Is it challenging to teach students with ED? Is it challenging to teach students with ED? I really want a provisional license and the high need areas are ED/BD---- is it difficult? Or am I being scared for no reason....
Teaching can be challenging. Teaching students with special needs even more so. Emotionally disturbed students can be challenging to even a seasoned veteran teacher. You shouldn't be getting licensed in an area for which you have fear. You've asked questions on several threads in which you seem to be concerned about what's easy...what praxis is easiest, what grade level is easiest... Im wondering...where did you get the idea that this profession should be easy and lacking in challenges?
See if you can spend time observing in a school with a classroom for students who are labeled E/BD or maybe a school with many E/BD students. Many of these students were my favorites and I still have fond memories of the classes that I taught. It is a challenging job that will make you cry, want to pull your hair out, and hide, but it will also make you laugh, want to hug each student, and maybe even adopt a few.
There really is no one type of student, just students that fall under the same umbrella to receive services they need to hit their full potential. With that said, if you want honesty: EBD teachers will probably have the most physical altercations of any teacher. That is something you have to deal with. An EBD teacher that was in my summer course explained how the students were amazing, and he loved working with them, but, at the same time he had been kicked, punched, and bit by some of those kids. I've said this a lot, but it REALLY takes a lot to be and stay a SPED teacher, any branch of it. The turnover rate for SPED is MUCH higher than any other subject, and I'm not sure - but from my looking at job postings - I would venture to guess that of all of SPED EBD has the highest turnover. Don't go into it because you think it's easy to get into...that's the wrong reason, completely, if the poster above is correct.
I've always enjoyed working with EBD kids. They do have challenging behaviors, but the trick is, I've found, to respond to the message behind the behavior, not the behavior itself. So if some kid curses you out, you might not freak out immediately, but rather say "You seem upset today. I would love to help if I could, but I need you to speak appropriately first." Once I got my head around the fact that acting out was not ME, rather some issues that were out of my control, we all got along a lot better.
I love what you wrote. I also believe that some people cannot get to that point, and if you take everything that's being done/said to you personally, you won't last long.
I teach K-2 ED and love it. That being said, I would not want to go any higher grade level wise--but, I wouldn't want to teach general ed. any higher either. My students have torn my room apart. My aides have been assaulted. I have been called some really creative names, death threats, etc. But....I like these kids. Once you win their trust, it is such an awesome job. As ciounoi said, you are not the reason they act out. You'll learn when to be stern and when to look at the meltdown kid and say "What's wrong today, hon?" even though they just tore apart your room, and dropped the F-bomb in front of 26 other First graders. And oh, goodness, you have to let things slide off you, as the others said. The kid who calls you a B--- today, will want to hug you tomorrow. You mustn't hold a grudge.
I think it takes a certain person to teach EBD and you need to have remarkable patience. I had a few EBD kids last year and I'll admit that I think I was a pretty crappy EBD teacher. I felt like I was more of a counselor than a teacher. If you are not sure if it's for you or not I would try doing some observations in that sort of setting. If you are looking to do it just as a foot in the door though, be sure you are really going to enjoy it. I was very drained last year and am much happier now working in inclusion, but that's just me! I bet some EBD teachers would rather do what they are doing than what I'm doing. It's wherever you feel comfortable.
One of my favorite classrooms to sub in was a high school ED class room. The kids were sensitive and interesting and didn't have any meltdowns during the times I spent with them. But, I know other teachers who've have ED students that bring them to tears of frustration. I've know of one who had to used their restraint training weekly in their ED class. I think you need to be ready for anything (physically and emotionally) as an ED teacher.
