Advice for New (Special Ed) Teachers

I got my first email from my replacement, suitably enthusiastic and not quite done with her Credentialing Program. Kind of makes me want to stuff her under one arm and Noogie her head.

Here is a sample of what I told her. I think it goes well for everyone who teaches with a staff.

Dear ****,

I'm glad you wrote; the scrap of paper with your email address was misplaced.


Things that don't work:
1. Please, please please do not arrive during break and switch around the position of the furniture. Do not switch their assigned cubbies- they know where to go! If you want to do one piece at at time, after a month of being in the room every day, do it. And stick to your changes.

I've seen this frequently, and "Out With The Old, In With the New" mentality where the students come back to New Teacher with the furniture all switched around."Where am I, Mars?". My students don't like change in general. You will be making your life very difficult if you change more than what is absolutely necessary. Do not succumb to the temptation- I understand there are ideas afoot by the ______ for new carpet, new cubby separators, etc. She comes into my room infrequently. Introduce change slowly is the best advice I can give you.

2. Please, please listen to your staff. I am handing you (hands down) the best group of women This school has to offer. They have been there, you're new. Listen to how they talk and work with their assigned students, because they know what they are doing.

3. Don't mess with the snack/lunch/PE/Toilet Times. You will lose.

Things That Do Work (broadly):
1. Rice Krispie Treats. Buy stock. Staff and students alike.
2. A sense of humor. Don't be afraid to laugh out loud.
3. A very high pain threshold
4. An ability to measure success in subatomic increments
5. Confidence. Fake it till you make it. This is YOUR classroom. You have to implement the goals you write, you have to call the parents, you have to change the diapers. Follow your gut instinct at all times.
6. Praise. Thank Yous. Appreciation. "Thank you for your work today."


Things to be Aware Of:

Always work your new goals from what you see in their past IEP, successes or failures. New, innovative goals for a student should have a strong basis in knowing that students' strengths and you don't. You will be justifying your IEP goals in front of their parents, and they will tell you this, point blank.

You might have a lot of outside pressure to create goals centered around Discrete Trial sessions. Well and good, if the shoe fits. Remember you are the teacher in the student's best interests, writing goals for the student in particular and the classroom dynamic as a whole. If you don't feel you can reasonably implement the goal, don't write it. That's your name on the paper, you are legally responsible and will be held to account. Not the people leaning on you to do it their way.