Personal Statement: A Career In Special Education

“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, especially 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, attended my mom’s class and came in early as well. I immediately connected with him, and began going to my mom’s room every morning to play with him. It soon became

Teachers must be consistently working with students on their IEPs, which includes tracking their progress, making goals for the students and, of course, helping the students reach them. They will also need to plan, organize, and assign activities that each student is capable of doing. Special education teachers are also required to teach and mentor students as a class, in small groups, and one-on-one. One big responsibility they have is to help the students transition smoothly from one grade level to the next and depending on what age the teacher works with, helping them move to their life after graduation. Special education teachers will also have to discuss the student's progress with school administration and staff, and parents. This job also requires teachers to monitor and mentor teacher assistants who work alongside of them with the disabled students. ( U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014-2015). Special education teachers generally work in public school systems, but there are other places available as well. Such as,self-contained schools. A special education teachers work environment can be chaotic, seeing as you never can predict how students will react to daily events that occur. (Teach Make A

One of the biggest rewards would be knowing that you impacted lives for the better, that you are doing meaningful work. Also, you typically work only when school is in session, so you get the summer off. (Morley). (Concordia Online Education). To qualify for this job you must have at least a bachelor's degree and a teaching license from the state Board of Education. Some skills you will need to be a good special education teacher and really impact the lives of disabled students include: being patient, slow to anger, compassionate, and to a have a desire to work with children with disabilities. You will also need to have very good communication skills, as you be reporting to many people about your students' progress.

As far as the job outlook is concerned, it is slower than average, at only six percent. However, it is predicted that this growth will continue to grow because of the need for special education teachers.As of 2012 there were 442,800 jobs in special education. (Learn How To Become).