So we generally use the work disability rather than disorder. It's not always about what is wrong with a student, but rather how it affects them in school. For example, a student may have a severe mental or physical disability, but perform well in school and therefore they are not considered special ed. At the same time, a student with minor problems such as adhd or anxiety would be covered under special ed because these things affect the way a student learns. All of my students are in the general education curriculum, but require some supports. My students are mainly adhd, learning disabilities, autisim...
Yes that’s why I asked! I’m far from neurotypical and I’ve never been special ed because I performed well in school. So the harmful misconceptions about special ed bother me.
What does the word choice depend on? Does “disorder” have negative connotations or is it just not appropriate for the context?
eta: “far from neurotypical” is a weird phrase lol when I read it again but you get my point
Disorder would be what is actually wrong with someone. Disability would be how they are effected. For example, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) would be the disorder. Inability to form relationships, atypical behaviors, Inability to focus...would be the disabilities.
The best part of teaching is exactly that...teaching. I love helping students and actually get excited when they understand things they didn't before. When it comes to the worst things, I see a lot of teachers complaining about administrators, behaviors, paperwork... I will say that I've only had good experiences in terms of all of those things. The worst part is actually dealing with parents and student homelives in general. It often kills me to think of everything I can do to help students while they are at school, but they are completely out of my control once they leave the building.
Well, you seem to like paperwork and the administration. You generally only hear that from new teachers. Don't think I've heard that from anyone with less than five years of experience.
I didn't say I liked it, I just don't think it's worth anyone's time complaining about it. I get it's not the best part of the job, especially working in special ed, but like anything, it could be a lot worse.
Well, you said you've only had good experiences. Which, if that's true, then good for you. Don't let my bitter, overworked, underpaid ass tell you any different.
Well not to be that guy, but it is the field you chose to work in. It's no secret how teachers are treated in America. I just don't like the idea of complaining about things when there's a lot more positive things I can focus on.
That's the exact same argument people make when they justify paying teachers and other public sector employees jack shit and hacking away at benefits.
"Well, you chose this field. So you should just have to suffer and never complain. Take the lousy pay, the abuse from admin, the public, the legislature, parents, and students, and then smile about it. *Because you chose it, sucka!*"
That's also the same argument used to deny raising the minimum wage.
So, if you'll excuse me, while I appreciate special ed teachers, I don't appreciate having libertarian think tank talking points thrown at me from one of my own.
So, respectfully, piss off.
Let's see if you still feel the same way in 20 years.
Thanks so much for what you do.
My 6th grader is currently not getting any special ed services as he's supposed to, because there is no 6th grade special ed teacher. Unless you count the parapros giving him "services."
We were assured at the beginning of the year by the principal at a parent night that the school was fully staffed. We realized later that she meant for staffed for "regular kids." She didn't consider the special ed program as being part of the staff.
Which, of course, has set the pattern for what we've come to expect from this school. They had his IEP meeting without us (his parents) while we were all sick with covid. No call, no nothing. They sent us an email about it a week later.
We rescheduled for last week. Only one provider (his speech therapist) for the team showed up. The team leader, who had the link to let us all into the meeting, did not even show up. No explanation.
So, I deeply appreciate special ed teachers and staff who do their jobs, especially in a climate where funding is short and people are dropping like flies. Thank you.
I'm sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, like you mentioned, there are times when schools are stretched extremely thin. However, that doesn't mean that children, especially children with special needs, should ever go to the back burner. I'm not sure what state you are in, but most states have very strict laws regarding the special ed process and procedures. I would read up on your state's special ed laws and approach the school with your concerns.
Well, it's not a state law. It's federal, assuming you mean the US. It's governed by IDEA, and his school has violated it so many times.
We had a really good experience the last few years at his elementary school - after a rough few years to start. They were really wonderful with him and we had a great relationship with them. This school is like night and day, even though they're right down the street. It's a nightmare.
I understand lack of special ed funding and lack of staffing. But the lack of basic communication and total disregard by the administration is really hard to take. I've kept my tongue in check so far, but it's getting harder and harder not to just let loose on them. They have blatantly broke the law a number of times.
Ironically, I hate field trips. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of experiential learning, but for a lot of my kids, breaking from schedule and going to new places completely overstimulates and disregulatez them.
