SPECIAL NEEDS INTERVIEW

1. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGES THING THAT YOU

FACING WHEN YOU HANDLE THIS KIND OF SPECIAL
CHILDREN?

Dealing With Multiple Disabilities

A special education teacher’s classes may have students with various disabilities.
Since each student is a unique case, the teacher must modify their lessons to suit
each disabled learner by providing individualized education programs.

Handling Death
Among students in a special education classroom, there are often some with
severe chronic illnesses that may result in death. Handling this is a challenge to
which special education teachers will have to adapt.

The Difficulty of Discipline in a Special Needs

Classroom
Disabled children may have behavioral issues including restlessness and
moodiness. They may also exhibit problems like a short attention span or an
inability to understand what is being taught. Special education teachers have to
learn how to deal with these problems as well as how to take appropriate
disciplinary measures.

Lack of Support From Parents

Some parents of special needs children are disinterested in the welfare of their
children and fail to provide them with adequate care. Alternatively, they may be
overly protective. Both can be problematic for the child and for their teacher.
Disinterested parents may have no involvement with their child’s education or
interaction with their teachers, whereas overprotective parents may have
unrealistic expectations from the child and the child’s teachers. Both attitudes
can shape children in negative ways. Parental disinterest may make special
needs students less motivated and parents who are overprotective often diminish
their child’s confidence and make it harder for them to learn.

2. HOW DO YOU DEALING WITH THEY BEHAVIOR AND

CHANGE OF EMOTION?
Students who suffer from Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, or EBD, often
find it very difficult to control their behavior and focus on their work in the
classroom. EBD students also commonly lack the impulse control and the
emotional balance that is necessary to handle social interactions with other
students effectively.

This can be challenging for you as their teacher, especially in an inclusive

classroom where only a portion of the students have EBD—but there are ways
to help all students in your classroom feel welcomed and ready to learn.
 EBD students’ behavior can be moderated by implementing a classroom
management plan that is specially tailored to meet the specific needs of
these students.

Here are effective strategies you can use to help EBD kids work well in an
inclusive classroom.

1. Keep class rules/activities simple and clear

Your EBD students (as well as some of your more focused students) will most likely
struggle if you impose a long list of complicated rules and demands. Try to keep your
classroom guidelines broad and simple—no more than 3 to 5 main rules. Let students
know about them on the first day of class, and post them in the classroom as well.
An example list might be:

 Be on time
 Try your best
 Be polite
 Respect one another

Along with simple and clear rules, there should be simple and clear teaching
activities. Using activities that don’t have complicated directions allow students with
EBD to follow along and interact with the rest of the class. Some activity examples
are:

 Responsive cards
 Clickers
 Choral responding (Unison responding)
 Guided notes

By including clear activities in your classroom, your students will engage and interact
with the lesson plan, ensuring that they learn alongside other students.

2. Reward positive behaviors

While you will, at times, have to discipline children for improper behavior, remember
that rewarding positive behavior is ultimately far more effective in the long run.
Many students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorder tend to take any discipline as
a personal attack, and because of this, they often learn very little from it.

Try to celebrate the successes of these students more than you reprimand or punish
their mistakes. When they receive positive feedback and rewards, they start to see
that there is a positive benefit to good behavior. They will then start to see you as
more of an ally than an adversary, and this will in turn motivate them to want to
behave and do well in your classroom.

3. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCES WHEN TEACHING DISABILITIES

CHILDREN AND NON DISABLE CHILDREN?
As a special education teacher, In all classes, you will see students who are
at different ability levels, learn in different ways, and understand concepts at
different times. Differentiated instruction and individualized teaching
practices are challenging for all teachers. It gets even more difficult in a
special education, multi-aged classroom.

4. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES CHILDREN?

Dealing With Multiple Disabilities

A special education teacher’s classes may have students with various
disabilities. Since each student is a unique case, the teacher must modify
their lessons to suit each disabled learner by providing individualized
education programs.

EXPERIENCES

1. WHY DID YOU BECOME A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER?

why we want to become a Special Ed teacher. It is not because we think we have patience.
We want to do this because it is for the students. We want to watch them learn and succeed
when others think they can’t. I, in particular, wanted to become a special education
teacher because I want to make a difference in the lives of children that otherwise would
not have the chance. I want to help them reach their full potential when others have given
up on them, and especially when they have given up on themselves.

