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Individual Interviewed: Melissa Carrell
Occupation: Special Education educator at Augusta, Kansas Garfield Elementary School
Years Teaching: 1st grade for 6 years, homeschool for 5 years, SPED for 6 years going

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Q: What advice can you give me for teaching children with special needs in a regular education classroom?

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Q: What advice can you give me for teaching children with special needs in a regular education classroom?

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A: Work as a team with your SPED teacher and make sure to be on the same page with them at all times. Make sure to always remain open and willing to go to the SPED educators for help and assistance. Have patience and structure and educate your peers on how to help and what to expect.

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Q: If you could choose another career field, would you?  Please explain your answer in detail.

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Q: If you could choose another career field, would you?  Please explain your answer in detail.

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A: Teaching has always been my choice. If I had to choose another career field, I would probably be a behavior analyst in the school. Hopefully, I would be able to help these students and their families in school and at home.

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Q: What changes, if any, would you make to the educational system with regards to special needs children?  

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Q: What changes, if any, would you make to the educational system with regards to special needs children?  

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A: I would say that we should work harder to educate all types of educators on these types of students, and I strongly push us to provide more funding for those that help with the Special Education classes (paras).

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Q: Are there any comments you would wish to add?

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Q: Are there any comments you would wish to add?

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A: Being a Special Education educator is more than just teaching. I am the head of the department, so I work as a supervisor, hiring, evaluations, time cards, approving employee work, conversations, etc. It is a lot more than just teaching the kids the curriculum.

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Q: What made you choose the teaching profession and in particular special needs children?

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Q: What made you choose the teaching profession and in particular special needs children?

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A: Teaching has always been it for me. When I was coming back from teaching homeschool, the only teaching position here was Special Education, so it seemed like a sign. I got educated and turned out to love it.

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Q: How have your ideas toward teaching changed with each passing year of experience?  Can you recall your ideas about teaching when you were a teacher education students like me?  What were they?  What are they now?

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Q: How have your ideas toward teaching changed with each passing year of experience?  Can you recall your ideas about teaching when you were a teacher education students like me?  What were they?  What are they now?

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A: Some things that changed were the way we look at behavior. We should focus on behavior first, then work on concepts to learn. When I was a student like yourself, classroom management use to be considered as a way to control and rule before, but now it is all about structure and expectations, but also freedom and choice after installing that good behavior.

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Q: How does teaching children with special needs differ from teaching other children?  What are some challenges you face in teaching special needs students?  What are some rewards from teaching these students?

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Q: How does teaching children with special needs differ from teaching other children?  What are some challenges you face in teaching special needs students?  What are some rewards from teaching these students?

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A: With special education students you need to break a lot of things down more than you have to with other students as well as ways to question them, go back and teach more simple skills for structure, be more straight-forward, and you have to create more detailed behavior and discipline plans. Some challenges with these students are the constant schedule changes and you are at the mercy at others sometimes because you have to work with so many other people. Also, at times the kids aren't ready for certain things, so you have to adapt and modify. Some rewards of being a SPED teacher are being close to these students far beyond one grade year so you see the extended growth with your students. The relationships you build with the children and their parents is amazing through the years.