Theresa: I AM a Teacher!

“Oh, you’re not a real teacher.”

“Thanks for turning in your report card pick up attendance sheet, but yours doesn’t count.”

“Since you’re not a real teacher you don’t get a new computer for your classroom.”

“You’re so lucky that you only have10 students in your classroom at a time.”

Those are just some of the typical comments I get throughout the year at my school. I feel like I really have many obstacles to overcome just in how I am perceived by my coworkers as a special education teacher. I have learned not to take too much offense when one of my colleagues or administrators makes a comment similar to those above, but it still stings a bit.

I understand that what they are trying to say is that since I do not have a homeroom I do not get the same things or have the same requirements as does a teacher with a homeroom. One of my colleagues was recently asked about her classroom, “Why do you need to use all of this space? You’re just a resource teacher.” She later called me to vent about her experience, and I told her that I wish this were the first time I was hearing things like this, but it wasn’t.

Yes, it is true I do not have a homeroom, and I do not teach all of the subjects to each one of my students, but that does not make me any less of a teacher than my colleagues. I sometimes wonder if people realize the extent of what I do with my students every day.

I often have the least amount of supplies to work with in my classroom. If I need things like calculators, books, or geoboards, I am borrowing them from my colleagues. I need to collaborate with more than six teachers on a weekly basis, so just trying to find the time to do that while making sure I use the right approach for each person’s personality can be a struggle.

Those “few” children I have in my classroom? It sometimes feels like there are 50 kids instead of 10. This is especially true when Miguel is upset because someone cut in front of him in line, Jack got a detention in library and is taking his frustration out on me, Juan is crying because he lost his favorite blue pencil, and Alan is covering his ears while humming loudly because they announced we’re having a fire drill today. I’m handling all of that all while still trying to teach the lesson to the other students in the classroom who are ready to learn.

I am constantly adapting and accommodating the curriculum to best meet the needs of my students while allowing them to be successful. It takes time to make worksheets, PowerPoints, and modify tests. I still have to grade assignments and give grades to my students. Then there are all of my special education duties, writing IEPs for all of the students on my caseload. Keeping track of their goals, and staying current on the progress monitoring of their goals. Every quarter I’m writing their IEP report cards in addition to their regular report cards.

I’m not asking to receive any extra or special praise for being a special education teacher; I am just doing my job. But please, please don’t tell me I’m not a teacher. I AM a teacher!

Comments

[Theresa]

Thank you all for your comments. It makes me feel a better to know that I am not the only way who feels this way.
-Theresa

[Deirdre]

Theresa, thak you for writing this blog. I can definitely relate to your situation. I teach in a self-contained classroom with one teacher's assistant. My students have moderate intellectual disabilities and autism. Even though I teach at a high school, I feel like (and I am treated like) a babysitter. I have the same responsibilities as every other teacher, but no planning period or separate lunch time. My coworkers make comments to me similar to the ones you mentioned. I basically work in isolation.

[Lynn]

Oh my goodness, where would we be without special education teachers. I dare any regular classroom teacher to try and fill in for a special education teacher just for one day. They'd be looking for the quickest door out.
I think those that don't understand special education really need to try on your shoes for a week. It takes a VERY SPECIAL PERSON to be a special education teacher. Like others above have stated, special education teachers are the real back bone for kids.
Sometimes special ed. teachers are those kids last hope. Where other teachers have written them off or can't get through to them. NEVER EVER say you aren't a teacher. YOU ARE ABOVE ALL other TEACHERS IN MY BOOK.
When I have a hard day in my classroom all I have to do is think about being a special ed teacher and all things seem like little problems compare to what special ed teacher have to deal with everyday.
May God Bless you Everyday!!! For all your special talents and heart, cause people that really care about students understand how special you really are.

[Kendra]

Teresa, I was both a special education teacher and a teacher-librarian during my career and heard similar comments in both jobs...
Not everyone can be a Special Education teacher - at least not for very long :) Be proud of the work you do! Educate the Administration in your school if they don't fully understand your role - they should be singing your praises. Encourage teachers to visit your classroom (or teach some lessons together) so they can begin to understand what you do to support some of your school's most needy children.
We've all heard people who say teaching is an easy job. In this educational climate teachers need to support each other - no matter what their classroom looks like.

[Moyo M]

Oh Theresa , your article touched my heart. You are a teacher and half.You try not to take offense but at times some comments just gets to you.We all want recognition of the contributions we make and not feel worthless.We could make our workplaces better places through collaboration instead of try to weigh and place a value on one another. You are doing a great job for your students , keep up the good work.

[Heather]

Teresa, I can certainly relate to your blog and thank you for putting this out on the table. I am an inclusion general education teacher and of couse do not have to do half of the paperwork that you do but do however have to document behaviors and progress daily while adjusting my lessons to meet their needs. Some of my colleagues feel that this is no big deal and that I should not be any more stressed than they are. If the only knew...

[Liz]

Wow Teresa - I understand completely where you are on this issue. I collab teach in high school with the 9th and 10th grade math classes. And, because I am not a certified math teacher, the general ed math teacher tries to order me around and asks me to go get her coffee from my room! She will also correct me in front of the students for things such as letting a student go to go to the restroom! Needless to say,that doesnt' go over well with me. However, you sound as if you really work well with the other teachers and clearly understand that you have a vital position and role to play in your student's school day. Keep trying to do your job and become a leader for your students.

