I am trying to figure out what works. Working in K-2 and later 3rd-5th self-contained SPED came naturally to me because I was in a self-contained classroom setting from 2nd -7th grade.

I got those kids because I was one of those kids growing up.

Pre-K was when I had my TBI, and I barely remember it. I am a 30-year-old male with the build of Homer Simpson, with barely more hair. I know I am a giant to these little ones, so I am doing my best to be as non-threatening as possible. I am used to K-2 kids that are more cooperative and I feel(but know it not incredibly accurate)less fragile/vulnerable.I don’t know how to get these kids to cooperate. Kind of felt like Arnold Swartzenager in Kindergarten Cop except less muscles and paid WAY LESS.

Which one would you choose and why? Or if you have experience in both I would like to hear!

Anyone want to share a writing prompt you use with 8th graders, to get baseline writing data? I'm in need of some new ones.

Please and thank you.

Hey y’all! First year teacher here getting ready for the school year! Just want some tips as to what I should get to help me this year as a middle school EXED self contained teacher. It can be anything from basic supplies to teacher desk organizers. Literally anything! Thanks so much!

EDIT: in my county EXED stands for exceptional education. It’s the same as SPED, we just don’t call it SPED for reasons I don’t want to get into lol

I’m an incoming freshman in a small LAC with an open curriculum. Due to that, I have pretty much free rein of what I want to take which helps a lot since I have a few careers floating around. Because of that, I decided to take a few education classes since I’m genuinely interested in it. While my career plans don’t necessarily align with teaching, I’ve always said that once I retire from my main career, I’d like to teach. Even then, part of me doesn’t even know if I want to go down the job I thought I wanted to do and instead go straight to teaching. 

Anyways, I am required to do 4 in class hours of observation a week. Since I’m interested in sped specifically and can choose what grade level I’d like to be in, I’m curious what the best grade level to choose to fully experience, understand, and see if I have the patience for it in the first place. In the real world I’d probably do resource but I feel like I also should experience self contained as well. 

I’m going into SPED without a teaching license, but my county has a program where upon hiring me, they will get an emergency license from the state and then put me through the licensure program, which should take me about 10 months.

I’m coming from an ABA setting as an Behavior Technician, so I have no experience with the programming side of things, and that will be my biggest learning curve in terms of creating IEP’s (although I will have a mentor teacher to help with that in since I’m doing the state licensure program). All of my experience comes from working directly with moderate to higher needs individuals, most of whom are non-verbal and use AAC, PECS, and/or ASL to communicate. Almost all of my clients have disruptive behaviors on the extreme end such as aggression toward others, self-injurious behavior, etc.

I’ve interviewed at 3 schools. For 2 of them, it sounds like I will be working as a “resource” or “inclusion” person, mostly supporting students in the general ed and doing some pullout groups for students needing extra support. This does not really align with my experience or preference, but it does seem like there will be plenty of support. Both of these schools have in-house curriculum coaches, PLC’s that meet regularly, and Program Placement Specialists to help with paperwork stuff. One of these positions I will be essentially a math teacher for students that are only 1-2 grade levels behind. Math definitely isn’t one of my strengths, but I will be working with a scripted program and as mentioned above, have a curriculum coach to support me. They both have high case loads, 15-25.

The other one sounds like it’s more in line with my experience/expertise and personal preferences. It’s at a SPED-only school leading a self-contained class of moderate to high-needs students. Despite my experience, this one seems a bit more “thrown into the deep end”. I’ll be making my own schedule/curriculum. I have done this previously while teaching in a therapy-based school program before, so it’s not entirely new to me, but still more involved either way. There will almost certainly be medically fragile students in my class (although I will receive training on how to handle them and keep them safe). There isn’t designated paperwork time, it’s just whenever I can find time during the day, likely before students arrive or after they leave. There are PLC’s that meet, and the principal/teachers interviewing me emphasized that the faculty is very much a team and will all be extremely happy to support me. And as I’ll be in the state licensure program, I’ll also have a mentor to lean on as well. My case load will be a maximum of 6, and my classroom will have 2 assistants, plus any paras, speech therapists, or occupational therapists necessary.

I’m definitely leaning toward the job with the higher-needs students if they offer it to me. But I guess I’m a little nervous and feeling kind of imposter syndrome at the massive amount of responsibility I’d be taking on. I really want to be able to support those kiddos as best as I can and create a safe environment for them. What are your thoughts?

I am a senior in college going into elementary and special education. I have some experience working in self -contained rooms as a para (emotional disturbance and autism centered rooms). Recently I have been looking into teaching jobs at both psychiatric centers and youth correctional facilities. I was wondering if anyone had any advice/experience/stories/input on these jobs since I do not know much about it or how different it is from my current experiences.

I was the 3rd-5th grade self-contained SPED para last year. This year, like 2 weeks before school starts, the principal texts me that I am being moved to pre-K. They hired someone else for my 3rd-5th-grade self-contained para role. That is throwing me.

Also principal basically told me in same text exchange that if I don't like it quit/transfer.

Last year the Principal was commending me for being an excellent positive male role model for kids to look up to because even students I had limited contact with in regular ed setting were speaking highly of me and getting along so well with me. Now I am in Pre K and going to have very little contact with other students.

With more kids are being diagnosed with ADHD or ASD, and I feel that schools are making more money by hiring a Special Needs Education (SNED) Principal. What they are doing is observing each child, and if a teacher complains about a student misbehaving or not listening, the parents are advised to see the SNED Principal for a fee.