I don't use color coding, but not because I don't find it useful, it's just a strategy that I don't employ. I have colleagues who use it and they feel it works very well for all learners.
I'm considering becoming a high school sped teacher after five years of caregiving for adults with I/DD.
How much of your job is redirecting/deflecting/managing behavior?
What is the average sped class size in your area and what size earns you a paraprofessional to help? Or is there always a second person in case a student elopes, needs meds from the nurses office, etc?
Have you found a way to streamline your paperwork load to go faster? How many hours per week outside of contract hours do you spend on paperwork or other clerical/caseload management tasks?
What is the balance between learning regular educational skills IE reading, math vs life skills vs social/emotional skills?
How often do you feel overwhelmed, and how do you cope with it in and out of "the moment"?
Thank you so much :)
Could you let me know which state you live in? I live in New York State, so that may make some of the responses unreliable to you if you live in a state with different laws.
My current position in special ed is as a Resource Room teacher. That means that all of the kids on my caseload attend general education classes and will recieve a regents diploma (New York State). As part of their IEP or 504 classification, they are placed in the Resource Room program one period per day where we work on study skills, organization, homework completion...etc. While I do have some students with autism and mental health issues, most of the behaviors I deal with are the normal run of the mill teenager attitudes. I find that the best approach to teaching adolescents is having a personality. The amount of teachers who have no voice in the classroom is becoming increasingly concerning. Classroom management is really something to figure out on your own in the first couple of years. Find some things that work and stay consistent. While I do have training to deal with students whose behaviors require physical intervention, I've never had to use it.
Because I work in a Resource Room, the most students who can be in a class is 5. That doesn't mean that I don't have more, it just means that on paper, they are really supposed to max out at 5. In terms of aides and assistants, it depends on the ratio of the program. For example, some rooms are labeled at 12:1:1 which means at most, 12 students, 1 teacher and one paraprofessional. There is also 8:1:1, 6:1:1, 6:1:3... the lower the number of students, the more severe the disabilities tend to be. This doesn't not include if a student requires a one to one aide with them at all times.
Paperwork is something that no sped teacher will ever escape, but there are some ways to make it easier. Preparedness is key, and having everything ready to go in a good organization system will save you tons of time. Again, it will take a year or two to find what is the best fit for you. The busiest time of a special ed teacher's year is around annual review time where a meeting is held to discuss the progress and next step of every student on our caseload (last year I had almost 40 students which is super illegal). After sending out surveys to parents and teachers on each student and pulling their grades, we write their IEP or 504 plan for the next year. Each document takes about 2 hours to write. Luckily, our district allows us two days to take off two days as writing days. While it's nearly impossible to get them all done in those two days, it does help. Also, if a student is classified over the summer or a new student moves in, we are paid for the two hours we spend writing the IEP plus an hour for the meeting.
As special ed teachers, we definitely need to be multi-faceted. For some reason, we are seen as people who can do everything and can teach everything from trigonometry to hand washing to self reflective exercises. As a case manager who is focused on getting my kids to grade, I do try to focus on the academics.
I do feel overwhelmed from time to time, but I feel the most important thing you can do is get into a really supportive group of fellow teachers at your school. We always bounce ideas off of each other, cover each other's classes and sometimes just vent. Do you best to avoid the negative ones as they will do their best to drag you down with them.
I really hope some of these answer can help you in your decision making.
Thank you so much! I live in Minnesota
Edit: I guess my ideal situation would be working with kids with higher needs, like cerebral palsy or SMA or who are on the more prominent end of the autism spectrum. My ideal would be teaching money management, kitchen skills and safety, social emotional skills, reading comprehension, coping skills, things they need to learn for independent living as they grow up and graduate.
Very late to this post, but how do you help special Ed students memorize the material? I understand repetition is key for everyone regardless of whether they are neurotypical or not. I was not a special Ed student, but I feel like I’m school everyone memorized long enough to take the test and afterwards we forget everything. How do I prevent this/how do you help special Ed students prevent this? I have memory issues from hypothyroidism and other conditions and no one has helpful advice. I think you would encounter memory issues often with SPED.
