American Board Blog

Reddit: The Unlikely Resource Every Teacher Needs

  • September 18, 2015

special education teacher reddit

Educators, especially those new to teaching, are incredibly resourceful at finding information and advice from fellow teachers. By reading blogs, scouting Pinterest , finding mentors , and buying lesson plans from other teachers , an educator can gather useful information to prepare herself for managing a classroom. But there is one resource educators often overlook that is incredibly helpful throughout the school year: Reddit.

Reddit is a website full of forums on just about anything and everything under the sun. Seriously, almost everything is discussed on the website. from Star Wars to conspiracy “facts” , television to shower thoughts , every subject, profession, and religion are discussed on the website. This includes teaching!

The various teachers forums on Reddit are a great way to crowd-source for advice from other teaching professionals, get lesson plan ideas, find valuable resources to make school fun, and to vent about the less enjoyable aspects of the job. Below is a list of popular forums on Reddit (called subreddits and abbreviated as/r/forumname) all teachers should know about.

1. /r/Teachers

The subreddit simply named Teachers, is loaded with educators from across the country asking questions, telling their stories, and discussing common frustrations. Occasionally, students will also pop-up on the forum. They often ask for advice on how to handle a situation with their teachers. The forum provides a safe space to ask questions, get answers, and brainstorm ideas outside of the classroom.

Sample discussions include:

Considering a class pet, do I need to be talked out of this?

So…I smacked a kid in the face today

When your “trouble student” is pretty funny

2. /r/TeachingResources

The Teaching Resources subreddit is just as valuable to teachers as Pinterest, if not more. Teachers share the lessons and presentations they made for their classes, deals on school supplies, and articles about education.

Bulk high quality pencils (432/$25). I get them every year

How to Create a Jeopardy-style Game in Google Spreadsheets

6 Tips for Creating Effective Student Groups

3. /r/CSEducation

This subreddit is dedicated to introducing and using Computer Science in the classroom. Be warned, this forum covers Computer Science for all ages and some of the material may be too advanced for K-12 students.

Free Back to School Webinars

Collaboration and Problem Solving with Computer Science for Primary Grades

Unicode supported by Logo?

4. /r/ELATeachers

Teach English or Language Arts ? This subreddit is for you.

7 Resources for Essay Writing That Make a Teacher’s Life Easier

This is What English Actually Sounded Like 500 Years Ago

5. /r/HistoryTeachers

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And those that do not read the History Teachers subreddit are doomed to have a more difficult school year.

Remember the Ladies – A podcast discussing women in history

Stamp Act/acts against the colonists

Civics icebreaker

6. /r/ScienceTeachers

This science subreddit covers chemistry, Biology, Physics, Astronomy, and General Science for K-12.

What is Your Go-To Source for Demos/Experiments/Videos?

Bottle Rocket Launcher?

Websites for middle school science research?

7. /r/SpecialEd

Special Education is a hard subject and one that can also raise a lot of questions.  This subreddit seeks answers.

Special Ed assistant/diaper changing

Should I get a Master’s?

Advice for a student teacher going into a Special Ed school for the first time?

8. /r/Education

Lastly is the subreddit known as Education . This is your go-to source for news articles about America’s education system, from Pre-K through PhD. It’s smart for teachers to keep up with this forum so they know what legislation, rules of conduct, and state-wide programs may be headed their way.

Check out the latest Education articles here .

Did we miss your favorite education-themed Reddit for teachers? Let us know in the comments below!

Reddit_for_Teachers_Pinterest

  • Categories: Education News , For the Pros , In the Classroom , New Teachers , Technology
  • Tags: Fun in the Classroom , New Teachers , Professional Development , Reddit , Technology in the Classroom

About The Author

' src=

Rachael is the Online Marketing Specialist for the American Board. She enjoys blogging, social media, and DIY.

Related Posts

special education teacher reddit

10 Social Media Rules for Teachers

  • March 29, 2016

Working at laptop

Tax Refund Can Be Investment in Your New Career

  • April 17, 2017

Professional Development for Teachers

  • April 5, 2014

Technology and the Evolution of the PK-12 Classroom

  • April 4, 2015
  • About the American Board Blog
  • American Board

Why Special Educators Really Leave the Classroom

special education teacher reddit

  • Share article

It’s easy to feel sorry for special education teachers.

