A Career In Special Education

I have always had a passion and enjoyed helping others. In fact, I have devoted my elective credits to be involved in assisting special education students. Since my junior year of high school, I have been a peer coach by working with students with disabilities. During my peer coach semesters, I have assisted the special education students learn communication and vocational skills. In the communication course that I peer coached in, I have had the privilege to work under the direction of a Speech and Language Pathologist and an Occupational Therapist. In the communication course, I helped students progress on their reading, writing, and communication skills. After the communication course, of my senior year, I worked with a special education

In this paper I will discuss what exactly is a Special Educator, what education is needed to become one, salary, job outlook, and work environment. I have also interviewed a Special Educator and I will discuss how she feels about being

My career goal is to obtain a master’s degree in elementary education by the end of Fall 2016 in order to start teaching by the beginning of Spring 2017. Upon completion of the dual certification track, I will receive elementary (K-6), special education (ESE K-6), and ESOL endorsements. Before entering graduate school, I always believed these certifications would prepare me for teaching more than if I had started teaching immediately after graduation. Today, I still hold this belief to be true, for I have opportunities now to closely practice, implement, and refine teaching skills, strategies, and qualities that I learned as an undergraduate in a real school setting. I am also able to work closely alongside teachers who have experience working with students with identified disabilities and experience the different behavioral responses that students with identified disabilities may exhibit. As a first year intern this semester, I even sat in on an EPT (Evaluation and Planning Team) meeting regarding whether or not a student in my first grade classroom should receive a 504 Plan that I did not get to

I am committed to working with all persons of diverse backgrounds, disabilities and other special needs. Every student should have the experience and ability of working with quality and caring teachers who care enough to take the time to make sure that they are given the tools they need to succeed. My life experiences have shown me how to be a better person and teacher for my students.

Every mistake I have ever made doesn’t seem to matter when I am around the children, every sad moment is forgotten when I get to spend time with them. Special needs kids never see the evil in the world, they are so full of love that their is no room for hate and although they are supposed to learn from me, I can learn so much more from them. I can learn to love unconditionally, never to be afraid to make a mistake, love myself for who I am, and to give everything I do with 100% effort! I am full of love for these kids, they see everything in such a pure form and deserve the best. I truly believe I could be the best teacher for these kids, I believe that not only my experience but passion, love, and patience for them would guide me throughout my career as a special education teacher. Spending time with the kids gives me a sense of purpose in this world and I want to be able to make the most of that feeling for them. I hope to be able to not only teach but orchestrate special olympics days, create sports teams for them, and create a happy, healthy environment for them to learn and

Having the proper education, understanding how to behave, and knowing about the kids will guarantee that whoever wants to become a successful special needs teacher will. To get the proper education, I need to go to a good college; to understand how to behave, I need to watch the special education teachers at my school; to know stuff about the kid, I need to sit down and talk to them so that I can get to know them better. If I have all of these traits, I believe that I can make an impact on students’

One of the reason people chose a career in special education is job satisfaction. Special education teacher perceived their job to be rewarding. They get personal fulfillment and gratification in teaching special need students. “It truly must be passion to continue working in special education because we all know it is a tough job.”(Participate 2010,”Motivational factor towards pursuing a career in special education”)They have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the students’ lives. When the student who is struggling in school graduate it brings great satisfaction to the educator. The most important part of this field is to help a child develop to their highest potential.

My education began 30 years with an associate’s degree in Early Childhood. I had my first internship at a daycare/private school, where I was introduced to Daniel who was autistic. It was my first time with an autistic student and I learned a great deal by watching the head teacher work with him on a daily basis. I knew then that I wanted to be a teacher. I finished with my Elementary and Early Childhood, Bachelor’s degree in 2012. I am certified in Early Childhood N-3. Currently, I am enrolled in Wilkes University for Special Education and will finish with a Master’s degree. I am

