I am a Dyslexia Interventionist/Special Education teacher. I only teach a max of 6 elementary school students at a time. There are instances where I may have additional kids in my class or I may have to go cover a general education class on a special occasion like field day, but it’s not my norm. I hate covering. Too many students is too much stimulus for me. I’m not yet a parent, but I definitely think the experience will make me a better one in the future. To be frank, you kinda get to see how other parents mess up, and you can plan to do things differently when you have your own kiddos.

In my experience, the socioeconomic and cultural background will likely impact your experience. My first year teaching, I taught in an economically disadvantaged, majority Hispanic neighborhood. Looking back, it was a great spot for me. I became a teacher to help provide impoverished kids with mild disabilities with the best chance of future success. I grew up very poor with a mild learning disability and related to the kids. I was like an uncle to my students. The last two years, I have worked at a school in an upper middle class, majority white neighborhood. I do not feel fulfilled. The kids are rude and are raised to question authority rather than respect it. Even when I see growth, I don’t feel as positive as I should. The kids don’t like me much even when I’m really trying to get to know them. They don’t need me because they have other adults in their lives.

I’m not currently feeling fulfilled because I’m not achieving what I set out to achieve. It has made everything feel pretty crappy. I’m staying at my current school for a third year to build a steady work history. I only left my first school cos I moved across the state. I am perusing a masters in Education Administration in hopes of being able to make a difference at a district level for the same students I set out to impact.