Tales of a Frustrated Special Education Teacher

I remember when I first ventured into special education after 5 years of teaching language arts/reading. I was apprehensive even then about the amount of paperwork required for the job. Despite my misgivings, I moved ahead because I knew there was a need for highly qualified teachers in the field.

Once involved, I was able to organize my time well enough to the point where I could balance my role in the classroom with my paperwork requirements. Several years later, when my oldest son had his own individualized education plan ( IEP ), I developed an even greater respect for the special ed process.

Fast forward four years later, and I am in a completely different place as far as my mindset. The amount of paperwork has seemingly doubled and 24 hours in a day doesn't seem to be sufficient for me to meet the demands of my job. As much as I value the need for special education,  I am becoming a statistic...one of the hundreds of special education teachers with one foot out the door and the other one slipping...