TL;DR:

• Everyone is special for following their dreams, pursuing their passions, and showing up daily to ensure that we are bettering the lives we serve.
• Consider the weight of complimenting a special education teacher by stating that they are special people for doing what they do.

I think we can all agree that the people who walk the halls each day in our local hospitals literally reviving, saving, and birthing humans are special people. I think we can find ourselves on the same page stating that those who carry people out of fires, save property from being engulfed in flames, and work countless hours away from family just in case of an emergency are some incredibly special people.

In the perspective of all educational staff, I know we can all bow down to the janitorial staff that keep our schools sanitary, safe, and functioning regularly, and regard them as so, so special.

We’re all special people for following our dreams, pursuing our passions, and showing up daily to ensure that we are somehow bettering the lives of those that we serve.

We have the opportunity to alter the course of lives, and to guide students on a path that gives them hope and confidence. We have the beautiful opportunity to show compassion and care for children who may not always receive it. Click To Tweet

The weight of the word is heavy.

As a special education teacher, there are many things that I have had to learn to simply approach from a place of understanding—things I have had to learn to take with a grain of salt as I communicate with others who do not study special education or surround themselves with people with disabilities.

For example, the “R” word. Thankfully, this is a growing effort. However at one point, the individuals who were fighting this battle were the ones who were personally aware of the harm that this word causes.

With that being said, we had to come to terms with the fact that some people are just naive to the situation and that is okay. Part of growth is educating, and part of educating is understanding. This example leads to what I am referring to when I am told I am a special person for teaching special education.

Why are we special?

I want to be able to share my career aspirations with people and not always have to think of the appropriate response when I hear, “Oh! You’re such a special person, that is amazing!”

Honestly, it is a bit difficult to think of a response when there is a series of questions running through your head each time.

“Why am I such a special person?”

“Was I born with superpowers that make me able to do incredible things, and you can’t?”

“What makes my job so different than yours?”

I find discomfort in responding with, “Thank you!” I will not confirm the potential implications of the word special with, “Oh, yes, it is a difficult job.”

However, I will respond with, “I think it is special that I have found something that I love to do.”

Teaching in general is so rewarding.

We have the opportunity to alter the course of lives, and to guide students on a path that gives them hope and confidence. We have the beautiful opportunity to show compassion and care for children who may not always receive it.

I am working to help people. I’m a person helping another person.

I pursued a career in special education because I thoroughly enjoy working with people; people with disabilities are just that. Plain and simple.

So while I really appreciate your enthusiasm towards this field, I would also really appreciate that you take a second to consider that perhaps it doesn’t take a special person to work with individuals with disabilities. Children and students challenge us to be special people.

People are special.

Again, I love what I do. I love creating engaging lessons and building rapport with my students. I love grading papers. And I love love love brainstorming different ways to adapt a general education curriculum to meet the diverse needs of my students.

How amazing is it that my classroom will always be so unique that I must remain a student and enter a life-long learning experience?

All of the hard work and endless attempts to see a student finally grasp a concept simply because they needed a communication device is just the most rewarding feeling. I am not a special person because God created me to work in this field. I am blessed to work in a field where I am able to have countless special moments because people. are. special.

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My mission to educate.

So finally, thank you for your support. Thank you for witnessing my love and excitement for what I do. And thank you for understanding how important my mission to educate is.

Please do not feel sorry for the potentially heavy weight that your compliment unintentionally carried.

We marvel at what we don’t know. We are curious. Scared. Uncomfortable. And we overcompensate with pretty words and an authentic desire to express our interest when we don’t have experience with something presented to us.

However, we express that interest by engaging with response, rather than engaging with questions.

I encourage you, next time you talk to a special education teacher about their job, ask them what they find so special about their career. Ask them about their special students. Ask them about the countless special gains and moments their students make.

Then, simply allow us to tell you how special you are and how much we need you in our world as well.

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About Maggie McCabe

Maggie McCabe is currently a special education cross-categorical teacher at Highland Park High School. She began her teaching career at HPHS in the Fall of 2020 & started her career at MacArthur High School as a special education alternative teacher (behavioral/social emotional) in Decatur, IL where she ran that program for 4 years before relocating back to the Chicagoland area.

In her free time, she is heavily involved in organizations fighting for social justice. She loves spending her time searching for unique coffee shops and enjoys podcasts and documentaries. Her favorite part of teaching is showing even some of the most closed-off children, who don’t feel that they belong in the public education system, that they indeed do. She is motivated by the goal of finding strategies, developing interest-based curriculum, and building relationships in order to ensure that their perception of their role in education changes entirely. Every year, she feels she has met her goal when each student feels that school is a place they are safe, cared for, and can thrive in.

You can learn more about Maggie on her website!