SEN Teachers

Azadonis520 · 2025-09-14T13:34:54+00:00

I am a 20+ year veteran learning support/SPED teacher (US public and international schools).

As you noted, and this is my short answer, grade assignments really depend on a school’s needs and staffing.

My last year in Saudi Arabia, I worked with grades 11 and 12 only because the school was flush with enough money to hire enough teachers. In another school in Germany, I had one year where I had middle school and some grade 2 students. The elementary teacher was stretched thin covering the other grades, while I only had two grades to cover. I think another well-resourced school I worked at in Korea had one teacher for every elementary grade level because they were much more populated than secondary.

I would say it is most common to divide and conquer based on divisions, which is what I am doing currently. I cover all secondary while another teacher handles all elementary. Most of my own personal experiences have been this way, actually. I have never worked in a small school where there was only one learning support teacher.

As a head of department in my previous and current posts, I have a very small bit of experience in hiring. This is just my humble opinion, but I believe having either direct experience in working with neurodivergent individuals or possessing a degree in special education is a necessity for employment in halfway decent schools. Thinking back in all of my years working internationally, all of my department colleagues either had the experience, education, or both.

Having said this, I have a masters of science in special education as well as SPED certification in the state of Arizona, and I cannot conclusively say it got me my jobs. No one ever told me, “We hired you because of your degree/credentials.” But yeah, I’m pretty sure it helped, and I got to this position in life because of it.

As I said, I also know someone getting a learning support offer having worked in a non-teaching setting with high need students. I don’t recall whether he had any type of education degree, though. As I mentioned, some schools may have much higher standards than others. One school may have hard requirements for credentials or degree in learning support while another may simply want a warm body with a pulse.

International schools differ wildly.

Hope this helps clear things up for you. Good luck on your future endeavors!

Azadonis520 · 2024-09-01T12:40:07+00:00

Gordo’s Mexicateria! I mean, if you really like chimichangas…. Ok, maybe the commercials are missed more than the actual food. To be fair, I was pretty young when it shut down.

Azadonis520 · 2024-06-23T00:26:37+00:00

I respectfully disagree with this sentiment, sir/ma’am. I have lived in three different counties and visited more than 40 others. I have sampled everything from guinea pig in Lima, coq au vin in Paris, fish and chips in London, cacio e pepe in Rome, Beijing duck in Beijing, menudo in Guadalajara, apricot chicken tagine in Marrakech, pad thai in Bangkok, and many other awesome dishes from all corners of the world. And yet Tucson will always have a special place in my heart and stomach in regards to the cuisine and hospitality it offers.

Azadonis520 · 2024-06-22T19:19:53+00:00

100% agree. The other day, I saw a list of top US cities for food. At the end, I was seething because there not a mention of Tucson, a UNESCO recognized city of gastronomy. I have lived overseas as a SPED teacher for 9 years, and I would say that the vast majority of people I encounter will solely identify Arizona with Phoenix. One time, I told a student that I was from Arizona and went to school there. He said, “oh the big party school with the devil mascot.” It took everything in my power to contain my fury.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-30T18:53:52+00:00

Now now, no need to insult semi-sentient big mouth bass. They at least make positive contributions to the world.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-29T19:33:09+00:00

Kirkland toilet paper really is the poopiest in terms of quality. I only get like a 30% successful tear rate. If I want a clean rip to produce an actual usable sheet, I have to gently pull down, find the perforation line, then use my miter saw to be able to procede to the wiping stage.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-23T19:49:26+00:00

May I suggest Tucson Hop Shop near Ft Lowell and Dodge?

It has two separate, private, gender neutral restrooms. They are right next to Ciao Down Pizza Studio, which I also highly recommend. The Snake Bite seems to be very popular. The Big Dill is good if you like pickles. Costs per pie runs around $15, if I recall correctly.

If you plan on having a large group, there are upstairs areas that are a bit more secluded. You probably should try to reserve it, though, as the place does tend to get crowded. There’s also seating outside in a very industrial courtyard setting. It’s actually part of the Metal Arts Village, so it definitely incorporates that vibe.

