My SpEd Life

I had the privilege of teaching for five years in a self-contained, special education classroom for students with moderate to severe disabilities, ages 8-12, before stepping away to be a stay-at-home momma for a season. My students were in 3rd-6th grade, but our academic content ranged from pre-academic to 2nd grade material. We focused on functional academics and required a lot of repetition to meet mastery. I provided explicit social/emotional instruction and implemented ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) methods to teach new or replacement behaviors to my students. Though I have been out of the classroom for a few years now, I am excited to return once my own children are in school. In the meantime, I am building up my own library of resources I always intended to create but never quite had the time to while teaching so they will be ready for me when I return to the classroom.

I believe organization is key to running a successful special education classroom. The varied and extreme needs of the students and the extra adults in the classroom awaiting your direction essentially demand it if you want to be successful. Students will rise to the expectations you set for them. Teaching Special Education, I walk the line between giving students’ academic experiences that are academically appropriate but not babyish. This is why my worksheets are often straightforward, working on a single or a few skills, with a LOT of repetition. The skills basic, and often foundational.

I haven’t won any awards, but any time a parent shares success stories about what their child is doing, especially things they never dreamed they would be able to do, it reminds me why I do what I do. I believe Special Education is just as much about the families as it is in the individual students. I may be out of the field temporarily, but even out of the classroom I have continued to aid classrooms as well as my church in setting up successful environments for individuals with disabilities and that is extremely rewarding.

Eastern Washington University BA in K-12 Special Education

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