Hi, Johns672! You sound like an ideal candidate for an initial certification masters program in special education. I completed a program like this and really enjoyed it. I came from a mental health background. Anyway, I encourage you to go for it but please be cautioned that it is a very tough field and the burnout rate is extremely high. The legalities in special education are not something they teach in the universities. Attorneys regularly attend my IEP meetings. You must be confident in your abilities and be able to advocate for your students. Also, depending on the class you teach (I teach severely disabled students), you have to be prepared for snot, poop, drool, diapers, catheters, seizures, giving up your lunch period every day to unpack everyone's lunches and open all their milk cartons and feed students who cannot feed themselves, dressing students, etc.... it could be a kindergarten or a high school student. You must be extremely creative to modify a standard curriculum and learn to handle to meltdowns of individual students and possibly become certified to properly restrain them if needed. If you choose to teach resource students you have to have a lot of patience and skill to help them master those pesky standardized tests so they can achieve a regular high school diploma vs. a special education diploma. Or, you could end up co-teaching in an inclusion classroom.
Some states have programs where they will pay for you to become certified in special education since it is a high-need teaching field. If you decided not to do a masters to could do a post-bac teaching certification program. Be sure to check around for programs like these! I began teaching on an alternative license before I even had my first masters class, though I did have a masters in a related area and had been working with the same student population in a different setting. It can be scary but you will figure it out real fast... or else the kids will eat you alive! j/k
Shadowing a special education teacher in a few different settings would be very helpful for you. If you find that it is your calling, good luck!!! There is never a lack of excitement in a special education classroom.