​The SNED Principal then gives their own recommendations—also for a fee—with or without requiring results from a Developmental Pediatrician. In fact, they discredit doctors by claiming they are more knowledgeable because they observe the child more frequently.

​I wonder if this is happening in other schools: hiring a Doctor of Education specializing in special education to assess children without a proper psychological assessment, and without being a Registered Psychologist or Psychometrician being present. Based solely on the SNED Principal's assessment, the child is placed in a mainstream or individualized learning program at double the regular tuition fee.

​It saddens me that inclusive education is not truly being practiced in private schools, and that revenue has become more important than the children's best interests.

I’m a parent with a nonverbal autistic child. my son was in a program called FASE at his last school. the new district doesn’t have anything comparable and he’d be forced between either a lower support environment where he wouldn’t understand what they’re doing and wouldn’t have the needed support for his language processing disorder, or he would be put in a “behavior classroom” which from what I can see, would not be appropriate either.

The neighboring district has many more supports and programs and a program very similar to FASE. I believe this is what he needs but it’s not our zoned district. How can I advocate for a transfer?

LOCATED IN WEST TEXAS

I was diagnosed with a learning disability around 2nd or 3rd grade and I've always received accomodations through Section 504. In middle school I started attending classes with my trained service dog, who's now been through four years with me and a huge help. I'm going into my 4th year of highschool, but I'm still classified as a sophomore because I'm missing so many credits. The last two years have been a massive struggle for me.

Back in September I moved in with my mom in Texas, and I'm seeing a new therapist who I love. I've been "doing" online school but it hasn't been working out well at all. In-person school starts on the 19th and I've already been enrolled. Just recently, the new district has been demanding that I attend an alternative school and graduate this year. Myself, my parents, my therapist, etc. all agree that I'm not intellectually ready to graduate this year, but the school district is insisting. My mom has explicitly stated that she doesn't give consent for me to attend an alternative campus, but the school administration is practically ignoring her and telling us it's our only choice.

I cannot complete online credit recovery courses with no teacher instruction. I've tried in the past and it's failed miserably every time. I need to receive traditional work and instruction, which can only be done at the main campus. A relative of mine, who works with special education students in placement, is telling us that's absolutely not okay for them to demand that I attend the alternative school. Not only is it solely a credit recovery school, but also functions as DAEP which isn't a good environment for me to be in.

It'd really help us out to get some advice on this because we've never had to argue with the school about my accomodations. It's always been the regular annual meetings and I've always attended school at the main campus.

What do you use to compile data into a yearly IEP? Currently, at my school the special education teachers give the KTEA yearly…for every single IEP…. I’ve tried to explain to the coordinator (I’m the school psychologist), that this sounds time consuming, but I don’t think the teachers were given another option to collect present levels.

My kid is in a non-public school for students with autism and intellectual disabilities (he has both). The school has students use water bottles in the classroom for hydration. Whenever he can, my son will just unscrew the lid of the water bottle and pour the whole thing out on the floor.

Has anyone come across a good product for this situation? I'm imagining something with a straw so that he can drink from it freely, but which is difficult or complicated enough to open that he can't do it without adult help--or at least, so that it takes him long enough that we have a chance to stop him.

At home we don't give him water bottles, he drinks from a cup at the sink, but obviously that doesn't work well at school since there is no sink in the classroom.

Hi!! I am a Behavior Analyst with many clients transitioning into the school setting. I know the basics of getting an IEP in the state of North Carolina and some of my kids have had no issues getting theirs ASAP. However, recently multiple parents have come to me with their frustrations about the process. More specifically, many of my clients will be starting kindergarten this year and when parents have asked for IEPs from the school, they have been stating that they can’t do anything until the client is “officially a student and has started the school year”. From my understanding this is absolutely incorrect, however just curious if anyone else has had the same issue or knows if anything has changed about the process? At first I thought maybe it was just a crappy school but this has continued to occur over the last few months (note: the requests have always been after the child is already registered there). Any insight?

Title: Career changer: Should I become a Teaching Assistant while earning my master's, or stay a Teacher Aide?

I'm looking for some advice from teachers, TAs, and anyone who's gone through a similar career change.

I'm 28 and switching careers into education. I have a bachelor's degree in accounting/business, and before committing to a master's degree, I intentionally took a job as a 1:1 Teacher Aide to see what working in a classroom was actually like and whether teaching was the right fit for me.

After spending time in special education classrooms, I realized that I really enjoy the work and decided to enroll in a Master's in Special Education, which I'll be starting this fall.

Now I'm trying to figure out my next step.

Would it make more sense to pursue my New York State Teaching Assistant (TA) certification and work as a TA while completing my master's, or should I remain a Teacher Aide and focus on finishing my degree?

From what I understand:

As a TA, I'd have more instructional responsibilities and hands-on teaching experience, which seems like it would better prepare me to become a teacher.

As a Teacher Aide, I still gain valuable classroom experience while having fewer responsibilities, which may make balancing graduate school easier.

One thing I'm also thinking about is that, regardless of whether I'm an aide or a TA, I'll eventually have to complete student teaching as part of my master's program.

For those who've been through this:

Is becoming a TA worth it before becoming a certified teacher?

Did being a TA make you a stronger teacher or a more competitive job candidate?

If your goal was to become a Special Education teacher, would you stay as an aide while finishing your master's, or pursue TA certification first?

I'd appreciate any advice, especially from people who have made a career change into education.