I have wanted to be a special education teacher since age three. I didn’t realize that this was unusual until high school. I thought everyone just “knew” what they would be when they grew up. It wasn’t until I watched my classmates struggle to decide where to go to college that I realized I was different.
Then, in college, I had friends struggling to declare a major, and again when changing majors while trying to graduate on time. My journey was so clear to me. Yet, I did wonder, why didn’t I have doubts? Why didn’t I have more interests? The truth is, I believe that God had led me to the career that fills my soul but also fills my desire to continue to learn and grow. I am a teacher.
Politics and social media have changed what it means to say, “I am a teacher.”
But nothing can change the incredible experience of being a teacher.
As a special educator, I support students in their journey to adulthood. I get to help them navigate friendships, learn new skills, and discover their gifts and passions. All of this leads to the greatest of decisions, what do you want to be when you grow up?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, (IDEA), requires a transition plan complete with career goals by age 16. Many states, realizing the challenges of successful transitions to adulthood, have required transition planning beginning at age 14.
Age 14 allows for a focus on adulthood, often beginning in middle school, and throughout the entire high school career. The belief is, with good planning the student will know what their goals are and then do the work to achieve them. However, the reality is, they don’t usually know what they want to do. It is rare that a student has a clear vision for their life—I know, I was an exception.
Purposeful planning for the discovery of a career is the true test of a transition plan. Does it leave room for change? IF the student, like their peers, changes their mind about what they like or want to do, can the plan shift with them? How do we plan, but still allow natural adolescence?
I fear that parents feel pressured to become fortune tellers, looking into their crystal ball to see what career will fit their child’s gifts, passions, and dreams. But, like the fortune tellers at a fair, the vision they see is only the image of what may be, not what it is.
If we can see one vision, why are we afraid to see a different one? If we saw the students as a worker in a local restaurant, why not see them as the manager in a local firm? Why are we limiting ourselves to our visions? Life is far more interesting than a single vision. We should encourage trying out a variety of careers and options. Often, the joy is in the journey, not just the destination.
Similarly, when a student has a clear vision for their future, we need to foster it. As teachers, we can help them create a concrete plan to achieve their dream. After all, While I was different from my peers, I was not unique. There are others with a clear plan for their future, and, like me, it is a career that fills their mind and soul. We can all work together to help them step into their dream.