Special Education

I was talking with someone today in casual conversation, telling them how excited I was to have this new job at the school, and how I couldn't wait to just go to dinner with my boyfriend after finals. She suggested a movie too. I proceeded to tell her how a movie was out of the question, I don't like to sit that long. I told her how I took Yoga last semester to fill a credit and it was torture (Yoga really is nice, but it's too slow for me). Another person turned to me and said, jokingly, "How are you going to teach Special Education if you don't have any patience?" Stopped me in my tracks. "I have patience" was the only reply to come out of my mouth. As I left, I had to think about that question. What makes you think you can teach children with special needs? As quickly as the question entered my mind I had an answer. I can teach children with special needs because I have endurance. Because I value perseverance. Because I have a creepy sense of what is lacking in a child, and also what is extraordinary. Because I'm not here to just have "patience" with them, but rather help them to explore their options, and conquer their strengths. My job will not be to merely sit there and try not to become aggravated. Each individual child is like a puzzle. If I put this here, will this other piece fit? NOPE! I'll have to move this one that way so this one will fit. Good! Now I have the corner piece! If I can get 4 corners, I can build up the middle! What is going to help them learn? The biggest misconception about Special Education is that these students are "retarded". Children with special needs are everywhere. A child that has been molested is withdrawn and doesn't trust adults, a child living in poverty with so little resources, they don't even have a back pack to bring to school. A child dealing with the loss of a parent may be aggressive. A genius child in math possibly cannot grasp the basics in phonics, a child that recently lost an arm in an accident has to learn to write with the other hand. I will use my multi-tasking, organizational, everyone gets the benefit of the doubt, you haven't seen everything, go hard or go home, sensitive, and...yes... patient nature to be an EXCELLENT Special Education teacher :-)