#41 The Importance of a Mentor: How to Last in Special Education

Because you are listening to this podcast, I can assume that your career somehow involves education. And I can assume that because you work in the field of education that you know the crisis our profession faces right now with the low numbers of teachers graduating from college and the high attrition rates education faces as a whole...But if you are a special education teacher or work within the field at all... you probably feel this crisis hitting you smack dab in the face it on a daily basis. The problem, of course, is burnout.

In fact..a study I read suggests that the turnover rate for special educators is 25% every year.

And I think we would be hard pressed to find anyone who works within this field to say they haven’t at least considered leaving the profession. But who can blame them...who can blame us.. for burning out. Anyone would if they had to deal with intense feelings of isolation that some teachers feel, of not having enough time in the day to do the level of work they can feel good about on top of the ridiculous amount of paperwork, sometimes a total lack of affirmation for their hard work or support dealing with extreme behaviors that we don’t feel adequately prepared to deal with. The stories we hear from educators about leaving teaching are consistent and heartbreaking. 

 So, as a LIFER I have often wondered what is was within me or within other teachers who have stayed the course so long that kept us going year after year after year.

The other day I came across a teacher named Brandie Emmitt and I realized she had been in the game as long as I had. And she was doing some of the same things as me as far as mentoring other teachers, providing training on how to be an effective teacher and just supporting other teachers in general...So I reached out to her and asked if she would come on to the show to share about what it takes to last in this profession.

Listen in as Brandie talks about 

• What it takes to be a good special education teacher
• Why she comes back year after year 
• What schools and administration can do to retain good special education teachers and
• Her one piece of advice for staying the course and making a 30+ year career out of this

Mentioned in the Show...
What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz
The Intentional IEP Summer PD Series

You can find Brandie here
Website

Find her on Facebook @newteachersupport

And on Instagram @learn2teachwithbrandie

You can also learn more with Brandie

Learn to write and run IEPs in half the time like a PRO!

Membership community for special education teachers

Follow Jennifer
Instagram
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