Special education teachers are at a rarity right now for the community at Shelby County, Alabama. The lack of teachers willing and qualified to teach special education has been a major problem in the area for quite some time now.
Maria Aldrich, a coordinator for special education in Shelby County School lamented:
Special education can be very demanding. There is a lot of paperwork that we have to complete, and the stress level of working with children with disabilities can be a factor sometimes.
A special education teacher from Linda Nolen Learning Center, Creig Holley, had to manage students with various disabilities in his class. These students are capable of learning, they just need that special mentor to handle them and believe in them, says the teacher from Pelham.
Many believe that the shortage of teacher for special education is caused by a lack of training for teachers that handle these special cases. On the age of development, several behavioral and emotional disabilities have been evident in the newer generation of special education students.
Passion and proper knowledge are necessary ingredients of special education
The lack of proper training and dedication on their line of work might have also contributed to the decline in teachers able to last in teaching special education.
Students need guidance, they need a mentor, someone who believes in them, someone who can see the success on the things that they do, and someone who won’t give up on them.
Teaching special education is a combination of passion and proper knowledge. A lot of teachers are afraid to handle students with disabilities because they feel they are not qualified enough to teach them.
Patience will also be tested a lot on this field of teaching, for every student’s success differs from another, and you cannot expect everyone to gain understanding as fast as the other. A teacher just has to be there to make them feel success on every accomplishment they achieve.
Special Education teachers come to Alabama
In the field of special teaching, probably the next best thing aside from special education training is the compassion towards children with disabilities. Sandy Jolivette, head of the human resource in Jefferson County, shared her thoughts on finding the right teachers fit for the job. A common observation:
Special education is a thing of compassion. Who would relate to exceptionalities are those who came from careers with a background in dealing with all sorts of disabilities, people from the healthcare industry that wants a second career.
There a lot of vacant positions for special education teachers in Alabama and the rate of applicants are fewer than expected. Some don’t even last that much due to work burn out and stress. This is not a simple job to consider, it is a job of passion, a job worth respecting a hundred folds.
Everywhere, there’s a huge demand for special education professionals. If you have the necessary ingredients to stick to this career, we encourage you to please give your heart to it.
