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By Joy Hutton More than most other professions, the task of teaching special education requires people who possess a particular set of qualities. If you are considering the profession, rest assured that if you get excited about situations where others might give up, you just may be perfect for this rewarding and life-changing career. Compare your own personality traits with the ones listed below to see if special education teaching might be the job for you. 
Good-Humored Let's face it. Disabled students know how to laugh, and it's infectious! Their sense of enjoyment in the world is often light years ahead of their non-disabled peers. Having your own well-tuned sense of humor will lighten your days and invigorate your teaching. Regardless of their disabilities, your students can sense when you are enjoying them and their personalities. So go ahead, have fun! Organized All students need structure to succeed, but special education students need it more. Whether you are teaching mildly dyslexic, severely handicapped or intellectually disabled students, you need to provide the class with a physical and academic structure conducive to learning. That means your classroom arrangement should accommodate all of your students and your days should be scheduled and regular. This way, students can become familiar and confident with their surroundings and the flow of activities. Accepting Special education teaching provides you with the opportunity to love and appreciate others regardless of their capabilities or behavior. When students make life difficult for you by demanding excessive attention or responding too loudly when called, remember how much you treasure them for the unique individuals they are. Seeking to truly understand and encourage your students will help them—and you—go far.
Creative People who think outside the box often do a stellar job teaching special education. The ability to find new ways to explain and demonstrate subject matter is often the single most effective characteristic a special ed teacher can possess. Bringing creativity into the classroom will have the benefit of enriching your classroom environment as well. Even-Tempered Teaching special education is not a job for the faint of heart. Students with intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance or autism can lose it when teachers are not direct, firm, kind and helpful, even in difficult situations. Watch yourself closely next time a crisis or emergency comes up and see how you respond. Do you keep your wits about you and deal calmly with the situation? If so, you have a great temperament for special education teaching. Self-Assured In a special ed classroom, you need to be confident in your decisions and leave no room for self-doubt, or it can be easy to lose control. When you continually lead students who are unused to taking the lead themselves, you can start questioning your own decisions. However, if natural leadership isn't your strong suit, there are things you can do to hone your skills and build confidence, such as taking on volunteer leadership activities.
Intuitive Some auditory learning disabilities, injuries and other handicaps make special education students awkward communicators. When working with these students daily, you will need to be watchful and involved so you can foresee their needs and address their concerns when they lack the ability to tell you about them. Thick-Skinned Teaching special education can be frustrating at times and, to make matters worse, your students may not have the maturity to suffer quietly along. Their thoughtless words can topple a well-meaning teacher who is overly sensitive to negative comments or personal quips. Having—or even developing—a thick skin will protect you from burning out over thoughtless comments. If you struggle in this area, try to focus on noticing the positive feedback you get. Optimistic Sometimes comparatively simple tasks can become long, arduous battles for learning disabled students. Their teachers need to offer hope and encouragement in difficult situations. Think about how frustrating it would be for you to have to try so hard to master subjects, techniques or activities. Teaching special education means celebrating any and all victories, whether for long-awaited successes or simple attempts.
Dedicated Regularity and dependability are important qualities to have when special education teaching. Taking the opportunity to work with students for an extended period of time can be a huge confidence builder for them. Plus, once you know a student's strengths and struggles, no one is better equipped than you to help them. Think about your dedication and whether it can go the distance in meeting the needs of these exceptional students. Certainly, the best special education teachers have personalities that span the board. If you have a passion to become a special ed teacher, by all means go after it. Your bachelor's or master's degree in special education will equip you to teach with passion and effectiveness, regardless of your natural qualities. If teaching special education is your life-blood, it doesn't matter how you are built. You'll take what you have and use it to make a lasting change in the lives of all the lucky students you teach.  |