One of the main reason I want to work in Special Ed is because for so many of the students
that need it, many teachers or adults do not want to work with them because they don’t
want the problem. Some will give up on them when they need the support the most. Why
though? They are people just like any other students. We want to work with these kids
because they have so much more to offer the word than just a possible disability that they
might have. So many of them have amazing talents and skills or are even brilliant, but you
just have to figure out how to get through to them in the best way possible and not let them
down. I can tell you that if you ask anyone that is an education student in college or an
actual teacher, they will tell you that they wanted to become a teacher because they had
one in their lives that inspired them to be the difference in someone else. I sure did.

2. SHARE SOME OF YOUR EXPERIENCE WHEN FACING DURING

TEACH THEM?

What are the Challenges of Being a

Special Education Teacher?
Special education teachers have a higher rate of burnout than is found in
most other professions. The burnout rate is the result of a number of issues that
often culminate in these teachers leaving their jobs. It is estimated that 75
percent of those who teach special needs students will leave their job within
10 years of starting. The result of this turnover rate is a shortage of special
education teachers and a lack of quality programs for the students they
serve. While a special education teacher may start their career with the
intention of helping disabled students become productive members of
society, they face several challenges that make the task extremely difficult.
The challenges of the special education teacher include:

1. The Widespread Misperception That Teaching is

Easy
Teaching is a uniquely difficult job, one that comes with a set of huge
responsibilities; however, many people fail to recognize the teacher’s role.
The various disabilities of the students with whom special education teachers
work multiplies the job’s difficulty. Special education teachers are largely
unrecognized and unsupported by the public.

2. Non-Instructional Responsibilities
Many teachers are trained and willing to teach but find themselves
burdened with responsibilities that remove them from the classroom. Special
education teachers often find themselves being required to go to meetings,
conducting assessments and dealing with loads of paperwork.

4. Dealing With Multiple Disabilities

A special education teacher’s classes may have students with various
disabilities. Since each student is a unique case, the teacher must modify
their lessons to suit each disabled learner by providing individualized
education programs.

5. Handling Death
Among students in a special education classroom, there are often some with
severe chronic illnesses that may result in death. Handling this is a challenge
to which special education teachers will have to adapt.

6. Handling the Problems of an Inclusive Classroom

The concept of having classrooms that contain both special needs students
and students who are developing typically is becoming a popular one. This
type of education poses new challenges for a special education teacher. For
example, many students who have no disabilities are unaccustomed to
dealing with those who do. Teachers in these classes are charged with
eliminating cruelty and insensitivity from among their students and ensuring
that those with special needs are treated with respect.

7. Professional Isolation
The nature of a special education teacher’s work is very different from that of
traditional teachers; the result of this is that standard classroom teachers may
not view them as colleagues. There may be a professional stigma attached
to the work of teaching “slow” students. Special education teachers often
work with smaller groups and may focus on skills rather than content, thereby
leading to the perception that their work is easier or less important.

8. Lack of Support From Parents

Some parents of special needs children are disinterested in the welfare of
their children and fail to provide them with adequate care. Alternatively,
they may be overly protective. Both can be problematic for the child and for
their teacher. Disinterested parents may have no involvement with their
child’s education or interaction with their teachers, whereas overprotective
parents may have unrealistic expectations from the child and the child’s
teachers. Both attitudes can shape children in negative ways. Parental
disinterest may make special needs students less motivated and parents who
are overprotective often diminish their child’s confidence and make it harder
for them to learn.

9. The Difficulty of Discipline in a Special Needs

Classroom
Disabled children may have behavioral issues including restlessness and
moodiness. They may also exhibit problems like a short attention span or an
inability to understand what is being taught. Special education teachers
have to learn how to deal with these problems as well as how to take
appropriate disciplinary measures.
Special Education

The Top 10 Challenges of Special

Education Teachers
The attrition, or “burn-out,” rate for special education teachers is extremely
high compared to most other professions. 50% of special education teachers
leave their jobs within 5 years. Half of those who make it past 5 years will
leave within 10 years. This equates to a 75% turnover rate every 10 years
(Dage, 2006).

The Reasons

Special education is a very challenging field. Here are the top 10 stressors of
being a special education teacher (not listed in any particular order).

Have any other challenges to share? Tell us about them in the comments.

1. Lack of appreciation

I recently heard of a study that researched why there is such a high turnover
rate for special education, with the researchers believing their findings would
indicate the paperwork aspect of special education. However, they were
surprised to learn it was a more emotional component. Special education
teachers, in most instances, do not get as much appreciation as their general
education colleagues.

