maturing and gaining school skills. I see their difficulties as a puzzle to figure out, so things are never boring! Teaching students with learning challenges is very fulfilling and challenging.
I am an SLP. I have worked for 6 years with preschool to 4th graders. This year I am making the jump to middle school I find such pleasure in working with a student on a particular concept and then "catching" them figure out what we have been discussing. I especially love it even more when their classroom teacher tells me the student understood it in front of their peers! It is moments like these that make up for all of the hours I put into making materials for my students and spending time on the paperwork.
I enjoy the collaboration that comes with being in SPED. It is almost impossible to do our jobs in isolation. I work so closely with the school psychologists, academic special ed teachers and regular ed classroom teachers. It is great to put the puzzle together and look at the child as a whole student.
I was a ECSE teacher for over 20 years and really loved it. Of course, the best part was working with the little ones and watching them grow and learn and celebrating their successes.
I am special education certified, and briefly taught preschool sped and a K-6 resource room. I also taught gen ed K-12 for various things and worked as a school counselor. I got my certification as a school psych years ago and have been working in that capacity for a while.
What I love about special education:
As a school psych, I work with all the sped teachers and classrooms. I love seeing parents year after year and reveling in their children's growth and helping problem solve the difficulties. I love working with the sped teachers because they know their kids so intimately and we really work as a team to help increase growth in behaviors and academics. I love working with the preschool sped population because so much change happens as they acclimate to school, and it's so eye-opening for parents. Helping them navigate the school system and understand what is going on for their kids gives me pleasure.
I teach third grade special education and I co teach math and Reading. I think what is special is the adventures and getting to know each and every student. You get to know them more in depth than a larger classroom. I also enjoy co teaching and helping my students develop relationships in those classes.
I have been teaching 14 years and have spent the last 4 teaching Special Education. I think the best part is accepting children that may not have found acceptance in the past, challenging them, and watching them grow. Teaching special education is a challenge but can be so rewarding as well. I love working to develop techniques and strategies to help students find success in academics and socially.
This is my first year of teaching special ed, and already two weeks into the year, I am already having mighty big improvements in some of my kids. I have had one that has went from a D student to making almost all A's so far. I love teaching my kids and seeing them grow.
This is my 8th year teaching Special Education children with different abilities. I have been teaching children with Autism and continue to learn from them as well as share with new teachers that the best laid plans can go out the window in a matter of minutes. I see this students growing every year and blooming into someone special with special gifts to share with the world. One of my first students are going to high school this year and that is a reward of its own. I am truly blessed to be in the lives of these kids.
I have taught Special Education for 34 years and it is still as fun and challenging as it was my first day! I teach in a K-1-2 Essential Skills classroom and have students who will be taking the MAP-A in Third grade. I taught self-contained and pull-out LD for the first 28 years of my career, but love having the flexibility of teaching these youngsters who often have delayed speech which complicates their future test-taking.
I recently resigned from my career of 13 years to go back to school for a Master's Degree in SPED. It has been the best decision I have ever made. I absolutely love working with ESS students. The rewards are too many to list. I work on the Navajo Indian reservation and thoroughly enjoy working with the families of our ESS students. It is awesome to see such strong support.
I have been teaching sped for 33 years. Thirty of them have been at the same school with the same type of students. It has been a long, rewarding career. I have lived with my sped sister for over 50 years. She is the reason I became a sped teacher. I teach a self-contained classroom of students with mild to moderate disabilities. Mostly they are in 4-6 grade, but I do get some 3rd graders at times. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see the growth my students make from 4th graders to 6th graders. It is so bittersweet for me to send them off to junior high school! They all bring something sweet and challenging to my life. I could never imagine doing anything else!
I have been teaching special education for 12 years and have enjoyed every minute of it. I thoroughly enjoy working with students with individualized needs. I think teaching special education is special because I have been given the opportunity to build self esteem and academic skills in those students who struggle the most with school. It is a great feeling to make those students feel confident and successful as well as give them the opportunity for a bright future.
I teach in a transition classroom so every September I get 6 new students. It is always interesting to see who comes through my door in September and how they leave my classroom in June.
I am going on my tenth year as a special educator for the elementary grades. Every year I learn new techniques and strategies to incorporate into my classroom. I truly enjoy teaching special education because everyday is different and you never know what new hurdles will be overcome. The many little moments that are overlooked are step stones for these children towards educational success. They teach me how to think outside of the box, and be welcome to taking risks. You never know what lesson will truly spark a chain of learning. My students have taught me over the years, we are all different and to welcome those differences to create a learning environment that thrives. I will end with my favorite quote...
"If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn." Ignacio Estrada
I started my career out as an elementary classroom teacher, life happened and I ended up moving closer to my family. I started subbing in the nearby district and found a school I enjoyed subbing in. It happened to be a special school that only had students with Behavior Disorders. We were a small but very close knit school. The doors closed a few years ago and I'm in my second year in a 3 - 5 th grade Behavior Focus classroom. My students ARE my everything! I wake up in the morning and lay down out night thinking about them and what it will take to help them have a successful day. For me a success is not always mastering the daily content I cover with my students but helping them remain physically and verbally calm enough to remain in the classroom appropriately all day without a major meltdown. I work hard to keep my students where they need to be - but they are the hard workers overcoming their setbacks!