[Colleen]

It sounds like you and I are working the same type of position. It is amazing to me how little some of my colleagues know about the rat-race that I run everyday. Fortunately for me and my students, I LOVE what I do. Other teachers' opinions of my job is not important. However, their respect is vital. Especially if they have students with whom I am working. I have been teaching in my current school for 7 years and, just this year, I am beginning to feel as though I am valued. Unfortunately, last school year was not good for me. It was one of those years where I felt like I was drowning in paperwork and "administrative" hoopla and, in turn, not able to make a difference with my students. I ended up "venting" my frustration to some of my administration, as professionally as possible. As I said before, this year has been much better. It seems as though the people that I work with had to see me "at rock bottom" before opening their eyes to the knowledge and expertise that I bring to work with me each and every day. Thank you for sharing.

[Mandy]

I worked as a long term substitute in a social skills room last year and received opposing comments regarding what I did. I had several teachers tell me that they could never do what I was doing, showing that they understood all the extra work special educators do. I felt respected in a way with these comments. Others on the other hand viewed what I did as an easy job because we only worked with 6 students at a time. My cooperating teacher would always say, "I will switch you for one day and you will see." We ARE teachers. We are special teachers!

[Patrick]

This is an issue in a lot of schools. While many teachers, including myself, work alongside our special educators, some teachers do show disdain towards them for some reason. Moreover, these same teachers do not seem to accept any suggestions from the special education teachers. While I totally understand some of the frustrations with total inclusion, it is still the law and our special educators are a valuable resource in helping to educate all of our students, not just those labeled with special needs. We must work hand in hand, collaboratively for the success of our students.

[Trod]

Teresa,
That has been a misconception about several schools. No, we do not have our own homeroom, but we usually have more students on our caseload. We to have to keep up with IEP goals and federal guidelines. We have to make sure that instruction is differentiated in a way that meets the needs of each of our students. We don't do one lesson plan for a subject, we do several. I know how hard it is. I was a general education teacher first. Just know that you are making a difference in your students' lives. Stay positive.

[Theresa]

Marie, I did not mean to imply that my day to day work is different from what all teachers do. I think there are a lot of misconceptions that my classroom is all fun and games, with very little learning going on (which is not true!). I was just trying to share what I do on a daily basis, in hopes that others would see that I do all the work that a "real" teacher does, and that I should be seen as a "real" teacher.
-Theresa

[Marie McKay]

I never thought of any special education teacher as not being a real teacher. I always tried to support their role in the school especially when their students were mainstreamed into my classes. I needed them as a resoure.

What I always objected to was how the school would assign five special ed. students into one of my classes along with 25 or 30 so called regular students and expect me to personalize everything the same way their special ed teacher would. And while, as a so called regular teacher, I didn't have the same type of paperwork, I was required to attend IEP meetings and send daily reports to the special ed teachers (I was in a high school so I had three of them to report to and also often had 10 SE students). Plus I always had a homeroom and all the paperwork that entails. All of this was being done by a me, a teacher who did not receive as much training in how to best serve these types of students.

I'm sorry you don't have the kind of support you deserve from your school and colleagues, that truly is wrong. Your role in your school is valuable and should be considered a full fledged teacher. But the kind of day to day work you are descibing, that you seem to imply is different from what all teachers do, is not right either.

I wish you well.

[Michelle]

Oh this is so true! No respect for the special education teacher, even though we are the ones who get bit, spit-on, and sometimes even have to change diapers. I teach preschool special ed. self-contained. I get the looks and the comments from other teachers, "Oh, you're so lucky you have three paras in your room," "You only have 8 students, must be nice," and on and on. Yes, I am lucky to have three paras in my room, but I also have to find a way for those three adults to get along with each other, all pull their weight, and support my instruction. Also, when you have children who have severe medical needs, severe behavior problems, and a tendency to run out doors you need a little extra help. Even with three paras it is not easy. I never get a "break", not even a lunch break. Which means I have to write IEPs, lesson plans, and keep up with my committees after-school. I said all that to say, you are not alone. I'm sure every special educator I know could give a big "Amen" to what you wrote.

[tutor gal]

Keep your head up. You are a teacher and you are much needed. I used to be in the resource room and have moved into the general education room (to be a real teacher, you know!? :) ) and the impact a good resource teacher can make on a student's life is so very significant. Thank you for dealing with the negativity and continuing to push through, for the kids!

[Lisa]

Aw, Teresa...you ARE a teacher - and dare I say - even MORE than a teacher! I am a mom of 2- one of whom is a severely disabled 6 1/2 year old. Not only do you have to teach regular curriculum (like ALL other teachers), but you also have to do it on an INDIVIDUAL basis. I am amazed that special ed teachers can do what they do - those IEPS are so overwhelming (and that's me speaking as trying to keep up with my own kid's IEP, never mind 5-10 others). I have taught both "typical " kids , and "special" kids - and it is much easier to teach 25-30 kids in "one" way than to teach ,say , 10 kids in 10 different ways ---oh, and because they are special , you have to modify HOW you teach even on a day to day basis, depending on their moods...and there is so documentation! Keep your head up and know that you make a BIG difference in the lives of those kids. And I KNOW - because I have seen my youngester FLOURISH under his teacher this year! God Bless!