Someone asked me recently what I do for a living. And I responded I'm a special education teacher. And for the umpteenth time that person responded with a "thank you for what you do" comment. These comments really irritate me. I've always felt it comes from an ableist standpoint. This idea that children in special education education are severely flawed and if it wasn't for special "Angel's" or "Heroes" going in to work with them they would just be left in an asylum somewhere. Ugh. I've even had people take the comment almost that far. It really makes me angry. Am I alone feeling this way?
I get that comment, too. I am not a special education teacher. I wouldn’t think anything of it besides it being a difficult job. Of course, I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they mean well, even when things don’t come out quite like they might should have.
I have gotten a lot of the same and I do not teach special education. I have been visiting family this week and my parents as well as most of their friends are wealthy. I teach in a low-income school (in a very safe area) but I have people who tell me how hard it must be to teach there, how the kids need me, etc. It honestly feels insulting to my students but I do understand the intent. I had another friend call the area that I teach in "trash". I would prefer the first comments to this! However, the comments that I dislike the most are about how easy it must be with the hours and the vacation time!
You may not be alone in feeling that way, but I do wish you would re-examine your feelings. I get the same comments and I teach in a pretty privileged school and area. Within my school we have children of various abilities. And I personally, as an "ableist" who teaches primarily "able" children, do appreciate that my sped colleagues have the patience and skill to teach the students they do. I would not take those positions. I don't consider those teachers saints, but I do believe that they are minorities in the population. And if we did not have people like them, teachers who are willing to change the diapers of 185-lb teenagers, be spit on and punched with no recourse, to repeatedly have personal items stolen, to constantly wipe off drool, to teach the same lesson to a particular student every day for six months and never get the light bulb moments, yeah, I think those children would have very different lives. I am THRILLED that you do not think your job is harder than that of the average person. That indicates to me that you have found a perfect fit for a career. For the rest of us, special education, depending upon the classroom, is significantly harder and more frustrating that a general ed classroom. Don't assume others are insulting your students. Accept that they recognize your struggles and their inability to do your job. They are being appreciative. Why reject appreciation?
I think it’s acknowledgement that the job is hard and not every teacher can do the job well. I don’t think it’s a passive aggressive dig at the students you teach. Acknowledgement and appreciation of teachers and the job we do is few and far between so take it for the compliment it is.
Considering many people with disabilities on the more severe end were put in asylums or homes, and are still put in homes because they are beyond the care of families, it isn't so far from the truth. If the laws didn't change most special education students would probably drop out by middle school. Moderate to severe students would not be in school at all. So, what are people saying that hasn't been true in the past?
I think I interpret the comments in a harsh light due to follow ups comments I have gotten to the "thank you" in the past. I will have to give people the benefit of the doubt, it's just a viceral reaction in me......probably because I have run across some.real jerks.
I get those comments too and totally get the sentiment behind it. But it seems like I get caught off guard alot and have no idea what to say. Then there's this awkward silence before my brain catches up and I actually reply.
It's usually a compliment but you can tell many people mean it as, "Thank God I don't have do it"!!!!!!!!!!!!
I find that as a sped teacher, I tend to get more respect from "outsiders" and less respect from other teachers. I'm not sure what kind of population you teach, but I teach mild/moderate and IME most people outside of education think "special education" is only for students with really severe disabilities. So in my case, people are automatically assuming I'm dealing with more difficult students than I am. I used to live in a ski resort town and took a class my first year there. When the instructor found out what I did, she could not stop harassing me about weekend employment opportunities working with people who need adaptive lessons. I couldn't get her to understand that I have NO experience with anything like that; she just kept saying, "But you teach special education!" I won't list them all out, but I've had lots of experiences like that. I noticed that when I taught gen ed 3rd grade, I was far more likely to get comments from outsiders like, "Oh how cute/fun! You must love it!" I certainly find that far more offensive than a sincere comment thanking me for what I do.