Challenging students, prickly parents, crushing paperwork: They all go with the territory, and contribute to a level of attrition among special educators that is said to be much higher than that of their regular education teaching peers.

But those problems are only part of the reason special educators struggle. In surveys, research papers, and interviews, special educators say their jobs are also made difficult by factors that are well within school and district leaders’ power to change. Those include a lack of support from principals, difficulty balancing competing priorities from various supervisors, ignorance (and sometimes disrespect) of the job from peers, and a workload that takes special educators away from what they really want to do: teach children.

‘We Don’t Really Know What You Do’

These views are not universal, but they’re common. And without understanding that these are problems that schools and districts can address, holding on to special educators—whose ranks have declined by more than 17 percent between 2006 and 2016—will end up being even more of an uphill battle.

Tai Hinkins, who works as a charter school administrator in South Florida, said she started her education career through an alternative-certification route. Her first placement was in a mixed class of K-3 students with disabilities that included autism, Down syndrome, and emotional disturbances.

“I wasn’t even given books” that first year, said Hinkins, who, along with some other educators in this article, asked that the name of her current school be withheld. “The curriculum specialist at the time stated that [exceptional student education] teachers had never asked for general education curriculum materials before.”

Jeff Mendenhall, a former special education teacher who was recently hired as the dean of students at an Indianapolis-area middle school, said the students, far from driving him out of the field, are among the reasons why he has stayed in the profession.

“People might complain about paperwork, parent phone calls, things like that. If you’re getting into it, you should probably have a pretty good understanding those are part of the job,” Mendenhall said.

What he found most frustrating, he said, is that “as a special education teacher, I rarely felt respected as a teacher by the other teachers. I would often hear from them, ‘We don’t even really know what you guys do.’ It took awhile to realize, but this wasn’t a knock on us as resource teachers. They truly just didn’t understand what we did.”

Allison Kappmeyer-Sofia, a special education teacher in Northern California, said in a previous position she felt she had to constantly advocate for her students who have severe disabilities that weren’t well understood.

She explained: “I felt I had to validate everything: Why was the student on the computer while no other students were (earned reinforcement); why did the students get to eat throughout the day (very limited diets and especially grumpy when hungry); why a student needed to be taken to the restroom, not just sent there (student safety and respect for their dignity). This all shows a lack of understanding by teachers, administration, parents, and even district-level special education staff.”

The education field has been sounding the alarm for years about special educators leaving the field, and the declining number of candidates who want to enter it. The shortages are not evenly spread: Urban areas, rural areas, and schools for students with severe disabilities face the largest shortfalls.

While the number of students with disabilities has been going down—by about 1 percent between 2006 and 2016—the drop in the number of special education teachers has been much sharper. The Education Week Research Center found that in 2016, the most recent year for which complete federal statistics are available, there were about 348,000 special education teachers for 5.9 million students ages 6-21 with disabilities in the United States. The student-teacher ratio has risen from 14 students per teacher in 2006 to 17 students per teacher in 2016.

Juggling Competing Demands

And as they work with increasing numbers of students, special educators are required to navigate an abundance of paperwork, driven by federal, state, and local requirements stemming from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. They also often have to navigate weighty administrative responsibilities, along with tricky peer-to-peer relationships with principals and with general education teachers.

“They get into teaching to teach, and they don’t always have an opportunity to do that,” said Elizabeth Bettini, an assistant professor of special education at Boston University. Bettini, a former special educator, has written several research papers about special educators’ working conditions. “The truth is that there are many other responsibilities that take up their time.”

On average, she said, these teachers are spending about a third of their time on instruction, with administrative and supervisory tasks taking up the rest of it.

And the job itself can vary dramatically. Although all teachers have to deal with different student needs, those in regular education know that their primary job is to cover their curriculum. In contrast, special educators may be working alongside general educators to support learning, or tasked with providing small-group instruction, or overseeing students in a resource-room environment where they’re responsible for teaching all subjects.

Nathan Jones, also an assistant professor of special education at Boston University, explained how this variability played a role in his research. As part of the project testing a teacher-evaluation instrument, Jones and his colleagues recorded 80 special educators at work in the classroom for a year.

