Megan: More than Just a Job

“Follow your bliss.” ~ Joseph Campbell
 
Maybe it’s just my perception, but lately when I’ve met new graduates or people thinking about going into education, more and more of them are considering special ed. I’m always excited to meet other potential special educators. But oftentimes, their answer as to why they chose this particular field troubles me: “It’s where the jobs are.”

I am so enthusiastic to get more people involved in special education. I’d recruit any good teacher I could by talking about all the perks: lots of hugs, moments where a student reads for the first time—I could go on and on.

But as many of us know, special education is not for the faint of heart. While I whole-heartedly feel I am in the best profession, it is not a job that one should go into simply because there is a shortage of positions in other areas of education. I often hear people say they are going to use their special education degree to get their foot in the door, then switch over when something else opens in their district. This boggles my mind. I don’t find special education to be a stepping stone; it’s a path unto itself.

This week, my former assistant and good friend told me that my new assistant had asked her why I chose to be in my often-challenging room. My good friend answered, “It’s all Megan has ever wanted to teach. She honestly says she can’t see herself teaching anything else.” That is so true! Special education, in particular students with behavior disorders, is my passion. It is what I feel I was made to teach. To me it’s not just a job, it’s who I am. I can’t imagine it any other way.

So I am concerned that people would consider special education as a means to an end. How can they consider something that is such a huge part of who I am to be their “bliss” if they are just going into it for job security?

My first day as a paraprofessional, I showed up in white pants and heels. As we walked to the mailroom, the teacher I was to work with (who is now my mentor) nonchalantly said to me, “First rule: Don’t take a punch. You’re not ready for it yet. Second rule: Don’t ever let them see you cry. And you will cry, mostly because you feel for the kids, not because of the things they say and do to you.” We actually took a bet on how long it would be until I cried (I held out until February, though the lead teacher had wagered on Thanksgiving).

Clearly, my expectations have changed: I never wore white pants to work again and heels are reserved for days I’m feeling confident things will go smoothly. The reality of special education is lots of hard work, more than any program prepares teachers for. In my job, taking a punch and crying is de rigueur, as are a good pair of running shoes, working long hours, giving it your all, becoming emotionally attached, balancing curriculum and classroom management, monitoring IEP goals, and so on. It is a job one needs to be passionate about, or burn out will set in quickly.

While I don’t ever, ever want to discourage people from joining this field, I feel students deserve teachers who want to be there for the right reasons. I hope new teachers enter the field with the right motivation—the motivation to change lives—and not just the desire for a steady paycheck.

Comments

[Nicole]

I absolutely agree! To do what you truly love is a blessing. Right now I am a general education teacher, but I am currently going for my Masters in special education. I feel that I could really help these students learn and be more confident within themselves. I teach an ICR class (inclass support) now and I enjoy every moment in the classroom with my students. I enjoy working with my students and seeing them light up during class because they are understanding the lesson. It is so true when you mentioned that you needed the right motivation, the motivation to change lives.

[Emily Gerlick]

I agree and enjoyed reading this post! Before I decided to quit my job and go back to school to become a special education teacher I was working in physical therapy and athletic enhancement. I had always wanted to be a teacher but working with children with physical disabilities made me want to get into the classroom and teach.
I tell someone at least once a day that I am so happy I made a change and am teaching. I have found my niche and am passionate about it.
Thank you for sharing for passion :)

[Jennifer]

I wholeheartedly agree. I feel it takes a special kind of person to be a teacher especially a special education teacher. My undergrad degree was initially special education and then I stumbled upon a different field – Therapeutic Recreation. I continued to pursue the Therapeutic Recreation route, but in my heart I knew my passion was with special education. For my internship, I pursued an opportunity at a school for children with autism and other developmental delays. I knew my heart was with children with special needs and the school setting, but my internship experience solidified it even more. Now, I am pursuing a dual certification master’s degree and could not be happier. I am excited about all the possibilities. I have always looked at children with special needs as truly amazing people. Part of my Therapeutic Recreation philosophy was ‘from disability to possibility’ and I feel it can be transferred to special education, which excites me even more. Once our students realize their abilities, they create endless possibilities for themselves.

[Haley McDonald]

What a powerful and very true post! I cannot agree more with you on this issue! I am new to the Special Education field, but my heart has been here since I graduated high school. Unfortunately in college I had to go a different route for a short time, but now I'm back and happier than ever. Each day I'm challenged with colleagues that just go through the motions and hardly show their "passion" for our field and it discourages me. Our students are not only labeled "special" because of their disabilities...I have found how special they truly are because of their "ABILITIES!!" What a blessing it is to spend each day with such extraordinary people!

