I'm a first year resource room teacher for grades 1-5. While overall I'm having a good experience at a charter school in Harlem, NYC I feel that I'm supposed to be the special education expert of the school, but as a first year teacher I feel that I don't know too much. At our meetings where we discuss kids with special needs I feel that I should have all the right strategies and know exactly what makes the kids tick, but I definitely don't! The teachers with experience, but without special ed. backgrounds seem to have a lot more helpful advice, so I feel like I'm not doing my job or contributing enough. Does anyone else feel this way? Also being a resource room teacher I feel like I should know about all topics the kids are doing (ranging from 5yrs old to 11yr) and teach it better because I'm supposed to modify and make it fun. But how am I supposed to do all that with the little time I have? Please if anyone has any advice or feels similar, I would love to hear from you. Feeling a little overwhelmed
i totally understand! I am a first year teacher as well, though I am a resource specialist in a high school. I feel so lost, and am having to continuosly ask questions. I am not even sure how to write an IEP, as i have worked on parts of it and worked on writing goals during my credential program, but I didn't really learn how to write an IEP, and how to put all the steps together!!. I have my first triennial next week, currently someone is working on it, and I am observing and assisting!! I am co-teaching in science classes, and my qualification is in social sciences so I feel that I don't have anything to offer, and I basically walk around and help students while my co-teacher teaches content. My classes, especially one, have a lot of 2nd language students, and I really don't know any strategies to help them. I feel so lost!!!! Everyone says it will get better, but I want to know when, it seems like I have a lot to learn and go through before it will get better.
Hey, don't get discouraged. Being a sped teacher is always overwhelming. The paperwork alone will do you in. Sometimes I feel like a secretary first and teacher second. That is when I push the paperwork aside and refocus on the students. So just hang in there. Get some sample due process and IEP guides to help you. Your sped supervisor should be able to get you samples. They help alot.
Ask your administrator if there are any training sessions you can attend (for example, writing IEPs). My school board offers both after-school and in-service workshops--I am attending one next week which combines information on writing IEPs and training on the web-based IEP planner we use (and for the training, we et to work on our IEPs). Find out if there is a Special Ed teachers' networking group in your area--others can be a great resource. I'm new to Special Ed this year and am fortunate to work with an amazing colleague; she does seem to know it all! I am, however, also feeling a bit overwhelmed at times. I know that every day that I learn something new it will get a little better.
Also ask about a mentoring program and get hooked up with a sped teacher who has been part of the program for a while--and who you can ask ALL KINDS of questions to help boost your confidence. I know what you are feeling--I went through it too--and I think it is normal You get the degree that makes you the one who is supposed to know everything and all of a sudden people are trusting you with these kids and it can be very overwhelming.......you will get there--believe me!
