Does anyone have any experience as a special ed teacher?

[honeywolf7]

One of my friends who is in the same program that I am in school is considering being a Special Ed teacher instead of a Social Worker. She has found a program in Texas that is called Alternative Teacher Certification where she would go to school for 1 or 2 semesters after she gets her Bachelors Degree and then have an internship for a year. After that year, she would be fully certified to be a teacher. I don't know much about this field but I thought someone here might.

 

[glo]

I was a sped teacher for 13 years, and still hold current certification in it....The program is something offered in many places to attract people into teaching. We are going to have a big teacher crunch in this country in the new few years!!

 

[Mermaid02]

The only thing I know about it is that it is a very stressful position. Actually social work and special ed are high stress jobs. I have a friend who burned out quick as a social worker and one who burned out in less than 10 years as a special ed teacher!

 

[glo]

Highly stressful...had to change to computers because of burnout...Sped is not easy...

 

[honeywolf7]

She's the type who can handle that part if anybody can (something I envy about her). Are the jobs pretty plentiful in the field?

 

[JohnTBap]

I would say so, considering that we had a staff meeting yesterday (2nd day back) and when introducing the newbies the boss introduced someone she had hired ten minutes before.

Alternative Certification in Texas is no walk in the park. You need to take a look at the website for the Texas Education Agency. It's not only the internship - there are two exams for certification and if she is going to be certified Spec Ed there is most likely one for that, too.

 

[pumba]

she has all the sciences and maths that a nurse would have .....and if she wants to have a teaching certificate she would have to go to ....school for the next four years....Maine is not helping out in that field....she is an assistant teacher for a special school with special ed kids that are behavioral problems....these are ones that would just as soon hit you and then sit down and read a book....she does enjoy it so far....each class of ten kids has a head teacher ....an assistant teacher and one behaviorial tech...these children can not be mainstreamed into public schools yet....the social workers want her to get her masters in social work...she can get a masters in education if she wants....she is still weighing her options....good luck to your friend

 

[mickey65]

I've worked quite a bit in Spec Ed both as an EA and as a teacher. I love it! I am teaching Spec Ed when school goes back in 3 weeks and can't wait!

 

[WilmaBud]

I'm a certified Spec. Ed. teacher. I taught for a number of years, but I stopped when I was pregnant w. my daughter 6 years ago. I loved my job, but it was very stressful. It's also pretty thankless, so you have to have a strong sense of personal accomplishment - not needing reiforcement from other people. It requires endless patience (one reason I may not return to it after having 2 kids! LOL!). There's a tremendous need for Spec. Ed. teachers, and there will be a severe shortage in the near future, so it'll be pretty easy to find a job. What I've found is that the spec. ed. population in the public schools is becoming more severely handicapped. By that, I mean that children who used to be sent out-of-district are now being accomodating in-district. Children who used to be in self-contained spec. ed. classrooms in public schools are now in regular classrooms, either with in-class support or resource room instruction on a subject by subject basis. I may go back some day because I did feel like I made a difference (although sometimes I wondered...), but I'll wait until I have more time and energy to give than I do now.