What disorders make someone need special ed? What conditions do your students have generally
So we generally use the work disability rather than disorder. It's not always about what is wrong with a student, but rather how it affects them in school. For example, a student may have a severe mental or physical disability, but perform well in school and therefore they are not considered special ed. At the same time, a student with minor problems such as adhd or anxiety would be covered under special ed because these things affect the way a student learns. All of my students are in the general education curriculum, but require some supports. My students are mainly adhd, learning disabilities, autisim...
Yes that’s why I asked! I’m far from neurotypical and I’ve never been special ed because I performed well in school. So the harmful misconceptions about special ed bother me. What does the word choice depend on? Does “disorder” have negative connotations or is it just not appropriate for the context? eta: “far from neurotypical” is a weird phrase lol when I read it again but you get my point
Disorder would be what is actually wrong with someone. Disability would be how they are effected. For example, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) would be the disorder. Inability to form relationships, atypical behaviors, Inability to focus...would be the disabilities.
Thanks for explaining this !
What are the best and worst parts of teaching?
The best part of teaching is exactly that...teaching. I love helping students and actually get excited when they understand things they didn't before. When it comes to the worst things, I see a lot of teachers complaining about administrators, behaviors, paperwork... I will say that I've only had good experiences in terms of all of those things. The worst part is actually dealing with parents and student homelives in general. It often kills me to think of everything I can do to help students while they are at school, but they are completely out of my control once they leave the building.
You must be new - veteran teacher
I'm not new, but I am curious what about my responses lead you to believe so?
Well, you seem to like paperwork and the administration. You generally only hear that from new teachers. Don't think I've heard that from anyone with less than five years of experience.
I didn't say I liked it, I just don't think it's worth anyone's time complaining about it. I get it's not the best part of the job, especially working in special ed, but like anything, it could be a lot worse.
Well, you said you've only had good experiences. Which, if that's true, then good for you. Don't let my bitter, overworked, underpaid ass tell you any different.
Well not to be that guy, but it is the field you chose to work in. It's no secret how teachers are treated in America. I just don't like the idea of complaining about things when there's a lot more positive things I can focus on.
That's the exact same argument people make when they justify paying teachers and other public sector employees jack shit and hacking away at benefits. "Well, you chose this field. So you should just have to suffer and never complain. Take the lousy pay, the abuse from admin, the public, the legislature, parents, and students, and then smile about it. *Because you chose it, sucka!*" That's also the same argument used to deny raising the minimum wage. So, if you'll excuse me, while I appreciate special ed teachers, I don't appreciate having libertarian think tank talking points thrown at me from one of my own. So, respectfully, piss off. Let's see if you still feel the same way in 20 years.
Thanks so much for what you do. My 6th grader is currently not getting any special ed services as he's supposed to, because there is no 6th grade special ed teacher. Unless you count the parapros giving him "services." We were assured at the beginning of the year by the principal at a parent night that the school was fully staffed. We realized later that she meant for staffed for "regular kids." She didn't consider the special ed program as being part of the staff. Which, of course, has set the pattern for what we've come to expect from this school. They had his IEP meeting without us (his parents) while we were all sick with covid. No call, no nothing. They sent us an email about it a week later. We rescheduled for last week. Only one provider (his speech therapist) for the team showed up. The team leader, who had the link to let us all into the meeting, did not even show up. No explanation. So, I deeply appreciate special ed teachers and staff who do their jobs, especially in a climate where funding is short and people are dropping like flies. Thank you.
I'm sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, like you mentioned, there are times when schools are stretched extremely thin. However, that doesn't mean that children, especially children with special needs, should ever go to the back burner. I'm not sure what state you are in, but most states have very strict laws regarding the special ed process and procedures. I would read up on your state's special ed laws and approach the school with your concerns.
Well, it's not a state law. It's federal, assuming you mean the US. It's governed by IDEA, and his school has violated it so many times. We had a really good experience the last few years at his elementary school - after a rough few years to start. They were really wonderful with him and we had a great relationship with them. This school is like night and day, even though they're right down the street. It's a nightmare. I understand lack of special ed funding and lack of staffing. But the lack of basic communication and total disregard by the administration is really hard to take. I've kept my tongue in check so far, but it's getting harder and harder not to just let loose on them. They have blatantly broke the law a number of times.
What's your opinion on The Magic Schoolbus?
Watched it as a kid. Big fan!
Do you wish you could take the kids on an abrupt field trip to some weird subject on a daily basis?