As I grew older, I began to realize that students with disabilities have many significant obstacles to overcome. Seeing them get excited about learning things that we take for granted provided me with the desire to become part of their learning. For example, one kindergartner with Down Syndrome struggled daily to learn how to write the first letter of her name. It was such a joy for all of those involved when she finally succeeded. Working with these students furthered my resolve to not only fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a teacher, but I soon realized that special education is my niche. After 13 years of teaching in Glynn County, I still teach with the same fervor and enthusiasm as the first day I formally stepped into a classroom. My principal once said, “Teaching is not a job. It’s a profession.” I wholeheartedly believe in this philosophy. Education was never a back-up plan or alternative for me; being a teacher is who I am. As a special educator, I strive to

Special Education is something that has been close to my heart for many years. Having two adult nephews with ASD has given me the unique experience of witnessing what the transition to adulthood is like for our students and their families and to see the struggles and challenges that they face along the way.

In the profession of a special education teacher, a person commits to helping children achieve their best and to help “students overcome their obstacles” while finding a way that the child can effectively learn (Hollingsworth). My mom’s career as special education teacher for twenty-two years, allows me insight and experience into the tougher aspects of this career, but also the rewards to the job. My mom helps me understand that a special education teacher guides a child to expand their strengths, develop strategies to overcome weakness, and to make best use of all available resources. Through helping her, and learning from her experiences, she taught me that a career in special education can not only challenge me, but may also become a

My goal is to be a High School Special Education teacher and teach dance in the afternoon and evening. This January I started attending Brigham Young University-Idaho with a double major of Child Development and Dance. I chose to be a Special Education teacher to improve the lives of these students and teach them they have an essential part and purpose in the world. I love working with these special individuals and had the unbelievable opportunity to secure an internship with the Miss Amazing California State Pageant. The experience is one I will never forget and I hope to one day become a pageant director for their organization. As my future second job, I intend to be a dance teacher and choreographer. Dance is an enormous passion of mine

Time is passing and opportunities are opening for more students with special needs. Many students in college are getting more interested in Special Education as career that will allow more organization to have more workers with a big potential that will have an important impact on these kids with disabilities. However, this will require more training for the students that organizations around the country can give them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,“the career outlook for special education teachers should remain steady through 2024, with an increase of 6%, the national average for job growth in the United States. The median salary for this position is just over $55,000 annually,” (“Master in Special Education”) The approach the

“Special education labels don’t define children; Children define themselves” (Dalien, 2015). I am interested in becoming a special education teacher because I have always loved being around children, and I have a soft spot for kids with autism and other disabilities. The first time that I ever thought about working with special needs children was when I was in the fifth grade. My mom worked at my school as a teacher assistant in a first grade classroom, so in the morning I would go to her classroom and wait for the bell to ring. A little boy named Alex who had Cerebral palsy and a spinal problem, came into class early as well. I immediately connected with him, and began going to my mom’s room every morning to play with him before class. It soon became the highlight of my day. Alex could not talk very well and could not walk, so we rolled cars around the floor, traced shapes on to the whiteboard, or sometimes crawled on the floor chasing each other as monsters. I loved seeing how me playing with him made him smile so big and become more outgoing. My dream is to give kids like Alex a reason to smile and help them reach their full potential. In this speech you will learn all about special education teachers, including, but not limited to: What they do, where they typically work, their environment, how much they get paid, benefits the job entails, the education and skills required to become a special education teacher, and information on the job outlook.

When I was asked to reflect on my experiences in EDSE 316 and the fieldwork, I had to think long and hard on how I would sum up four months of classes and fieldwork into four pages. I have learned so much about the various disabilities and how it has change the world of special education. I think a better term would be the “endless possibilities of education”. It wasn’t too long ago when children with disabilities would be stuck in a room in the back of school only to be seen in the beginning and end of the school day. They were the ones who rode the other buses and no one really talked about. This class has allowed me to speak of my own family and how special education impacted my life. I have a brother whose whole life was spent in the special education class, and my own sons with speech and learning disabilities who are now receiving special education services. It also allowed me to reflect on my own participation in the special education program in my early elementary years when I was struggling with my own speech disability. This class gave me the chance to see the timeline of special education, from its earliest beginnings to what it is now.