I can't do it anymore!

I have decided I don't want to be a special education teacher anymore. I can't handle all the enabling that goes on.

The attitudes of students, parents and other SPED teachers that don't let the student become independent. Are we really going to hold the student's hand until they graduate?

NO THANK YOU!

It is so frustrating when you know the student has been coddled the whole time they were in school and rely on their teachers to give them answers and extended time (as in until the end of the year) to get assignments done and turned in.

I'm sorry but that will not fly in the real world. I don't get to hand in my reports late. I have deadlines to meet and if I don't, I could go to court. Um..where's the accountability for these kids? Where's the whole "meeting standards" thing?

Granted it's not EVERY single SPED student but some of the ones that I have had the "pleasure" of working with do show this kind of behavior.

They don't know how to take responsibility for what they have or have not done and we, the SPED teacher, have to excuse their behavior? I don't think so.

There has to be limits on what extended time is given. I can only help you out so much in class without giving you the actual D@&% answer. I guarantee it's because their past (study skills) teachers (and EA's) don't let them think for themselves and just give them the answer that they now think that if they say "I don't know" or "think" for 1o minutes that eventually, the teacher will give them the answer.

Uh, can you tell I'm frustrated? Maybe I wouldn't be so frustrated if I was actually a "certified, this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life", special education teacher and "went to school to get more education on how to help special education kids". Maybe my attitude would be different. I don't know. All I know is that I'm so sick and tired of other teachers telling me how I should basically "coddle" these kids. It makes me so irritated.

ARGH!

I could go on and on but I have to get ready for bed for another fun day of dealing with these "special" students.