Those who have taught both Special Ed. classes and regular ed. classes....which do you prefer better?

Question

I am a 2nd grade teacher (of two years) and I am getting my masters in Special Ed. Do you prefer teaching Special Ed. or do you prefer being in a general education classroom? Anyone have pros and cons? I always wanted to get my masters in Special Ed. so that I would gain knowledge, but I never really thought about actually teaching Special Ed. In my school, the students that are in Special Ed. are mostly kids with huge behavioral issues and it scares me because they drive the teacher nuts!!! I am now afraid of applying for Special Ed. positions once I get my masters. Please help!

Answer 1

I substitute taught for five years, and the thing I liked about special ed is that the groups were smaller and I had more time to interact with the individual students.  

I'm not sure if I would've liked it had I had to do that day in and day out;  I was in a position teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) kids for five weeks. (relatively normal kids who were born into non-English speaking homes...few behavior issues other than 4th graders swearing at each other in their native language) and I was relieved when they got a full time teacher in there.

Answer 2

What do you like about teaching?  Can you be satisfied with small victories?  Do you have a lot of patience?  Do you have your Masters in a particular category of special needs? (different states have different ways of doing that)  Can you tolerate being shunned because you symbolize difficult children?  Are you tenacious?

    I will be starting my 30th year in special education this fall (hard to believe since I'm still only 29 years old).

    As others have mentioned, the support and knowledge of your administration are huge factors in your effectiveness and your frustration level.  I have worked with teachers and principals who had no clue what we do, but were happy as long as we stayed in our rooms at the end of the hall and didn't bother them.  I have been in 7 different schools and taught every age, except kindergarten.  I have worked with some who should never be around children, and some who are such gifted teachers they could eliminate the need for special education altogether.

    I do not have to grade as many papers as gen ed teachers, but I have to write quarterly progress reports and IEPs for about 30 students each year and they are very lengthy in my state. A lot of my time is also spent having IEP meetings and parent conferences.  I also have to sometimes fight with my colleagues to make sure they provide the accommodations or modifications my students are entitled to by law.

  I have never taught the same class in the same way year after year.  My students' needs change and I have had to teach every subject from reading to math to social studies to job skills to social skills to study skills to cooking and cleaning, often without a clear syllabus or textbooks.

   I am lucky because I usually have the appreciation and support of parents for helping their children, but I have heard horror stories of pushy parents who demand miracles for their children that drive good teachers out of the business.

  What do I love about what I do?  Knowing that I make a difference:  the extreme satisfaction when a student meets a goal, passes a difficult challenge, learns to accept himself or herself as a unique person ("You know what, Miss?  I like being in special education because it makes me different from everybody else!");  the smile on the face of a developmentally disabled student as she/he walks across the stage at graduation; the thank you cards from kids and parents at the end of the year.    

  It can be extremely challenging to work with some of the most difficult students, but it can also be extremely rewarding.

   Depending on the situation in your area, will you be able to return to regular ed if you don't like special ed?  Do you have colleagues or directors who will be able to mentor you and support you?

Your question is not easy and neither is the answer.  Good luck!

Answer 3

HI!

There is an issue not being addressed here, if you change positions, how much longer will you need to work to get tenure.  Also, will this lower your pay rate.

Now, I have taught both Special Ed and Regular Ed on a secondary level.  I discovered in the inclusive environment that the average "regular" ed child often appears more needy than the special ed kid.  

Don't feel bad about not wanting to work with ED children.  My first year as a teacher I worked with severe ED kids, and I will never--ever--do it again.  

Life has a way of dealing curve balls.  Staying as a 2nd Grade Teacher does not mean all your kids will be angels either.  I have to say I am spoiled this year.  For the last 8 years I taught Social Studies to LD students in 12:1:1 environments and in inclusive ones.  But this year I have MR students, and or the first time I have had a class of students for an entire year with no issues.  I never had to send one child out of the room!  I never even had to call a parent because of bad behavior!

There is one other issue you need to know about being a Special Ed Teacher.  Everyone believes you are a genius.  On the secondary level, one year you could be teaching English, the next year you could be teaching social studies or you could be teaching 9th grade Algebra and Biology.  

Still, there is one more issue, it is making sure that the law is complied with for your students.  Many administrators hate having children with special needs in "their" school.  You have a responsibility in this position to make sure your boss knows what your legal responsibilities are and why you have to do certain things.  Its a tough place to be.

I guess if I were you, I would ask:  

1)  Am I happy doing what I am today?

2)  Am I ready for a change?

3)  If I were to change positions, what would I like to do in the Spec. Ed. Teacher role?

Best of luck to you as you seek your answers to your quest!

Answer 4

I have been teaching for 5 years. I taught in a special education classroom for my first 2 years. It was a resource room setting primarily for students with learning disabilities, though I also had students with autism and mental retardation. I would definitely say I prefer the classroom. I liked special education but it definitely takes a bigger emotional toll, and can be frustrating for a number of reasons. You have to deal with students who are frustrated and unhappy about their situations as a student, and therefore, lack motivation. You have to deal with coworkers (other teachers, principals, etc.) who don't really understand how special education works or what it means to be a student receiving special education services. The support from the school district is typically weaker for special ed teachers than general ed teachers. But...your instructional focus for students is narrow as opposed to the classroom where you are teaching 6 subjects a day. Your special ed students get super excited when they do meet a goal...even if it took them longer than their peers. You may not get the positive moments as often in the special ed classroom, but when you do, they are even more special! I didn't find behavior to be a huge issue in the special ed classroom as they were typically engaged in small group or one on one instruction. This eliminates opportunities to be unsupervised and off task. Still, however, I prefer the classroom. I like teaching the curriculum better than I like writing IEP goals. I like working with a variety of students from varying ability levels. I like getting to work with a new group of kids every year. But there's a lot more grading, a lot more planning and a lot more responsibility overall.  I'm super glad I have my master's degree in special education. It really makes me feel like I have a better grasp on what it is like for those students in my classroom that struggle and I can use what I know to help them everyday. I also feel I am a good resource and role model to other general education teachers in my building. Only you know what you will be able to handle...however, I hope my words have helped. :)

Answer 5

I've done both, although not as a regular classroom teacher. I've taught elementary, middle school, and high school as a specialist. I've also taught special ed.

Just as regular classes differ from one another, so do special education classes, but even more. You mentioned "behavior"; there are also other categories of special ed, such as learning disabled, developmentally disabled, gifted, etc.

Just because you have completed a degree in special ed does not mean you have to teach special ed if you don't find your preferred area. You started the program to gain knowledge, and anyone who has the knowledge gained from such a degree is a much better regular teacher. You have learned how to accommodate to students with various difficulties in learning. And even in the regular class, you will have many children with learning differences.

So don't feel guilty. I don't blame you for not wanting to teach ED kids. They are very very difficult to deal with. Just a little clue, most special education teachers do not stay in the field for their entire career. Working with kids like this can be very debilitating. So don't feel pressured to apply for a special ed position if you really don't want one.