“No two special education teachers’ daily roles looked the same,” he said—which was a challenge, because they were trying to draw out what a “typical” day looked like for these educators.

So how can school and central-office administrators grapple with these problems?

One way is through mentorship, particularly of early-career special educators.

Lucinda Sanchez, the associate superintendent for special education for Albuquerque schools in New Mexico, said her district has seen some success through a two-year mentorship program for special educators entering the field via alternative-licensure programs.

“We have support teachers who can go out and help them in classroom settings. We do a lot of talking about strategies, how they’re feeling in their classrooms, the challenges they’re facing,” she said.

The support teachers are also meant to give the educators someone to talk to who is not in the position of evaluating them, as a principal would be.

And Sanchez said she knows firsthand how that’s needed. As an overwhelmed first-year teacher, “I walked in the door and thought, ‘What a big mistake I’ve made,’ ” she said. Student teaching offers some experience, but “when you see 28 personalities, with all those different needs, it’s hard to put all those theories into practice.”

Forging Connections

School leaders can also make special efforts to keep special educators connected to other teachers in their school. Lori Lacks and Heather Andersen, both special education teachers at Foster Elementary School in Hingham, Mass., praised their principal for creating a planning schedule that ensures they have prescheduled time to talk to their general education peers about student needs.

Prior to that schedule change, the connection between the teachers had been a little strained, Lacks said.

“The [regular classroom] teachers felt like they were not being supported” by the special educators, Lacks said. “We didn’t have the time to connect with them.” The new planning schedule “allows us to have that time, and that has opened the lines of communication.”

Andersen said special educators sometimes can end up isolating themselves; for example, the special education teachers at her school used to eat lunch together. The principal encouraged them to eat with the general education teachers working with students on the same grade level.

The special educator’s job, just like teaching in general, will never be easy, said James LaBillois, a former school psychologist who is now an assistant superintendent of schools in the Hingham, Mass., school system, where Lacks and Andersen teach. But tuned-in administrators and principals can make some parts of the position less burdensome, he said.

“I’ve always said that special ed. teachers are like my Navy SEALS,” or special-operations forces, he said. “There’s something unique that they do that nobody else can do. They manage everything from after-school groups, to helping kids getting off the bus, to getting work done. They need a lot of support to be able to do that effectively.”

Research Analyst Linda Ouyang contributed to this report. A version of this article appeared in the January 24, 2018 edition of Education Week as Why Special Educators Really Leave the Classroom

Sign Up for EdWeek Update

Edweek top school jobs.

Full length side view of Black female instructor in mid 40s with hand on shoulder of a Black elementary boy as they stand in corridor and talk.

Sign Up & Sign In

module image 9

The Mighty Logo

10 Reasons Why I Love Being a Special Education Teacher

special education teacher reddit

Being a special education teacher is a privilege. I am happy to say I get to be part of an amazing group of professionals that are dedicated to learning and growing as teachers. I am part of a unique group of people that tackle challenges with grace and style, and know how to hustle when we need to. Special education teachers are a unique bunch; we don’t stop at “no,” and are willing to do anything for our students. We work endless hours before school and even after our contractual obligations end. We juggle the balance between work and home and many of us know the struggle of writing an IEP while we are supposed to be watching a movie with our family. I love being part of a headstrong, loyal group of professionals that love helping others and teaching our students in a way that is meaningful to them.

Here are 10 reasons why I love being a special education teacher.

1. My students are the coolest people I know.

I know this may sound cliché, and I don’t even know if the word “cool” is cool anymore, but my students are the coolest! I love the various perspectives that they bring to me every day. I enjoy seeing the world through their eyes, and understanding where they are coming from. My students have accomplished so many amazing things! Some of my students have gone on to four-year colleges, some have gotten jobs, and some now live independently. Others who may not fit the traditional grade book scale of “competent,” have mastered skills such as tying one’s shoes, speaking in sentences, and toilet training. My students are outspoken, tell the truth and try their best. They are definitely the coolest people I know.