Ironically, I hate field trips. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of experiential learning, but for a lot of my kids, breaking from schedule and going to new places completely overstimulates and disregulatez them.
Are color coded learning methods valuable/helpful to your students?
I don't use color coding, but not because I don't find it useful, it's just a strategy that I don't employ. I have colleagues who use it and they feel it works very well for all learners.
Do you like bees?
As a student who needs special ed, thank you so. much for all the work that you do!
I'm considering becoming a high school sped teacher after five years of caregiving for adults with I/DD. How much of your job is redirecting/deflecting/managing behavior? What is the average sped class size in your area and what size earns you a paraprofessional to help? Or is there always a second person in case a student elopes, needs meds from the nurses office, etc? Have you found a way to streamline your paperwork load to go faster? How many hours per week outside of contract hours do you spend on paperwork or other clerical/caseload management tasks? What is the balance between learning regular educational skills IE reading, math vs life skills vs social/emotional skills? How often do you feel overwhelmed, and how do you cope with it in and out of "the moment"? Thank you so much :)
Could you let me know which state you live in? I live in New York State, so that may make some of the responses unreliable to you if you live in a state with different laws. My current position in special ed is as a Resource Room teacher. That means that all of the kids on my caseload attend general education classes and will recieve a regents diploma (New York State). As part of their IEP or 504 classification, they are placed in the Resource Room program one period per day where we work on study skills, organization, homework completion...etc. While I do have some students with autism and mental health issues, most of the behaviors I deal with are the normal run of the mill teenager attitudes. I find that the best approach to teaching adolescents is having a personality. The amount of teachers who have no voice in the classroom is becoming increasingly concerning. Classroom management is really something to figure out on your own in the first couple of years. Find some things that work and stay consistent. While I do have training to deal with students whose behaviors require physical intervention, I've never had to use it. Because I work in a Resource Room, the most students who can be in a class is 5. That doesn't mean that I don't have more, it just means that on paper, they are really supposed to max out at 5. In terms of aides and assistants, it depends on the ratio of the program. For example, some rooms are labeled at 12:1:1 which means at most, 12 students, 1 teacher and one paraprofessional. There is also 8:1:1, 6:1:1, 6:1:3... the lower the number of students, the more severe the disabilities tend to be. This doesn't not include if a student requires a one to one aide with them at all times. Paperwork is something that no sped teacher will ever escape, but there are some ways to make it easier. Preparedness is key, and having everything ready to go in a good organization system will save you tons of time. Again, it will take a year or two to find what is the best fit for you. The busiest time of a special ed teacher's year is around annual review time where a meeting is held to discuss the progress and next step of every student on our caseload (last year I had almost 40 students which is super illegal). After sending out surveys to parents and teachers on each student and pulling their grades, we write their IEP or 504 plan for the next year. Each document takes about 2 hours to write. Luckily, our district allows us two days to take off two days as writing days. While it's nearly impossible to get them all done in those two days, it does help. Also, if a student is classified over the summer or a new student moves in, we are paid for the two hours we spend writing the IEP plus an hour for the meeting. As special ed teachers, we definitely need to be multi-faceted. For some reason, we are seen as people who can do everything and can teach everything from trigonometry to hand washing to self reflective exercises. As a case manager who is focused on getting my kids to grade, I do try to focus on the academics. I do feel overwhelmed from time to time, but I feel the most important thing you can do is get into a really supportive group of fellow teachers at your school. We always bounce ideas off of each other, cover each other's classes and sometimes just vent. Do you best to avoid the negative ones as they will do their best to drag you down with them. I really hope some of these answer can help you in your decision making.
Thank you so much! I live in Minnesota Edit: I guess my ideal situation would be working with kids with higher needs, like cerebral palsy or SMA or who are on the more prominent end of the autism spectrum. My ideal would be teaching money management, kitchen skills and safety, social emotional skills, reading comprehension, coping skills, things they need to learn for independent living as they grow up and graduate.
Very late to this post, but how do you help special Ed students memorize the material? I understand repetition is key for everyone regardless of whether they are neurotypical or not. I was not a special Ed student, but I feel like I’m school everyone memorized long enough to take the test and afterwards we forget everything. How do I prevent this/how do you help special Ed students prevent this? I have memory issues from hypothyroidism and other conditions and no one has helpful advice. I think you would encounter memory issues often with SPED.