In a time where ALL teachers are working to validate their jobs – special
educators are on overdrive. So – if you know a special education teacher, be
sure to let them know you love them!

2. Parent support

Knowing I am writing on a blog whose readers are mostly parents, I was

hesitant to include this but knowing it is one of the hardest parts of my job, felt
I had to.

I’ve written before on the importance of bridging the gap between home
and school. I know the vital importance of establishing a positive relationship
with parents – I quickly feel defeated when that doesn’t immediately
happen. I am often so discouraged when parents do not return my phone
calls, respond to emails, or even read the notes I send home.

I hate sitting in an IEP Meeting and listening to a parent tell me as long as their
4th grade daughter is pretty and skinny, she’ll be okay in this world (Yes, true
story!). My heart breaks when a child who was once so motivated to do well
no longer cares because their parents do not value education and have
expressed as much to their child.

3. Public support

“You have the easiest job in the world!”

“I wish I had summers off!”

“What do you have to complain about?”

Bashing teachers and their jobs has become the new form of media
entertainment. It has rained especially hard on special education teachers.
Teaching is hard, teaching is important, and teaching is deserving of an
actual salary with benefits. Special education is necessary, special education
is an actual form of teaching, and special education is special. Please show
your support for ALL teachers!

4. Paperwork

Sometimes, I feel I have no time to teach because I am dealing with

paperwork and meetings. For any parent who has seen an IEP, they are easily
10-20 pages. I once received an IEP from Texas that was 56 pages long! That
takes time and a tremendous amount of consideration.

Additionally we have our lesson planning, report cards, progress reports,

signing of REEDs and addendum’s, medicaid billing forms, and so much
more. As a special education teacher – you have to just embrace the
paperwork.

5. Scheduling

I have to coordinate my schedule with 15 different teachers and their

schedules, and that’s not including coordinating with the physical education
teacher, art teacher, and the music teacher.

I must account for recess and lunch when creating my resource schedule
and I have to be considerate of our speech pathologists, occupational
therapists, and physical therapists schedules.

It can take me 2 full weeks at the beginning of the school year to get a
schedule in place for myself and my students. And then that schedule is
frequently interrupted by students being added to my caseload or dismissed
from my caseload.

After the schedule is finally set comes classroom parties, assemblies, a switch
in computer lab times. Any minor change in a general education teacher’s
schedule is enough to change my entire day and often my entire week.
6. Training and supervising paraprofessionals

Working with two other adults who are there to help me can be extremely
beneficial. I am so thankful for my aides and couldn’t do my job without
them.

The challenge is that it also adds a considerable amount of work for me as

well. On top of my schedule and my student’s schedule, I also create a daily
schedule for my “paras”. Usually this setup also requires that I first teach my
aides so my students can be taught.

It gets even more challenging if the aides have a different opinion than I do
or challenge a certain aspect of the job. As someone who is much younger
than both of my aides, it is hard to feel “in charge.” In the end, I must value
their advice and opinions so we can all work as a team but also realize that
the pressure is on me to make sure things get done correctly because I am
the one responsible, not my paraprofessionals.

7. Collaborating with general education teachers

As a special education resource teacher, I have to know the general

education curriculum so I can support my students and their needs. I teach
students in five different grade levels and therefore, am responsible for
knowing 5 different curriculums.

I have to collaborate with the teachers of all my students to make sure I am

supporting what is being taught in the classroom and supplementing my own
resources. Finding the time to talk to each teacher is extremely important
and extremely challenging. Being organized enough to do so is also a very
difficult task.

8. Data collection

Data collection is huge in special education. I need to be able to validate

everything I do and make sure it coincides with everything in the student’s
IEP.

If I say a child is still struggling in a certain area, I need proof to back up my

claim. I need the general education teachers on board with me as well
because I have to ask them to collect data for the times I am not in the
classroom with the student. I have to keep track of and monitor all this data,
understand its implications for that child’s educations, and adjust instruction
accordingly.

9. Evidence of student growth

Student growth is now a part of all teachers’ evaluations in order to hold

teachers more accountable. It is a double-edged sword. Without question, it
is critical that teachers are effective in the classroom and students are
learning from the instruction provided. On the other side, we know not all
assessments are valid indicators of student growth.
For students with special needs, I have learned to celebrate the smallest of
accomplishments. Their growth is not going to be as fast or as noticeable as
their general education peers. However, it is progress! Sometimes, it is very
hard for people to recognize the successes of a student when they are
constantly comparing them to the best and brightest of the class. This is only
doing a disservice to the student, not the special education teacher.