2. I get to learn from my students.

Yup, they teach me something new every day! I have to admit, I needed someone to walk me through the Star Wars movies, teach me about dinosaurs, or how to play Minecraft. It was my students that taught me about Pokémon, and how apps such as Pokémon Go helped get them over their social anxiety. My students have exposed me to some many interesting ideas and topics that I may not have otherwise ventured into. I continue to learn and am constantly indebted to them for the things they have taught me.

3. It’s rewarding.

Teaching special education is so rewarding! There is not much better than helping a student reach their potential. I feel great knowing my students have learned something new because I was able to teach them in a way that made sense for them. It’s rewarding to know I have been able to reach them and help them on their way to future independence.

4. I love to teach.

I love to share my knowledge and grow with my students. Getting in front of an engaged and excited class is one of the best things in life! Being able to do this every day brings me an indescribable feeling of elation.

5. I can understand others better.

Working with students with all ranges and abilities helps me become more patient, compassionate and understanding. The more I work with these students, the more adept I become at seeing things through their eyes. I enjoy making the connections and seeing how they think. Knowing what works for my students and what doesn’t is vital to being an effective teacher. The more time I get to spend with my students, the easier it is for me to pull out tools and strategies for implementation. Having a wide range of students teaches me there will never be a “one size fits all.”

6. I love finding what works.

I enjoy the challenge of figuring out a new student. My main goal as a special education teacher will always be to help them learn functional and academic skills in order to become an independent learner and contributing citizen to the world around them. When I have a new student, I have the chance to assess, analyze and try to figure out what might work. Yes, 80 percent of new attempts may end in failure, but I don’t give up. I don’t allow myself to ever assume a student is not capable of learning. Every student is a success story. You just need to be willing to be patient and find it.

7. I get to set a foundation.

Setting a foundation in a figurative sense means I get to be a mentor for my students. I work hard to establish a rapport and build trust with my students. These fundamental beginnings allow me to set a productive foundation for my students and their education. Mutual respect and genuine understanding are key to a proper foundation for functional and academic learning.

8. I am appreciated.

Appreciation is expressed in many forms. Sometimes it is a verbal affirmation from your administrative team, and sometimes, it is in the small quiet nod you receive from one of your shy, non-verbal students. I know I am appreciated, even when it is not said. I can find the small, often subtle gestures that show me this. This appreciation and gratitude fuels me and my work every day.

9. I love to help.

I know, so cliché again, right? But it’s true. I do love to help. I want all of my students to be able to grow up and fulfill their dreams. I want to be able to be the catalyst that helps get them there. I want to be the support, the mentor, and the teacher they need me to be, so they can shine.

10. Summers off.

Summers off! Ha! I was just kidding. I know you will be teaching and helping your students keep their skills all summer long. Even during the summer, my students know they can count on me anytime.

And this is why I love being a special education teacher. It is what I was meant to do.

Read more on Trisha’s blog .

We want to hear your story. Become a Mighty contributor here .

Thinkstock photo by Purestock.

I am a special eduction teacher and blogger.

The Hechinger Report

Covering Innovation & Inequality in Education

teaching in New Orleans

OPINION: Why we need a new generation of special education teachers

' src=

Share this:

  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

The Hechinger Report is a national nonprofit newsroom that reports on one topic: education. Sign up for our  weekly newsletters  to get stories like this delivered directly to your inbox. Consider supporting our stories and becoming  a member  today.

special education teacher reddit

Get important education news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox

  • Weekly Update
  • Future of Learning
  • Higher Education
  • Early Childhood
  • Proof Points

For Black and Brown students with disabilities, online instruction has often been a failure. It is also suboptimal for students with disabilities across racial groups, especially as teachers without training have had to shift instruction.

Many Black and Brown families include essential workers or individuals who are more vulnerable to Covid-19.  Fewer Black and Brown communities are able to access services for students with disabilities and high-quality instruction for their children in public schools. 

Monica Gonzalez, a special education teacher at Bret Harte Middle School in Hayward, California, said the online platform Google Classroom tends to exacerbate some of the issues faced in classroom instruction.

“I still have to figure out how to effectively provide small-group instruction using virtual breakout rooms, yet coordinate and balance whole-group virtual content instruction for my students,” Gonzalez said in a recent interview.

