SEN teaching

[Jenkibubble]

Has anyone transferred from
mainstream to SEN teaching ?
What are the highs / lows
FWIW , I am primary trained
EYFS and KS1 miostly
TIA

I moved into SEN teaching from primary.
Highs - smaller classes, parents can be more supportive.
Lows - very high needs, TeamTeach, if you can’t meet need there is nowhere for learners to go but out of authority and most LAs can’t afford it. I had many bites, bruises, was headbutted, attacked with scissors, went home covered in saliva some days.

Never a dull moment ! It’s genuinely rewarding. Smaller classes but much more paperwork. Depending on the calibre of staff managing them can be hard… I went from mainstream to special, far prefer special.

Thank you
Are you still doing it ?

I did a mix as my school had a unit.

yes more paperwork. More violence. You need to get good at de escalation - I still remember the time my whole lesson got derailed because one child hid another’s pencil case then forgot where he put it. We all spent the whole lesson retracing his steps and comforting the child whose pencil case had been taken.

Thank you
Was there help with the EHCPs ? (guidance I mean )
I have limited experience of it !

You said rewarding , but do you find it stimulating enough ?
Did it take some adjusting - tiny progress of learners I mean

Yes I have
sen is really hard work. You normally have a team of tas, which I found like having another class. In my experience, there was so much staff sickness and change and it really impacted the children.
you get assaulted and stuff but I found that was usually manageable.
the marking is similar to eyfs - lots of photos and observations which is fine if you’re used to it but not if you’re coming from uks2
you also get a lot of ableism and compassion fatigue which really pissed me off

the highs - most rewarding job ever. You get so much back when it goes well. And if you get the right team it’s so much less lonely than mainstream teaching.

i did short term contracts on supply rather than committing fully and ended up having to leave as I got pregnant. Can you do something similar?

The ep/ council write the main bits. You just update it and the plan. If I remember correctly.