Is being a special ed teacher really harder than say a regular public school teacher?

Laurie

The ability to effectively teach special ed teachers is highly dependent on your values and on your personality. Can you deal with students who don't "get it" even after two or three -- or ten -- explanations? Can you deal with students who need physical help to do what they need to do? Can you deal with temper tantrums and angry outbursts without taking it personally or losing YOUR temper? Can you deal with students who make extremely slow progress? Can you deal with a lack of feedback from your students? Can you deal with students who never show that they like or appreciate you? Can you deal with anxious parents who want to tell you you're doing everything wrong? Do you value people who have intellectual and physical disabilities as much as others? Do you believe EVERYONE is entitled to the best education they can absorb? Of course, you may not encounter all these questions from any one child, or even from any one class. But these are the kinds of questions you should be asking yourself.

Simply

but you can get students at 3 or more different levels..they end up getting less attention. instead of spending 45 minutes at grade level, you spend 15 minutes with small groups at each level

Knightingale

Not for those gifted with patience for children with these disabilities. I wasn’t. I don’t have patience for normal kids!

Lib.rare.ian

It can be physically and mentally draining, sure. The students can be more challenging. That's why the class sizes are smaller.

Jonathan

No it's just more special.