To clarify what, exactly, special education resources & programs are, we feel it is prudent to list a few of the various types of students who will be taught in special needs education classes in order to dispel some of the myths. Here’s what it boils down to…
Special Education Does Not Mean Mental Retardation
Many of the students in special needs classes may suffer from ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, aspergers or autism, to name just a small handful of learning disabilities. Special needs does not mean “mentally retarded”. Learning disabilities are a lot more complex and difficult to understand than that and you cannot simply expect a single label to cover every single student you will find in special needs classes.
The truth is that every student in a special needs class is an individual. The training you will receive as a special needs educator will allow you to address a wide range of learning disabilities so that you will be specially equipped to handle every individual who enters your class room.
What is Expected of a Special Needs Educator
The wrong approach to special needs education is to assume that your job as a special educator is to simply babysit the “unteachables”. There are a lot of people out there who do not respect the special needs students in their schools as real students. They think of them as the kids that you need to get out of the way.
If you want to become a special needs educator, it should be for the right reasons. Special education should not be where you wound up because you could not get a job teaching other classes. Special education students deserve a teacher who wants to help them reach their full potential. If that is not you, you can find a job that pays about the same managing the night shift at your local diner.
If you can be passionate, though, then you may well have some of the greatest experiences of your life waiting for you in special education.