Is being a teacher of students with special needs a suitable career choice for you? As a teacher, you have a certain amount of training and experience already. Have you ever sat down and listed your skills and interests? Here are a few that you and special educators have in common: Knowledgeable in a given […]

Special education teachers are opening a world of knowledge through accessible ebooks and technologies for students who cannot read traditional print. This is good news for tens of thousands of students who are blind, have low vision, a physical disability, or a learning disability. Students with print disabilities may require various accommodations to support grade-level […]

The newest special education teachers learn that the year in which a student turns 14 years of age, the IEP must include provisions related to transition. By age 16, the Transition IEP establishes a pattern of preparation for post-school plans. This may involve preparation for college, training or work. Many parents are unaware of available […]

Closing the gap has become a hot topic for most educators, especially among special educators. But “closing the gap” suggests to the public education system that the sole intent and purpose is to address the deficiencies between the performance levels of those in a specific sub group. These subgroups of students relate to a variety […]

1. Think District-Wide, Not Building-Wide When making decisions, focus your choices and their outcomes on the overall impact they will have on your district, rather than a single classroom or single school building. As a former teacher, your initial focus may still be on the classroom. Over time, that focus will expand and grow to […]

While it’s not a new concept, post-secondary training programs for special education students not graduating with a standard high school diploma seem to be on the verge of exploding in the best way possible. For decades, students who were eligible for special education services through the Individuals with Disability Education Act and who worked to […]

When I sat down to write this blog, I wondered what the heck I was getting myself into. Collaboration is my thing. I’m good at it — but how do I explain what it is that I do every day at my school? Long before I was a special education teacher, I started my career […]

Change is often difficult, even when we know it’s for the best. Getting married, starting a new job, or having a baby – these are critical moments in an individual’s life, and they often bring not only tremendous amounts of joy but also overwhelming anxiety and stress. The same can be said for special educators […]

How do you know when a child has a language delay versus a disorder? Unfortunately, there is not always a straightforward answer to this question. As we know, each child is unique and affected by intrinsic (i.e., biological, such as family history, birth weight, severe prenatal and/or perinatal complications) and extrinsic (i.e., environmental, including access […]

Happy New Year! As I ring in the new year, I’m preparing for my first year as a special education teacher and reflecting on my time as a student intern. I began a Master’s of Arts in teaching program for special education in August of 2013 and graduated from the program in December 2014. During […]