[M'Keyla Reid]

I really would ahve to agree with you on this one. I do not see how any person can become any type of teacher just for the stability of a job. All students need somebody that is going to be there to help them and guide them down the right path. I am currently teaching in a general classroom setting but I am trying to switch over to Special Education. I have always wanted to teach but A found my glitch when I was doing my student teaching.
During my student teaching I had to deal with numerious of special ed. students who stayed in my class mostly through out the course of the day and them my class was right across from the special ed. room that housed the students who could not do the general classroom setting at all.I found myself always going over to the class to help out and getting attached to the students. I felt more successful over there then i did in a general classroom. As you stated getting a child to read for the first time or do something for the first time is so amazing.
I felt like I made a big difference. I was a vital part of someones life, and as a teacher that is my goal. My goal is to make a difference in some childs life. Special Education I know can be baring but I am ready for the challenge. I alsofind myself getting attached to the students with behavior disability. I have learned that most of the students that act out like that are just yearning for some love and attention that they are not recieving at home or are going through situations at home and do not have anyone they can trust to talk to and release the negative energy out on, so they misbehave.
With me being a general education teacher trying to switch over to special education I would love to have any advice you can give me.

[Ben Willis]

Ben Willis, on February 8, 2011 at 6:15 pm said:

There’s a movie called Dyslexia I think every teacher may find interesting. It looks into different teaching techniques utilized in teaching students with learning disabilities.

I grew up with learning disabilities, and just started helping out with this film. At one point in the film a teacher trainer talks about how she found a young new energetic teacher, who like Megan...like many teachers... who said after work she would cry. When asked why she said she just couldn't figure out how to reach these kids.

I remember in special ed sometimes we were pretty difficult.
I remember the worst part about getting help from my special ed teachers was getting pulled out of class to go to a special room to receive help. I always resented them [my special ed teachers Mrs.Bush, Mrs.Stapleton] a little bit, even though I knew they were there to help.

I know that without seperating kids, students like me would never get the attention we need. However, the worst thing that a kid can go through (possibly worse than not being able to read) is to be singled out and separated from his/her classmates.

In this movie Dyslexia some teachers discuss how they find that their literacy program for special ed kids, actually worked for all their students. Allowing them to teach everyone together! And no longer further labeling and separating students who have enough problems as it is.

I feel maybe my teachers would have been under less stress if we weren't so traumatized from constantly being seperated from our classmates, than teased upon returning to class, and to constantly feel different and bullied.

Special ed kids go through a lot, and we often take out our frustrations on those people who are closest to us, the ones who want to help us.

I am now 25 and have worked on many movies, I am working on a film called Dyslexia. It studies how the pioneering steps special ed teachers have taken can be transferred into changing the way teachers approach teaching ALL their students…whether they have special needs or not. Because every person has their own unqiue or “special” way of learning.

It looks at how families and friends can help too, and most importantly how we (people with learning differences) can help ourselves by discovering the unique each of us learn.

capturedtimeproductions.com

It's a pretty funny film, and so check out the blog...I will be contributing to it a lot

checkout our blog captime.wordpress.com

[Audrey]

Currently, I work in an inclusive classroom, where students with special needs integrate for various subject areas. I admire special education teachers for their patience, flexibility, and hard work. I often feel as a general educator that I am not fully prepared to work with students with special needs, as a result, I have chosen Special Education, as the pathway for my Master's Program. With the new state and national requirements, most educators are overwhelmed and have high anxiety. I would hope that people would choos the right profession for all the right reasons, however, ihat is not always the case. The important part is that students receive the proper education and treatment to ensure success. I really enjoyed reading your post.

[Kelly]

I wholeheartedly agree. I have met so many people from other fields who think special education is the place to be, because there is job security. I assured them the jobs are not as secure as they would like them to be, there is much hard work involved, and if you aren't passionate about the children you will be miserable.
I'm hoping that more people with a passion for the students find their way into the field.

[Melissa]

I couldn't agree with you more! Earlier this year I said, "Ugh! I can't imagine teaching regular ed!" You can about imagine the looks I got! And I totally relate with the taking bets on when you'd cry first. Last year (the first year at my current school), people told me everything from the first day, to the first week, but nothing beyond the first month. Well, I made it to November (then got punched in the face). But I was just happy I beat everyone's expectations! :o)