Special Educators

It can often be said that it takes a special person to be a special educator.  That is a complete lie.  It takes a saint or insane person to be a special educator.  They are the true embodiment of what it means to be a selfless person, a teacher, a caregiver, someone who will not only willingly work within the realm of the often misunderstood, but they are often over booked with their caseloads, have so many reports and meetings, work with parents who are also trying to understand how to be successful, deal with a lot of political hogwash, and worst of all, they deal with the homeroom teacher who becomes a complete asshole when they stop by to service their students, and they do it in stride.

     Since the beginning of my career in the abysmal world of public education, I have seen the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde moments of teachers that are absolute control freaks and get overly bitchy when their students with needs, IEPs, and 504 plans are taken out of the classroom for small group instruction. Get over it teachers, you are here for the kids, the whole child, and yes, with that, on occasion, special educators are going to take your students out or have them in a different location in your room to support with learning. Quit thinking about test scores and the fact the student will be behind in their learning, they are pulled for learning and development. Get over it. Let the sped team come in, get your student, and work with them. Just let it go. 

     The worst types of teachers are those crazy ones that have stated they always knew they wanted to be a teacher. They are freaks. They are also the ones that become complete jerks when the sped team needs to see select students. 

     If you are a sped teacher or work within a related field and/or position. Thank you for all the unnecessary shit you have to deal with. You are a saint. Keep trucking along, make an impact on your students, have some self-care, and say piss off to those in your way. 

Thank you!

-Calvin Summers