Special educators, have you ever left a teaching career?

Question

I'm an elementary special ed teacher for 3 years (Learning Disabilities). I am tired of the system and some of the bullsh*t I have to deal with at work (no it has nothing to do with the kids). Have you ever left teaching to do something else? Can you share your story?

Answer 1

I left the public schools to work in Early Intervention-pay is decent-hardly any vacation-but I love my job now-

also-some private schools for children wityh disabilities are nice-no political school board-more of a community

my public school experience-

1st-run by a clique of teachers-who acted like they wer HS students themselves

2nd-told Mononucleosis no excue to be absent-i shoudl come to work with medically fragile children

3rd-refused to accommodate my disability (allowing plain sneakers due to severe arthritis in my foot)

4th-superintendent had a temper tantrum and fired all non tenured special ed staff-said I was fired because I was late-but it was a student who was persistantly late

Answer 2

Yes for many years - but came back - let me tell you what I learned - no matter where you work and what you do there will be a 'system' that makes no sense there will be b-s that has nothing to do with work.  You will work less for more money but one day you wake up and find that being happy 1 day every 2 weeks (payday) is not equal to being have every day in two weeks (except payday)

I will say one thing - the things I learned working in the public, private, government and non-profit sector - have really helped my teaching.

Answer 3

I had LD as kid and the help was not there in the 1970s,we were kids who were beyond help.

I see the anger here on being a sped teacher.

you as the teacher are doing your best to teach

this kid and the kid is doing their very best and the

kid is not making progress in spite of their effort.

Who should be held accountable? The parent

then goes and tears the teacher for their kid

not making progress? Their is no miracle cure,

the objective is is learn how to do things in spite

of your learning disability. Not expecting anything

out of them is a dis-service.

I got my GED after I was told by a reading specialist that I will never be good at reading and

forget the GED and I can not learn.Do you call

her a reading specialist?

Answer 4

I am a Special Education teacher of the Moderate/Severe. This is my 8th year in the classroom. I am currently doing a lot of soul searching because I'm so fed up that I want to stop teaching. I am sick of idiot adminstrators who don't give a c**p about the students-only bottom line with money. I'm sick to death of idiot parents who either a) don't give a c**p about their child at all or b) think I'm Anne Sullivan and am going to wave my magic wand to cure their child. I'm sick of paying for everything out of my pocket for classrom supplies. I'm also sick of my state (CALIFORNIA) cutting the education budget but yet expecting me to produce more. I'm tired of having to speak at least two languages in my classroom and writing notes home in those languages as well. Most of all, I'm tired of being treated by other teachers (GEN ED..Hint..HInt) like I have the plague and so do my students.

As you can see....I feel your pain. All my complaints have nothing to do with the kids. It's everything else that gets in the way of teaching on a daily basis that is driving me insane. I'm not sure how much longer I can hang in there.

Answer 5

I was a high school special ed . teacher for 7 years and lefet to stay home with baby.  At the time when I left, I was fed up with everything but the kids and was sure I wouldn't miss it.  Guess what.....I MISS IT!!!  Though I wouldn't trade staying home with baby, I do miss it.

Answer 6

I'm not a teacher, but I heard all the stress teachers have to go through.