Black and Brown students with disabilities are among the most marginalized groups in schools. Recent data show that the risk of being labeled with a disability is about 40 percent higher for  Black children. Special education was created to help students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education, but data show a different side for Black and Brown children. In addition to being more likely to be labeled, Black and Brown children are more likely to receive a watered-down, irrelevant curriculum.

They are more likely to be placed in segregated special education classrooms (despite growing trends toward including more students with disabilities in general education classrooms with appropriate supports). They also are targeted for harsher discipline policies such as suspension or expulsion for minor behavioral challenges. The impacts of racism and bias against disability are like hurricanes for Black and Brown students: devastating and destructive.

While there are systemic reasons for these inequitable outcomes, teachers play a critical role in how students are identified for special education and taught in the classroom. Yet there remains a huge shortage of special education public school teachers across most U.S. school districts. Teacher preparation programs and districts, therefore, tend not to be selective about who are placed in these positions.

The impacts of racism and bias against disability are like hurricanes for Black and Brown students: devastating and destructive.

To ameliorate shortages, districts and programs may depend on teachers who have been certified in alternative ways, via fast-tracked models, or rely on part-timers. This means that teachers step into the classroom with less preparation. Yet they could learn from the critical work of disability justice community activists and scholars, many of whom identify as disabled and are already doing this work online. They could use the Access Is Love Readings and Resource List,  coordinated by Alice Wong, Sandy Ho and Mia Mingus , to provide concrete examples of how to meaningfully deliver accessible online instruction.

Related: Special education’s hidden racial gap

Existing inequities for Black and Brown students with disabilities remain in traditional public schools, but perhaps we can use the pandemic to reimagine ways teachers, leaders and other educational professionals can help center the lives of Black and Brown students with disabilities.  For example, we could draw upon the lived experiences of disabled communities, disability justice activists and scholars. We could deeply prepare and engage students in a better understanding of the inequities in schools for Black and Brown children with disabilities.  We need to encourage more Black and Brown teachers and teachers with disabilities into the field who are representative of our changing school demographics, and who are committed to the work of racial and disability justice.

Community scholar and activist Leroy F. Moore Jr., in his book “Black Disabled Ancestors,” writes: “Black disabled people have ancestors who left knowledge, art, music, culture, politics and a lot of pain for us to pick up, build on, and to tell the harsh truth.”

Now, more than ever before, we have opportunities as teachers, school leaders and teacher preparation program educators to work toward addressing inequities for Black and Brown students with disabilities in ways we may not have seen as possible or imaginable.

Saili S. Kulkarni is an assistant professor at San José State University with a research focus on disability, race and special education teacher preparation. She is a Public Voices Fellow with the OpEd Project .

This story about  students with disabilities was produced by  The Hechinger Report,  a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the  Hechinger newsletter.

Related articles

The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn't mean it's free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.

Join us today.

Letters to the Editor

At The Hechinger Report, we publish thoughtful letters from readers that contribute to the ongoing discussion about the education topics we cover. Please read our guidelines for more information. We will not consider letters that do not contain a full name and valid email address. You may submit news tips or ideas here without a full name, but not letters.

By submitting your name, you grant us permission to publish it with your letter. We will never publish your email address. You must fill out all fields to submit a letter.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign me up for the newsletter!

special education teacher reddit

logo

  • Pennsylvania
  • Reciprocity
  • Associate's
  • Ed Specialist
  • Early Childhood Ed
  • Elementary Ed
  • Secondary Ed
  • All Specialties
  • Early Childhood
  • High School
  • All Careers

Teacher Certification Degrees » Teaching Career Center » Special Education Teacher Career Guide

Special Education Teacher Career Guide

  • Author: Audrey Stoffle
  • Expert Reviewer: Jacquelyn King
  • Editorial Process

A special education teacher works with children of different ages who have a range of learning or cognitive disabilities, or emotional or physical impairments. Special education teachers work to promote and manage the growth of their students in conjunction with their special needs. A special education teacher will modify the general education curriculum to make sure each student’s special individual needs are met. Special education (sometimes called SPED or shortened to special ed) jobs require a teacher to be patient, accepting, and understanding. This guide provides further information on what special education teachers do, how to become one, and special education teacher salary and job outlook.

