School's Out

The end of the school year always has special meaning for me. As a child, I was always sad because I loved school. Since I have started working, it is a time of relief. Even if I don't work in a school, I am somehow still clued into the school cycle. Schools are somehow comfortable for me. I think because I have spent most of my career working in them, they are familiar. I know what to expect because there is a general school culture and norms are similar in every one that I have worked in. Yes, every school is different, but they still tend to be familiar and comfortable.

In many ways, special education schools that I have worked in are the same. They are more laid back than regular education schools. There can have a more functional curriculum. You can spend an entire school year trying to get behavior under control and have that be a successful year. You can take the children out to the shops for a reward and it is a functional educational experience. The children overall also seem pretty happy. They are friendly and happy to see me when I come in the room. In a general education classroom, kids start to dread you coming to get them/coming in the room at some point.

Schools can also be challenging. I think you have to show investment and understanding in the children, school, and staff before teachers will really willingly work with you. Some staff may have a long warm up period. In a previous job, it took 3 years before I felt like I was truly accepted by the teachers and teaching assistants. Teachers have so many people telling them how to do their job and not always the best training to do it. Teachers really do try hard to do what is best for all of the children but it is really difficult. If they have a class of 25, there are 25 individual needs that they need to try to meet while teaching the standard curriculum. When you add in a child with special needs, it really throws off the balance of the classroom. It can be quite successful, especially when the child has the proper supports, whatever they may be for that child. I think it takes a lot of commitment on the part of the school, teachers, and parents in order to make integration/inclusion work. It also takes funding. If teachers had fewer children in the class if they had a child with special needs, I think that it would help. Then there wouldn't be so many demands placed on the teacher. Teachers also need more training in special education.