why might someone want to teach special ed?

Question

i think i may want to do this, but i'd love to know why others are drawn to it.

Answer 1

aLOT OF OUR SOCIETY SEES *SPECIAL NEEDS* CHILDREN AS A WASTE OF OUR TIME AND TAX DOLLARS..THAT THE BEST WE CAN DO FOR THEM IS SEE THAT THEIR BASIC NEEDS(ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS, FOOD, AND CLOTHING)ARE MET. tHE PERSON WHO REALLY WANTS TO TEACH SPECIAL ED RECOGNIZES THAT EVERYONE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO LEARN, HOWEVER SLOWLY. tHEY HAVE A TENDER, CARING HEART AND WANT TO IN SOME MINUTE WAY TOUCH THE LIFE OF THESE CHILDREN. iT TAKES ALOT OF PATIENCE, IT GETS REPETITIVE, THEY ARE OFTEN COMBATIVE,
BUT WITH PERSERVERANCE IT ALWAYS PAYS OFF IN THE LONG RUN. JOE, OVER THERE 2 YEARS AGO COULDN*T SAY HIS ABC*S, BUT TODAY HE NOT ONLY SAYS THEM BUT CAN WRITE AND RECOGNIZE THEM. bESSY, NOW....WITH MUCH PRACTICE AND ENCOURAGEMENT CAN TIE HER OWN SHOELACES. WITH THESE CHILDREN IT*S NOT ALL ABOUT BOOK LEARNING....BUT HELPING THEM TO LEARN TO DO THOSE THINGS FOR WHICH MOST OF US TAKE FOR GRANTED. THE TEACHER GIVES SO MUCH OF HERSELF TO HER *STUDENTS*, BUT IT IS USUALLY THE TEACHER WHO IS TAUGHT THE MOST...BY NONE OTHER THAN THESE STUDENTS...they exemplify the meaning of such words as .....perservere...patience....dedication...This has to be something that comes from your heart...it can*t be just a career...or a paycheck.....i recommend that you volunter to work a few hours a week with the special ed students, and see if this is for you...if you decide that it is...May God richly bless you...and if it isn*t may god direct you in the path that is laid out for you.

Answer 2

I was 1 semester away from graduating from school with an elementary ed degree and I landed a long term sub position in special ed. It scred the hell out of me...for about a day. Then I realized that while all of the other teachers had these large groups of students (it was middle school so they all had over 100 during the day) I was responsible for a group of about ten kids. I got to learn about THEM, their learning styles, their likes and dislikes, what motivated them, what troubled them, what their home lives were like....

Anyway, the week before I graduated I decided to stay in school for an extra year to get an additional credential for special ed. I spend my day teaching some wonderful children who have been written off by many teachers, and even their own parents. I have had 6th graders tell me that I am the only person who ever tried to help them learn to read, or that no teacher ever cared about them before. It gives me goosebumps!

What it comes down to is that I belive that all kids have a right to learn and to be as successful as they can. I can help them do that! This is not to say that there aren't days when I want to go home and hit something out of frustration. But the days when I go home really proud of what I do are far more frequent.

And if none of thaty convinces you then take a look at the department of education website. You will notice that there are critical shortages in special education teachers in nearly every state. You will always have a job if you have a sped credential and you are halfway competent.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

If you think you might be interested, you could volunteer for a few hours a week. That way you will know before you finish getting the education to have a career in the field.
Most people love or hate working in a special ed setting. There doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground. Don't worry about why others are drawn to it.

Answer 4

I have been teaching Special Ed for 14 years and its the most rewarding thing you can do. It requires a lot of patience, understanding, and flexibility. If you want to do something that can make an impact on someones life, and make you feel like you are doing something good, then Special Ed. is the job for you. Remember, to the good there is always bad, but the look in a kids eyes when he is successful at something he has never been successful at before makes it all worth while.

Answer 5

I have a special needs child, and I appreciate the teachers, a special ed teacher needs to be a very loving person with lots of patience. understanding, that a child has moments, and can't be told to sit and expect them to sit right away, some children when told something can feel how they are being told and mistake it as you being mad and will upset them and get violent.
A special needs child is a very loving person and caring. Can tell when you are down or happy.

Good luck!

Answer 6

My son's Teacher gets so excited when her LD
students strive to get a question right. She told me
once she can't wait to see this look come across
my son's face that says, That is what the other kids
know that I didn't before. So you see if you are thinking
about teaching Special Ed students, they will be a joy
for you and you will be their light in the dark.
GOD BLESS YOU! Teach ON!

Answer 7

As the mom of two special needs teenagers, all I can say is Thank God there are people who become Special Education teachers, therapists, and aides. I am in your debt more than any of you will ever know, and want to extend a heartfelt "Thank You". Sending your child off to school is hard for any parent, at first. For parents of kids with special needs, it is a huge leap of faith every day. We are trusting our non-verbal kids to you. We trust you to take care of them, be kind to them, cuddle them when warranted, discipline them when required, have the patience of Job with them, even when you are having a bad day, and be there to address any concerns we parents have. You are, every last one of you, awesome.

*** And John M- go play somewhere else, please.

Answer 8

Its a challenge and can be very satisfying when progress is achieved. I was quite surprised by the number of " under-achieving" and/or misbehaving children who turned out to be of above-average intelligence--they were just simply bored by the educational programs we were presenting at the time.

Answer 9

You feel a sense of satisfaction in seeing the students progress, improve and grow.

Answer 10

I don't know why you would want to. Do you know how strong some retarded kids are? We had this one kid when i went to school who would get so mad when people threw oranges at him he would start flipping over picnic tables and crapping his pants. Going to work every day and hearing all those constant 'tard squeals and mopping up the drool is enough to make me want to throw in the towel. But seriously, I imagine some people may have a disabled son or daughter and find it rewarding to help other kids that are less fortunate.