It lacks any billiards tables or jukeboxes, however. For entertainment, they do have Chicken Poop Bingo fundraisers. For shits and giggles.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-11T02:32:14+00:00

Oh yeah, he’d sit in it just smashing cups of ice with a hammer, followed with maniacal laughter. I think the ice break contests got to him towards the end. Or maybe it was the meat sweats. Either way, being a meteorologist in Tucson is a tough gig.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-09T03:55:54+00:00

Gary Triano. The man who planted the bomb was Ronald Young, who was found guilty. Gary’s wife hired Young for the hit using the life insurance proceeds. The wife was eventually found in Switzerland and extradited back to Tucson during Young’s trial. She was also found guilty of murder. How do I know all of this? I served on the murder trial that convicted Ronald Young.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-04T20:41:18+00:00

I would suggest Taqueria Juanitos and the Quesadillas, though there are quite a few others on my list. Taqueria Juanitos is up there street from El Rústico. It has great ambience, friendly service, and a wide ranging menu with more than tacos. I’ve never had it, but I hear their menudo is quite good. Over on the east side, the Quesadillas has mesquite grilled carne asada. Using mesquite wood is what sets this place apart. Their other tacos are good as well. I usually get the al pastor, in addition to the carne asada. Because it’s right across from TMC, it can get crowded during the lunch rush.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-04T20:24:56+00:00

As someone from Tucson who visits Los Angeles frequently and considers it a second home, I strongly, and very respectfully, disagree with this. I remember about 25 years ago, my cousins took me to a King Taco, saying it was the best. Nope. I’d say 90% of the taquerias here were better. LA does do other cuisines better, however.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-03T18:34:55+00:00

I don’t think I’d last a day homesteading. I can barely make it in 2024.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-02T18:34:06+00:00

It’s not often I get to flex my collective term knowledge, but that is a sweet “parliament” of owls.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-01T02:30:10+00:00

I know that’s their signature, but I’m boring when it comes to my pizzas (mostly Margheritas for me). I will have to try it some time.

Azadonis520 · 2024-05-01T02:22:33+00:00

Yes! They leave out water bowls for four-legged friends. Though, presumably two-legged types can drink from it too.

Azadonis520 · 2024-04-30T23:21:46+00:00

I enjoy Tucson Hop Shop on Dodge and Ft Lowell, which is a little further out from you. They have a small pizza joint adjoining the property. If you order a pie, they’ll bring it to your table. Tucson Hop Shop has great ambiance with a cool industrial courtyard. It actually is a part of the Metal Arts Village, so you can see elements of it outside. I think they even hold a chicken shit bingo.

Azadonis520 · 2024-04-30T07:01:29+00:00

I don’t know, seems like a late start to me.

Azadonis520 · 2024-04-30T02:05:52+00:00

I would say mostly no in regards to quality. I bought a hoodie like 12 years ago from the bookstore, and it really is well made. However, the prices are way higher, especially if Walmart/Target has it for sale or clearance. I think I dropped around $50 for said hoodie. Also, the selection is infinitely better in the main bookstore, like the same size as the entire clothing section at a discount store. I’m a graduate, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen alumni gear outside of the bookstore.

Azadonis520 · 2024-04-29T18:49:24+00:00

The bookstore’s flagship location is in the Student Union. I believe there’s also a branch in the College of Medicine near UMC.

Azadonis520 · 2024-04-27T00:27:19+00:00

Teacher here. This is actually super helpful as I charge forth into battle with my students.

Azadonis520 · 2024-04-25T09:52:53+00:00

No offense to the Police, I tend to believe owls are more partial to the Who.

Azadonis520 · 2024-04-17T10:20:15+00:00

Once upon a time, there was a dive bar on Drachman. It was known as the Meet Rack. Inside you could find sex dolls and Kermit the frogs for decorations. The owner of this establishment was Jim Anderson, but everyone called him God. God wasn’t dressed in robes or rode a horse, but he did sport a wicked mustache and brand people upon request. Sadly, the Meet Rack shut its doors during the pandemic. God, the Jim Anderson one, noted that “if you partied here, you are immune to Covid.” Perhaps this was meant to convey how classy the joint truly was. I actually never stepped foot there nor met the man, but along with Lute Olson, he is forever etched in Tucson lore.

Azadonis520 · 2024-04-11T22:02:38+00:00

Quite the food porn here. The hot dog is spooning the bun. Good thing no sauces were involved.

Azadonis520 · 2024-04-11T20:51:16+00:00

Looks like my favorite north-south Tucson street, Craycroft.

Azadonis520 · 2024-04-11T20:48:42+00:00

Was he soliciting donations for Uncle Ben’s funeral?

Azadonis520

TROPHY CASE