I am going on my 20th year of teaching children with special needs. I have taught pre-school - grade twelve. What I love is seeing the light go on - the students know they got it - the smiles are worth a million dollars.
I've been teaching sped for over 23 years mostly in a self-contained setting. I enjoy seeing the progress they make although I usually don't see it for several months! The beginning of the year always gets me down since there are new students with very low skills. I always doubt if I can really reach them but once we get the routine going and they are able to work somewhat independently while I work with a group I can see the progress.
I teach a self-contained K-2 special needs class. I am starting my 8th year in special education. I love working with my students and watching them being successful!
I have been working with people with disabilities for 25 years and been teaching at my current school for 5 years. I work in a self-contained high school classroom.
I enjoy being able to individualize instructions to my students needs. I love how most of my students are so in the here and now - you see immediately if whatever you are doing is working for them or not. I love having a small class and being able to build close relationships with my students and their families. They are truly the most fun, never-boring and honest group of people to be with. Not And I like having a challenge thrown my way ever so often as well -keeps you on your toes and creative.
Love my job.
I teach 6th grade resource and several of my kids have behavior disorders. They absolutely wear me out but overall, I truly love working with them. I know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm pretty new so I really want to learn how to do a better job to help them. Every day is different and I really enjoy working with small groups.
It's challenging because several of them do not get along with each other and we pull out groups. My favorite part is finding those little moments of progress and celebrating those with them. Sometimes it's just a student appropriately asking someone they don't like to do something. They are tough kids so it takes time to build trust and respect. It's like a puzzle to figure out what will work for each kid.
I was a regular ed teacher and really enjoyed working with the Sped children in my classroom. I wanted to work with them and help them grow as learners. I took the required test to become certified as well as began taking classes in Special Education. This is my first year as an Sped Teacher but am really enjoying it and the children. I get to work with small groups of kids throughout the day to help them learn at their pace and level. I hope to boost their confidence up as well as work on their academic learning at school. It's been only 8 days into the new school year but I love it. The kids are sweet and want to learn and work. It's been rewarding and made my decision to go into SPED so much easier to me.
I have a full class of great kids from K-5 self-contained. The class is cross-categorical so I have a real mix of abilities.
I like teaching special education because I can provide a smaller learning environment where my kids can learn at their own pace. I have high expectations of my kids no matter how they are labeled and have found that kids respond to this. My goal is for every student to perform to the best of their ability. I am excited when I am able to transition a student into general education and just as excited when a 5th grader is able to put together sounds and read a 3 letter word. I feel that I can make a difference in a kid's life and am an annoying (to the district office) advocate for them. I love seeing them take pride in themselves and realize they can progress.
Some days are so difficult with behaviors and not enough staff to give students the attention they need but I feel I am where I need to be.
My students have such difficult backgrounds and so many things going against them. I love how we can make a safe environment where students can learn to meet their potential. I love how it matters when they do something wrong and I am the one to correct it -- they feel like they don't want to disappoint me. I love their smiles and their unique ways and want to teach them that life is full of opportunities if they do the work necessary to get there. So much more rewarding than my former classroom job.
I just started my 37th year of teaching special education. This is my 36th year teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities. I love watching my students blossom and the excitement when they realize they've learned something new. I've seen theories, strategies, and techniques for teaching students with severe disabilities change over the years, but the students don't. They are still amazing people who CAN and DO learn. I teach in an open pod school. It can be stressful as some of my students can be loud, have meltdowns, and can elope from the room. However, the bond they have with same age peers and other teachers in the building outweighs a little noise and the occasional "runner". This may be my last year teaching and I am making it the best year ever for my students despite the push toward teaching grade level academics and CCSS. Though I really want to retire so I can pursue other interests, I will know I will really miss the give and take of teaching kiddos with severe disabilities.
The reason why I love special education is the chance I have to make a difference in the lives of the troubled boys I teach. I am in a therapeutic facility that rehabs boys with anger and sex abuse issues. I am their teacher. Many of these boys have IEPs, some don't. I teach all the subjects. It is a challenging position, but a very fulfilling one. Most of my boys excelled to the next grade level by the end of the school year. That was great to see.
This is my.... 25th year of teaching special education. I have taught children of all ages and degrees of disabilities. It is never boring and every minute brings a new challenge.
Being able to think outside the box is a huge advantage to working within the system with children who do not always fit inside the system.
This is my 18th year teaching special education. I have taught everything from mild/moderate curriculum to students with severe disabilities from ages 3 yrs to 22 yrs. I love it and am always trying to find new techniques or resources to make my teaching more functional and meaningful to my students. I am teaching in a high school setting right now with students with severe handicaps. This is my second year in this setting and I love it.
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08-31-2014, 02:14 PM
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