Special Education Teacher Job Description

Being a teacher of children with special needs can be challenging, but also extremely satisfying. While it can be challenging to help students with mental and physical disabilities, it is also rewarding to help them progress and succeed. Similar to teachers of other subjects, special education teachers plan lessons, instruct children, and assign activities to children. They also grade assignments and tests, track students’ progress, and meet with parents to discuss students’ abilities and challenges they may be facing. They may teach at the elementary, middle, or secondary school level at a public or private school, and their students may range from having mild to severe learning and/or behavioral disabilities. Some have their own classrooms where they teach one or more groups of students while others work in general classrooms with special needs children learning alongside other students (“mainstreaming”). In some cases, the special education teacher may co-teach the class, or they may teach in support or breakout roles.

Special Education Teacher Requirements and Common Tasks

The job of a special education teacher includes assisting general education teachers in identifying and assessing children who may have disabilities or special needs. They then adjust lessons to fit the needs of each child as part of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Since they will be responsible for instructing students with a broad range of disabilities, developing IEPs is important for these teachers. One child may require flashcards for sharpening math skills or focused attention on reading, while another may require a teacher to help with basic life skills, such as how to answer questions or follow instructions.

Special education teachers need to be patient, calm, organized, inspiring, and accepting. The job requires interactions with children who differ in abilities and come from all types of backgrounds. Students who receive special education services have various needs that require special attention and understanding. Good communication skills are critical in a special education career, since these children may have communication disabilities. These teachers also must communicate with an entire team including parents, other teachers and support specialists, and counselors, who all work together to ensure and measure success.

Special Education Degrees and Programs

How to become a special education teacher.

Special education requirements in all states call for a teacher to be licensed to teach at a public school. Depending on the school, some employers require a master’s degree for special needs teachers, though others only require a bachelor’s degree . Teachers who are already certified and want to add a special education endorsement to their license, or people who already have an undergraduate degree in something else, may pursue a master’s degree in special education. While private schools usually require a bachelor’s degree to teach, they do not always require certification. Whether at the bachelor’s or master’s level, a focused special education degree is usually expected for most jobs. To qualify for licensure to teach in public schools, the degree must typically include a teacher preparation program approved by the state in which it is located. The following steps make up the common pathway toward a career in teaching special education:

  • Earn a state-approved bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in special education.
  • Complete a student teaching internship in a special education classroom.
  • Take your state’s required tests for special education teachers.
  • Apply for your teaching license.
  • Begin applying to open special education positions.

Traditional and online bachelor’s degree programs in special education require coursework in methods, foundations of education, assessment, assistive technology, special education law, and planning and curriculum focused on special needs. Most states require student teaching placement in a classroom for teacher licensure in this area. Certification in special education also requires tests in general content and special education specifically, though exam requirements vary depending on the certifying state. Once certified, a teacher may then begin looking for special education jobs in their state. Some states do offer alternative licensure programs for prospective teachers, though in many cases special education is not an approved career track through alternative certification due to the intensive preparation required to work with children with differing needs. To find out how to get your master’s in special education online, see our online master’s in special education guide .

Special Education Teacher Salary and Job Outlook

Most public elementary, middle, and high schools, along with some preschools, hire special education teachers. The general national trend is that special needs children enrollment is increasing and qualified special education teachers with the right qualifications are in short supply. 1 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for a special education teacher was $61,820 in 2021, with the highest-paid special ed teachers in preschools ($62,420). 1 Overall, the special education teaching profession is expected to see job growth of about 4% through 2031. 1

Helpful Skills and Experience

First and foremost, teachers of special needs children should be patient and kind-hearted. They need to have a passion for helping these children succeed. Organizational skills, excellent communication and presentation skills, and sound decision-making skills are important for any prospective teacher. Teachers with prior experience in teaching, especially of children with disabilities, will stand out from others.

Additional Resources

  • The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) : NASET provides support for special education teachers, job listings, important news, and resources.
  • The Council for Exceptional Children : An advocacy association for special education, this website provides information about professional development, policies and standards in the field, and other helpful resources for special education teachers.
  • Special Education Blogs : Our list of special education blogs addressing issues in and methods of teaching learners with special needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question : Do I need a teacher certification to teach special education?

