Special Education Requires Special Individuals

           As the students file into school, they walk down the brightly lit hallway into the library and to a tiny classroom tucked away in the corner. Inside, the students are met by Mrs. Boettger, an elementary special education teacher at Old Forge Elementary School. Dressed in khaki pants, a colorful top, athletic shoes, and a smile. She greets the students and requests for them to sit politely. The dimly lit room from a small lamp, the smartboard beaming the day’s assignment, and no exterior windows give the room a relaxed atmosphere. The small room is packed tightly with only three rows of three desks, and the walking room becomes tight with a large teacher's desk. The walls are plastered with motivational posters, a calendar, and a whiteboard with information covered by random scribbles from students. A sticker wall is located on the back wall that rewards students for correct answers and good behavior.

Mrs. Boettger's Classroom

The chair screeched against the cement floor as a student rocked back and forth on her chair. This disrupts the lesson and causes students to quickly get off topic. Issues like this are common in the classroom and start with the tiniest distraction, which snowballs into larger ones that are difficult to get back on track. Mrs. Boettger says, “It is importance to keep the class on task and avoid distractions."                                                      

"A student walks in and yells, “Mrs. Boettger, guess what color my squishy dumplings is?”

“Rainbow!”, Mrs. Boettger guesses.

Mrs. Boettger

“No, It’s the color of your hair,” exclaims the student.

“Red then,” Mrs. Boettger replies.

“No, it is grey,” jokes the student.

They both laugh and she teased Mrs. Boettger's about her hair. “Building connections with the students is very important, because many of the students may not have trusting relationships or people, they can rely on,” sighed Mrs. Boettger. “On top of building relationships with students making sure their education is prioritized is the key”, harped Mrs. Boettger. In many special education classes, it can turn into a daycare rather than a classroom. Mrs. Boettger still must create flexible lesson plans, monitor progress, and ensure that students get the education they deserve. With limited time with the students, getting them on track and teaching them something valuable is difficult. Mrs. Boettger admits, “Teaching students with special needs is one of the most difficult jobs, but when you see the progress they made, nothing is more rewarding.”