1st Listen. To yourself, that is.*What grade level or age group drew you towards working in special ed?
*From the interview, which administrator & school team did you connect with?
2nd Investigate. Ask your potential school sites a few more questions on a site visit. Did the interview team give you a tour of the school? If not, request one. Find out:
*The number of students on your caseload.
*What are the disability codes of the student you would be serving. To over-generalize....developing a plan for a a student with autism, emotional disabilities, or low-incidence disabilities often take more time, teaming & special skills.
*The referral process for special education. Are they "dropped" in and first sign on school struggle, or does the school have strong pre-referral team & strategies?
*What new-teacher mentor programs are in place?
*How many assistants or para-professionals would you be working with? Would you be their supervisor?
*Talk to another special or general education teacher in the building to get a feel for the attitude towards special education, students in general and the administration.
This is a tough decision, but congratulations on having options. Special ed teachers are in high demand and the good special education teachers are in even higher demand! Special ed teacher have an average burn out on 5 years. Do yourself a favor, gather information and choose a good match in a job site for your strengths. I've found out that for myself an extra 20 minute commute to work is worth the time & gas money, because I love my school philosophy, teachers, assistants, administrator, job duties & students. (Why else would I be blogging about school in the summer!) :) Good Luck. There are no wrong decisions.