Answer : While certification requirements vary from state to state, public schools do require that special education teachers be certified. Private schools may not require state certification. You can check with your state board of education or college program for further information on certification requirements in your state.

Question : Do special education teachers get paid more than general teachers?

Answer : Nationally the average pay for special education teachers tends to around the same as elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers focused on teaching the standard curriculum. 1,2,3,4 However, salary differences can vary greatly in different regions.

Question: Why do gifted students need special education?

Answer: Special education can be defined as education that is different from the norm, which can also extend to above-average learners such as gifted and talented students. These students are sometimes classified with disabled students under the larger umbrella of exceptional learners. Exceptional learners may require or benefit from exceptional education, or education that is approached differently than that which takes place in the regular classroom. While most degree programs prepare traditional special education teachers differently than teachers of gifted students, there can be some overlap in coursework among these programs due to this correlation. See our Gifted and Talented Teacher Career Guide if you are interested in this type of career.

Question : Do special education teachers get summers off?

Answer : Like general education teachers, special education teachers typically work a 10-month school year, with two months off during the summer. Teachers’ schedules will vary according to their school’s schedules, but some also use those months to prepare lessons for the coming school year or to teach summer courses if they would like supplemental income.

Question : Can special education teachers teach regular classes?

Answer : That depends on the state and the school. Many states do not allow special education teachers to teach general education students, but others do. Also, private schools tend to have different standards. It is best to check with your state board of education.

References: 1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Special Education Teachers: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/special-education-teachers.htm 2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022, 25-2051 Special Education Teachers, Preschool: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252051.htm 3. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022, 25-2052 Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School: https://www.bls.gov/Oes/current/oes252052.htm 4. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022, 25-2053 Special Education Teachers, Middle School: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252057.htm 5. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022, 25-2054 Special Education Teachers, Secondary School: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252058.htm 6. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022, 25-2059 Special Education Teachers, All Other: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252059.htm

IMAGES

  1. One view: As a special education teacher, this is why I teach

    special education teacher reddit

  2. A Look Inside the Rewarding Career of a Special Education Teacher

    special education teacher reddit

  3. A Look Inside the Rewarding Career of a Special Education Teacher

    special education teacher reddit

  4. Preparing Tomorrow’s Special Education Teachers Today

    special education teacher reddit

  5. How to become a Special Educational Needs Teacher

    special education teacher reddit

  6. How to become a special education teacher

    special education teacher reddit

COMMENTS

  1. Special Education

    This is a professional subreddit for people interested in special education, particularly: special education teachers, general education teachers, therapists, advocates, parents, and students. We are here to share professional advice, bounce ideas off each other, share concerns, and advocate for our students.

  2. What is life like as special education teacher? : r/Teachers

    Resource room has bigger classes, bigger caseload, issues with cellphone use (just a personal pet peeve), but students are much much more independent and working with very few adults. I did my student teaching in an elementary SPED room. The kids are cuter but very little planning time for the teacher. Also, having to constantly work around ...

  3. Give it to me straight... how much does special ed suck to do?

    StarmieLover966. •. Every special ed teacher I've worked with has a huge stack of files somewhere. Veteran teachers organize it in a cabinet, new teachers have a huge stack on their desk or on a table somewhere. I'm a general ed teacher, but this job looks like an insane amount of paperwork and legal responsibilities.

  4. r/Teachers on Reddit: I'm so conflicted about Special Education after

    As a result, I can understand why Gen Ed and elective teachers appear to be anti-SPED and can get so frustrated with SPED teachers, instructional partners, and ARD facilitators over students with IEPs and 504s. I'm grateful there are people that want to specifically work with these kids.

  5. Special Education

    We encourage you to come over to r/specialed, a much larger community where you will find more engagement with your peers. This is a professional subreddit for people interested in special education, particularly: special education teachers, general education teachers, therapists, advocates, parents, and students. We are here to share professional advice, bounce ideas off each other, share ...

  6. What is your favorite thing about being a special Ed teacher ...

    2- The students. To be honest today they drove me nuts, but most days they are awesome, funny, genuine, and a joy to be around. 3. kansashippy. • 8 mo. ago. Special education isn't for everyone. It takes a special teacher. If your heart isn't in it, don't do it. If you accept a position just for the "job" you won't be happy.

