THE ONLY SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
For the past 12 years, I’ve worked as the only special education (SPED) teacher at a small, rural, low-income school. You live and work in the same community as your students and the rest of the school staff. Your colleagues become like your family (if they’re not your actual relatives already). You teach your students year after year.
THE CHALLENGES
However, there are also challenges when you’re the only SPED teacher at such a school, including:
1. Colleagues don’t get SPED teachers — General education teachers see you in a classroom with three students and think, “Wow! I wish I only had three students!” They don’t realize how the unique needs of each student keep you occupied every second.
2. Teaching All. The. Things. — As the only SPED teacher at a small, rural, low-income school, you teach every grade and subject to every student receiving special education services. You have to beg for resources and dig out dusty textbooks from the storage room so that you can tailor an individualized curriculum.
3. Feeling isolated — You are a department of one without another special ed teacher with whom you can collaborate, despite working with work with students in every grade level and on every subject.
4. Drowning in paperwork — The district office tells you that your caseload as the SPED teacher at the small, rural, low-income school is not above the maximum limit. Yet, because you’re doing the planning equivalent of five different teachers and you have to stay late every day to complete all your paperwork.
5. Not having common planning with your co-teachers — You co-teach with 2-3 different teachers but don’t have common planning with any of them. Discussions of today’s lesson end up taking place in the hallway between classes or during your lunch.
THE COPING STRATEGIES
The stress of these challenges can be overwhelming, but there are strategies you can implement to navigate them, including:
1. Join online networks (like MindWorks Collaborative) — Talk to and draw upon the experiences of other special educators, including ones at other small, rural, low-income schools.
2. Don’t suffer in silence — Reach out to your administrators, including your principal or special education director, when you’re struggling.
3. Stay organized — Determine which documenting and filing methods work best for you.
4. Set calendar alerts — Set reminders for upcoming IEPs one month in advance so you can work on the paperwork a little each day and avoid burning the midnight oil the night before a meeting.
5. Take a break — Find a few minutes during every day to take a break from work. Play a game on your phone or go for a quick walk around the school.
We’ve all heard “practice self-care,” but as a SPED teacher at small, rural, and low-income school self-care has an impact. Do what it takes to take care of yourself so your students get the best version of you possible!
MindWorks Collaborative would love to invite you to join future conversations on this topic by signing up for our community of justice-driven special educators here and sign up to get alerts for our next roundtable.
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