The Importance Of Special Education

In line with the Individuals with Disabilities Act, Special Education is an umbrella term that encompasses the Subgroup of education and teaching of students who require additional support and services in and outside of the classroom due to diagnosed disabilities. Congress enacted the IDEA to protect all students with disabilities in 1975 ensuring them free appropriate public education, also known as FAPE. It is because of this law that special education is present in all public schools (or districts) and created the need for teachers specifically trained in these areas of expertise.

In order to become a special education teacher or specialist one must acquire either a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education, a post-baccalaureate program certificate,

I think the question of if people are happy or satisfied in this line of work directly correlates to whether it is a “career with heart” for the individual. There are also many parts to the equation that could positively or negatively impact ones experience that don’t necessarily have anything to do with being a special ed. Teacher, but rather the bureaucracy that comes from the school setting, whether it be public or private. According to Mastrantuono, special education teachers show high levels of turnover but found that if they find their job to be meaningful or fulfilling then they are unlikely to look for another

I’m not really sure where I’ll be in five, ten, or fifteen years but I think this career path could past the “test” described by Shepard for having a “career with heart” in the sense that I will have passion for impacting the individuals learning, helping their education paths, advocating for them, and assisting their daily efforts in learning. I don’t necessarily think a job in this field would pass Shepard’s “test” everyday, and that there would be some tough days, but overall it would be a positive experience for, hopefully, more than just me. As Kopelman mentions, positive emotions go far beyond job satisfaction, as satisfaction relates more to the head than the heart, and although having a career with heart isn’t a requirement for every job you have in your life, I hope to find a career where I can feel something similar to “having a career with heart” where I am more fulfilled than satisfied. Fulfillment for me would come from making a difference or bettering someone’s life as opposed to being satisfied with having a decent commute or good pay. At the end of the day I want a full fridge, and the freedom to not live paycheck to paycheck with the certainty that comes from a good, stable, job I could be “satisfied” with, but if I am sad or unfulfilled I think I would definitely question my time, which is no way to