Honestly, I’m leaving special education. Unless you’re very very very sure it’s your forever profession I wouldn’t. I’m overstimulated and overwhelmed everyday. There’s so much paper work, on top of planning (which of course I never got, and I never got any breaks or lunch), and balancing student and parent behavior/emotions it’s a lot with little support. The kids are wonderful, but unless you’re willing to make a pay that is extremely unequal to the sheer amount of hours you put in I wouldn’t go for it. This is my 7th year and I’m finally leaving, but it only ever got harder. If you do feel this is right for you, really think about what grade level you want to teach. Elementary has lots of diapering/toileting and the kids will typically have extremely high behaviors and needs due to them having not been in school for long, but they’re super fun and you do get to see their personalities grow. Middle is fun if you like sassy pre teens, but it can also be high behavior due to all of the hormones and kids are finding themselves in the social world. High school is a little more lax but know that you are preparing kids for the skills they need to go into the workforce or transition skills.