10. Variability of student’s needs

In all classes, you will see students who are at different ability levels, learn in
different ways, and understand concepts at different times. Differentiated
instruction and individualized teaching practices are challenging for all
teachers. It gets even more difficult in a special education, multi-aged
classroom.

Final Thoughts

These challenges are all equally difficult and when combined, as they often
are on a daily basis, almost impossible to juggle.

On most days, I feel like I’m part of the juggling act in a circus. But – despite
the hardships I’ve faced in my two years of teaching – I’m determined to
beat the odds and not be a statistic.

Special education is my calling and I will retire an old woman loving my job
as much as I do now.

5 Tips for Handling EBD Kids (Emotional

Behavior Disorder) in an Inclusive
Classroom
By The Room 241 Team • January 26, 2013

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This post has been updated as of December 2017.

Students who suffer from Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, or EBD, often
find it very difficult to control their behavior and focus on their work in the
classroom. EBD students also commonly lack the impulse control and the
emotional balance that is necessary to handle social interactions with other
students effectively.

This can be challenging for you as their teacher, especially in an inclusive

classroom where only a portion of the students have EBD—but there are ways
to help all students in your classroom feel welcomed and ready to learn.

EBD students’ behavior can be moderated by implementing a classroom

management plan that is specially tailored to meet the specific needs of
these students.

Here are five effective strategies you can use to help EBD kids work well in an
inclusive classroom.

1. Keep class rules/activities simple and clear

Your EBD students (as well as some of your more focused students) will most
likely struggle if you impose a long list of complicated rules and demands. Try
to keep your classroom guidelines broad and simple—no more than 3 to 5
main rules. Let students know about them on the first day of class, and post
them in the classroom as well. An example list might be:

 Be on time
 Try your best
 Be polite
 Respect one another

Along with simple and clear rules, there should be simple and clear teaching
activities. Using activities that don’t have complicated directions allow
students with EBD to follow along and interact with the rest of the class. Some
activity examples are:

 Responsive cards
 Clickers
 Choral responding (Unison responding)
 Guided notes

By including clear activities in your classroom, your students will engage and
interact with the lesson plan, ensuring that they learn alongside other
students.
2. Reward positive behaviors
While you will, at times, have to discipline children for improper behavior,
remember that rewarding positive behavior is ultimately far more effective in
the long run. Many students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorder tend to
take any discipline as a personal attack, and because of this, they often
learn very little from it.

Try to celebrate the successes of these students more than you reprimand or
punish their mistakes. When they receive positive feedback and rewards,
they start to see that there is a positive benefit to good behavior. They will
then start to see you as more of an ally than an adversary, and this will in turn
motivate them to want to behave and do well in your classroom.

3. Allow for mini-breaks

A lot of EBD kids lack the emotional balance and maturity needed to remain
focused and on-task for long periods. Instead of reprimanding these students
for their lapses, build in short rest periods or mini-breaks into the school day.

Take time to periodically stop teaching and allow students to catch up if

need be. Give them time to finish their assignment, and allow those who
have finished to stretch, get out of their seats, and move around a bit. This will
allow them to burn off any excess energy that might have built up from sitting
still for a long period of time. (And it’s good time for you to stretch, too!)

4. Fair treatment for all

Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders also often don’t respond
very well to situations that appear unfair to them. This can trigger a cascade
of negative emotions and acting-out behavior.

To ensure that you are treating all of your students in a consistently fair
manner, don’t bend your established rules for any student. Enforce the
expected consequences every time, with every student. Allowing exceptions
opens you up to accusations of being unfair.

5. Use motivational strategies

Unfortunately, Emotional and Behavioral Disorder students tend to have had
a lot of negative experiences in school. Therefore they often lack the desire
or motivation to try to succeed.

To avoid disruptive or off-task behaviors, take some extra steps to motivate

these students. Offer them incentives for academic successes, large and
small. Celebrate their hard work, and praise their good efforts consistently.
This can go a long way in giving these students the motivation to excel in your
class.
While having EBD kids in your classroom can at first seem daunting, these are
proven ways to help cultivate and keep a harmonious spirit of learning. More
good news: many of these strategies for success can help your non-EBD
students as well.

Dig deeper into inclusive education

If you’re interested in studying inclusive education further, check out our
online MEd in Curriculum & Instruction: The Inclusive Classroom. You’ll learn
how to work effectively with students with disabilities mainstreamed in
general education classes, and you can earn your MEd in just one year.