What characteristics/qualities do you look for in a special educator?

[K&KsMom]

I was just curious what you think makes a great special educator. And your feelings when your child has a new teacher....again.
Thank you Disers!

 

[breezy1077]

Compassion, understanding, flexability and surprisingly, a certain amount of firmness.

When my DS gets a new teacher or therapist I'm always . Fortunately, the school he goes to has more good than bad, so far... I've learned to wait and see if DS learns to say their name. If he's a few weeks into the school year and I ask how he likes so and so, if he responds "who?", then I know it's not a good teacher or therapist for him. He tends to only remember the names of the people he likes. One year he went an entire school year and never learned the name of his speech teacher! (she was also the one who tried to discontinue speech services for him because "well, when he talks, you can understand what he says, right?" Nevermind the language barrier he has ).

 

[Talking Hands]

Compassionate, loving, firm, flexible, understanding, organized, has reasonable but high expectations of her students, willing to use ANY (legal) means to communicate with and teach her students. Also willing to communicate with parents on a regular basis and has an open door policy when it comes to parents dropping in unannounced.
Don't have any worries now as my daughter's are graduated from high school. One has the equivalent of 3 masters degrees in music and the other is planning to go back to school to become a nurse. Oldest was my special ed kid. Gifted LD and on the spectrum

 

[alizesmom]

Truthful, realistic, knowledge about programs and tools available to fit my child, adaptable and willing to pursue what my child needs no matter what. I have no experience with adapting to new teachers yet.

 

[Forevryoung]

has an open door policy when it comes to parents dropping in unannounced.

I believe that this is against our school district's union contract. We (speech department) has parent training time built into IEPs instead.

I doubt it's this way everywhere, but it's in place for good reason here (we have some "over-the-top" parents).

This is just a heads up that in some schools your idea is not always possible, not that I think it's a good or bad policy.