  7. The reality of special education : r/Teachers

    This level of violence crosses a line. This student needs 1:1 Safety Care staff, or an out of school placement. Unfortunately, towns vote against raising school budgets for things like this. You can make a difference for the schools in your town by supporting increased taxes, as much as you may hate paying more. 23.

  8. 3 Reasons Why Being a Special Education Teacher Is Even Harder During

    Here are some of the difficulties special education teachers in particular have faced over the last 18 months. 1. Special education teachers didn't collaborate with general education teachers ...

  9. Reddit: The Unlikely Resource Every Teacher Needs

    The various teachers forums on Reddit are a great way to crowd-source for advice from other teaching professionals, get lesson plan ideas, find valuable resources to make school fun, and to vent about the less enjoyable aspects of the job. ... Special Education is a hard subject and one that can also raise a lot of questions. This subreddit ...

  10. 'Does Anyone Else Cry After Work?': Teacher Reddit Is the Unfiltered

    A version of this article appeared in the November 30, 2022 edition of Education Week as 'Does Anyone Else Cry After Work?': Teacher Reddit Is a Peek Into a Workforce in Crisis. Amid rising ...

  11. Why Special Educators Really Leave the Classroom

    The Education Week Research Center found that in 2016, the most recent year for which complete federal statistics are available, there were about 348,000 special education teachers for 5.9 million ...

  12. 10 Reasons Why I Love Being a Special Education Teacher

    The more time I get to spend with my students, the easier it is for me to pull out tools and strategies for implementation. Having a wide range of students teaches me there will never be a "one size fits all.". 6. I love finding what works. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out a new student.

  13. OPINION: Why we need a new generation of special education teachers

    Monica Gonzalez, a special education teacher at Bret Harte Middle School in Hayward, California, said the online platform Google Classroom tends to exacerbate some of the issues faced in classroom instruction. "I still have to figure out how to effectively provide small-group instruction using virtual breakout rooms, yet coordinate and ...

  14. Does "Special Ed" Serve Students? Disability Activists Say No

    Students with disabilities, families and teachers want inclusive classrooms with better support for teachers. Under the current special education system, students with disabilities tend to get segregated into classrooms with fewer resources. Here, Chicagoans protest cuts in special education on August 26, 2015.

  15. Communication between Parents and Teachers of Special Education ...

    Communication between teachers and parents is an important research topic in the field of special education. Although this type of communication is fraught with challenges such as conflict and lack of trust, there are also some success factors such as collaborative two-way communication and the use of appropriate technologies to facilitate communication.

  16. Special Education Teacher Career Guide

    The general national trend is that special needs children enrollment is increasing and qualified special education teachers with the right qualifications are in short supply. 1 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for a special education teacher was $61,820 in 2021, with the highest-paid special ed ...

  17. How to Become a Special Education Teacher in 3 Steps

    Find out how to become a special education teacher. We'll review the degree requirements, exams for state certification, salary, and more!

  18. Which Three candidates for Moscow city council do you like the ...

    Community Reddit for those living in Moscow, ID. ... and believes that all public education should be privatized. Sounds like he's quite likely a "destroy public education" trojan horse candidate. Info here ... increase pay for teachers and staff, and create smaller student-teacher ratios, but believes this can somehow be achieved without new ...

  19. Russians who live in Moscow how is it living there?

    Life there is def better than almost anywhere else in Russia, lots of pros. Moved to Moscow 15 years ago and loved it ever since. I like big cities, so I have no problem with crowdedness or noise (traffic sucks balls though). I love the opportunities and the variety Moscow offers.

  20. Moscow Paris train : r/AskARussian

    Animals and Pets Anime Art Cars and Motor Vehicles Crafts and DIY Culture, Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, Writing, and Literature Religion and Spirituality Science Tabletop Games ...

  21. Moscow, the capital of Russian Federation

    Welcome to renovated /r/Moscow subreddit for the city of Moscow (Москва, Moskva) is the capital and largest city of Russia. As the historic core of the country, Moscow serves as the home of numerous famous artists, scientists, politic and sport figures. The city is well known for its display of Russian architecture, particularly its historic Red Square and the Kremlin, which serves as ...