What Makes a Good SPED Teacher? 

 Is it: 

• How you organize your classroom?

• How many Pinterest projects you have successfully completed? 

• How insta worthy your class decor is?

• The quality of your IEPs? 

• How well behaved your class is?

• How often you take data?

• How far *above and beyond* you’ll go for your students & their families? 

Is it?

• The teacher outfits you wear to work?

• The quality of your lessons?

• How you celebrate your students' birthdays?

• The gifts you give your paras? 

Could it be: 

• How much of yourself you’ll give to your students, their parents?

• How much of yourself you’ll give to your colleagues? 

  
  

How much is enough? Can you give enough of yourself to satiate everyone? 

The biggest lesson I have learned over the years is that it is impossible to please everybody; especially in the field of education. Everyone has an opinion on what you do, or should do with your classroom.  There will always be more you can do for kids. For families.  For the community.  The list is infinite.  The question is, how much of yourself is sustainable for you to give?  At what point do you know that you’re doing a good enough job? 

As my eighth year of teaching comes to a close, I am mulling over the experiences I have had in education; reflecting on the peaks and valleys that have led me to where I am today. No one can truly prepare you to run a special education program, especially a Life Skills program.  There are so many moving parts, and so many things out of your control, that it is impossible to do it perfectly.  I’ve spent the last eight years trying to figure out the question I asked at the start of this post.

What makes a good special education teacher?

It has become increasingly important that I have an answer to this question, because some of my past peer tutors are starting to enter their first years of teaching, or are pursuing their degrees in education.  I want to be able to give them the guidance I did not have when I started my career. I want them to have a better understanding of how to have a career in education without losing themselves in the thick of it all. 

The question is, how can you make this time meaningful for your students, efficiently and sustainably?

I know I've done right by my students, because many of them continue to come back long after graduation.  My kids know that although they are no longer my students, they are always my kids.  With every “life update” and visit I get from past students and their families, I know I have been doing something right.  

I haven’t done everything right though. I’ve missed deadlines, forgotten to email people back.  I’ve been frustrated with a lot of aspects of my job. I have at times, grappled with managing all of the things on my plate.  Juggling the responsibilities I have to my students, with the responsibilities I have to myself.  

What I've realized is that a good special education teacher isn’t good at everything.  Contrary to popular belief, we are not actually angels.  While our intentions may seem virtuous, we are human beings working in a very human system.  

We can’t be perfect, and we can’t do everything right.  But in order for a special education teacher to do their job successfully and sustainably, here are a few qualities I’ve come to understand we need to have:

A good special education teacher is: 

• Someone who makes their students feel seen, and a part of something.

• Someone who gives students and their families tools to be successful.

• Someone who prepares their students to be engaged in their own life.

• Someone who brings staff, parents and students together.

• Someone who sees students for what they CAN do.

• Someone who is a champion for kids, but also themselves.
  
  

• Someone who understands they cannot do everything for everybody, and has boundaries with how much of themselves they give.
  
  

As educators, especially those in special education, a majority of this list should hopefully come pretty easy. The most difficult for myself is that last bullet point.  I’m going to be looking at the responsibilities that come with my job, and the systems I have in place to attend to them.  I’m going to think about the things I've struggled with the most, and look at how I can change these systems to be more efficient with my time.  I’m going to look at the things I do that are *above and beyond* and think about how I can modify these actions to make them more sustainable. 

As an experienced special education teacher, I know I have a lot to offer my students, but if I continue to teach in the way I have been, I may not make it to my 10th year of teaching before burning out.  

Feel free to comment, or DM on my instagram @lifeskillswithlaverty to continue this conversation. & stay tuned for a future blog post where I talk more about what changes i’ll be making to my program for the 2022-23 school year.