SPED Requests

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Home : 2002 : October : 31

SPED Requests
By Andrea

For some reason I find that if I do accept a Special Ed subbing position, I often end up being repeatedly requested by the teacher to come back! I got a baptism by fire in the self-contained area early on in my subbing career
at the HS level purely by accident (I was the 3rd sub called in 3 days, the only one masochistic enough to come back lol, the only one they couldn't make cry lol), & ended up putting in 6 weeks in the situation, with no aide at all. No, I am not certified in that area! But this teacher continued to request me all the time & when she became ill, I did another 7 weeks in there before

somebody noticed I actually wasn't "qualified" under state law to be in there, which came up when it became clear she would not be returning & I was asked if I wanted to finish out the year there (4 more months).

I find that if you are firm but friendly, cultivate extraordinary amounts of patience, remember to keep things simple & direct, & follow procedure as closely as you can so as not to disrupt their routine, it really isn't a problem to sub in a self-contained classroom. Currently I get requested from another teacher in the same HS, plus a multi-age blended 3-5 group as well. Even though I am not certified & was never "trained" in it, I find that special ed students generally respond well to me & it's not that difficult a day to undertake. It's somewhat challenging, but it beats a roomful of disrespectful middle school kids any day of the week!

The only time I have ever refused a special ed assignment was for a classroom of severely physically & mentally handicapped children. I really felt bad doing it as I knew it was difficult for this teacher to get subs even with 2 aides, but I had had her class a few times as the Art, Music, & Library teachers & I knew that getting through just one period was very difficult & I just would not be able to do an entire day there. I was at such a loss as how to proceed even with the aides' help.

Joan, what grade level is your self-contained room? As far as how to make it a more attractive assignment for subs, just make sure that neighboring teachers are aware you are out in case assistance is needed, prepare a generic laundry list of routines, procedures, pull-outs, behavior problems, & any special needs that can go into your sub folder, & leave lesson plans that are somewhat more detailed & address the best way to present them to your students.

Good luck!