I feel like this will get flack, and I don't mean it as a faux pau towards special areas/special ed. However, I feel like special ed gets most recognition for being the "most difficult" position in the profession (curriculum special education teachers like resource room and co-teaching), but I think it actually would be gen-ed.
As gen-ed teachers, we are responsible for every single kid. Plans, no plans, parent communication, grading, behaviors, meetings (504, IEP, and team)... list goes on.
I recognize that special ed specifically has to deal with legality in a different way than gen-ed teachers, but in some ways, no they don't because gen-ed teachers are still just as accountable for following plans and differentiating according to them. No, we don't have to create the plans or write them.. but we do report based on data from the classroom around suggested goals, accommodations, modifications etc. We do have to put those plans into action.
Special ed is really only responsible for their caseload and where I am that's max like 22-24 kids. As a gen-ed teacher, I am responsible for those 22-24 kids, in addition to my 100 other students. I actively am striving to make relations with my entire roster, and do put forth great efforts to not only work with the sped/504 kids, as well as my gen-ed students.
Special areas teachers are not responsible for grading nor do they really attend any ppt/504 meetings. In my school (6-8 middle school), they are only responsible for quarterly curriculum, compared to a year's worth of curriculum. No further statements there.
I hope this is coming out right. I know every position in education is challenging in different ways, and without one another, it would only be more so. I have just thought a lot about how much responsibility and the tasks required of a gen-ed teacher comparatively.
What do you think?
Submitted October 7, 2026 at 08:20AM by Pinksoupbookz https://ift.tt/p8zxGik
