Surviving and Thriving in Special Education

The truth is that special education teachers burn out. There are a lot of novices in the field and very, very few grizzled veterans. The job is a lot of paperwork, a lot of meetings where a lot is said and little done, and a lot of frustrating calls and conversations with administrators and families. Those realities, coupled with the fact that many special education teachers feel like they are ineffective in the face of students’ profound difficulties, push people out of the field.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. Special education– paperwork and busywork and annoyances aside– can be one of the most rewarding and fun jobs to have. But it takes know how, a healthy sense of humor, and a willingness to accept that you can only ever do your best.

The posts here all focus on concrete tips from the research and my years of teaching for how you can thrive and not just survive as a special educator. There isn’t anything in here on the paperwork– the rest of the site is for that. This is the other stuff– the find you supportive colleagues, get stuff for free, and fight the system when you need to stuff.