Don’t be a Trash-AssTeacher!
Hey y’all!
Valentina here, coming to you as a veteran special educator and special education teacher preparation researcher telling you that I understand your struggle to find a rhythm in a classroom that doesn't belong to you, trying your best to teach students content you have minimal knowledge and expertise in. I know the frustration of seeing your students struggle and the powerlessness of not being able to support them in ways you feel are best to meet their unique learning needs because of the lack of equality and parity, not to mention the bullying that special educators experience at the hand of insecure general education teachers. There are other nuances at play here that often leave you the special educator at a loss and many times the scapegoat for existing problems in teaching and learning. I’ve been there and done that and it is very HARD! While you could have chosen a much easier and less dramatic job, you chose this one and for that I am grateful because I know this is the most difficult job in education but the rewards are so freakin’ worth it!
I don’t know how long you’ve been in education but I can tell you that there is no greater joy as a teacher than watching a student that everyone but you gave up on, walk across the commencement stage and receive their high school diploma. I have experienced this many times. I sit there at graduation proudly watching my students achieve this great milestone while thinking to myself, “yea, I did that shit!”
I have taught many 7th graders how to read and write because their elementary school teachers decided he or she could not learn so they were provided with coloring books, games, and other nonsense to quiet them so they didn’t disturb classroom instruction, true story! Despite what anyone’s opinion, all students CAN learn with the appropriate resources, interventions, and support; I am living proof of this.
According to the US Department of Education only 11% of 8th grade students with disabilities can read proficiently and only 8% are proficient in math. These are staggering statistics that have persisted for the last TWENTY-FIVE years. Why? I’ll tell you why, because of trash-ass teachers who don’t care about students with disabilities! Many go into special education because they know many school leaders don’t understand much about educating diverse learners and just want a warm body in the classroom to comply with school policy and procedures. Special education teachers sit or stand in the back of the classroom, doing SPED paperwork, grading papers for the general education teacher, running errands for the principal, and many other non-instructional bullshit while their students, the most vulnerable ones in the school who require the most attention are denied the Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) guaranteed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). If you are angry at this point, then I’m talking to you. Endeavor to do better or seriously consider a career change.
I advocate strongly for the rights of children with disabilities to be educated in the general education classroom with a highly qualified teacher trained in the effective use of evidence and research based practices, resources, and interventions to support not only access to the general curriculum but for them to also make meaningful progress by holding students with disabilities to the same high standards and expectations their non-disabled peers are held to. As someone who grew up with a learning disability, I understand the stigma and shame connected to academic underachievement and believe that when students are set up for success through effective social emotional learning, inclusive instructional practices, and culturally responsive teaching; behavior and classroom management issues are mitigated. I believe that all students can learn and experience meaningful participation in school and in life when teachers are adequately prepared to meet their unique and individual learning needs. If you are a special educator and you are not doing this or seeking ways to best serve the needs of our students with disabilities, we don’t need you; exit stage left please and thank you!
It is my life’s calling to support teachers of diverse learners, like you because I understand the complex nature of the career you have chosen. I coach co-teaching partners and consult on the effective implementation and integration of inclusive practices on the school and district level. I often speak and present at conferences on improving student achievement through effective inclusive practices and inclusion-friendly campuses. I blog about all things #SpecialEd on various platforms and when I am not crusading for the tribe, this lifelong learner is traveling, reading, writing, or spending time with my family and friends.
I will regularly share information with you that has worked for me on my website www.specialedteacherslay.com and I hope will work for you as you seek to improve teaching and learning in your classroom and school campus so you’re not among the trash-ass teachers of this nation. Stay tuned my friends, and again thank you for coming along on this wild and crazy ride with me.
Until next time,
Valentina White-Rideaux, Ed. S
