From my short time on this site it appears to me that there are a disproportionate amount of special educators (myself included). Do you all agree? Why do you suppose this is?
Rebecca
Sorta OT: Knitting and Special Educators
Maybe we should do a poll to prove or disprove. I’m not sure about special ed specifically, but I do think we have a large number in “helping” professions–teachers, nurses, social work…
I’m a teacher on a REALLY long leave after my kids were born. I taught English/Language Arts and reading in middle school.
I work at a school, but not as a teacher. I’m the computer tech.
But, I am trying to finish college and plan to teach afterward.
I’m a TA in a special ed classroom.
I teach music, but I have SE kids mainstreamed into my classes.
I’m a teacher too! I currently teach junior high, but my first job was as an assistant in a special ed classroom. 
I was a preschool teacher/daycare director, but now I’m a legal assistant working for special needs people (oh, I mean lawyers). 
Darn, I’m breaking the pattern. I work in law enforcement. Mainly with juveniles, but sometimes with adults.
A lot of my kids are SE, with the added benefit of having mental disorders. But I love them. Wouldn’t trade 'em for the world.
I’m a preschool teacher and I’ve had several special needs children throughout the six years I’ve been teaching.
I’m the Autism Specialist for my local school system. I didn’t realize we have a lot of special educators–I knew Ingrid was a TA/Parapro and I know that Madametj (sp?) works w/ children with special needs (autism I believe she told me…) but that’s all I knew about… :shrug:
It’s something to ponder on I guess…
Gov’t worker here… degree in genetics. paper pusher now. but about the special ed idea- it seems special ed teachers have such reserves of patience and willingness to share/ teach. Both serve knitting well. patience for the endless repetition, sharing and teaching for helping others on a forum. My sis had many wonderful SE teachers in her life. just my opinion…
I used to be an ABA counselor for profoundly autistic kids and now I’m a research assistant working with the same population. My second job is providing in home respite care for a young autistic boy.
I completely love working within this population and I seriously love my knitting time to unwind at the end of the day! 
Hello, all!
I work as an actor and graphic designer, but my LIFE’S WORK is being the mom to my two beautiful kids. The oldest (DS 7) is autistic, and the youngest (DS 4) was a micropreemie (24 weeks) and is now a vibrant healthy preschooler.
:cheering:
Not in special ed, but… went to college to be a speech therapist, ran an adoption agency for a while, and when I wound up putting more money into it than it brought in, I gave in to the system and became a disability adjudicator for Social Security.
I think we knit b/c we can’t sit still and just be idle…I am a physical therpist and orthotist (I build braces for children with spinal cord in, spina bifida, CP etc) I really don’t have much patience as my husband will tell you - I rip projects out all the time or just put it down and move onto soemthing else.
I think the problem is that I can’t just turn my brain off when I get home from work and the dog can only walk so far and my husband can only listen so long before I have to occupy myself. Knitting keeps my hands and my brain busy so I can’t eat mindlessly or dwell on what when wrong or which little kiddo isn’t making the progress I would have hoped.
Fourteen year surviv…I mean educator of sp. ed. kids. :teehee: I knit to relax and keep focused on something other than work. I love the kids and when we get time, I teach them to knit too. You’d be surprised at how many “tough” guys like to knit.
It was HamaLee I was thinking of…I knew someone else out there had told me they worked w/ AU kiddos!
I am totally NOT patient–unless it comes to the kids. Anyone who knows me will tell you that–my parents say they would have never guessed b/c I have no patience whatesoever…but put me in the presence of autism and I’m a whole different person.
I am a full time housewife… no kids but travelled with my husband wherever his project is … i tagged along with my knitting gear and my laptop… i cook, wash, knit, tender my care and love for him 24/7… it a full time job for me…
and i love it …
i used to give tuition to kids in grade school …
I’m a scientist and work in computer vision. So I guess I don’t fit in this category whatsoever… However, scientists are often viewed as being cold but it’s actually far from the truth. Most scientists I know are also artists and/or volunteers in their community. I knit, play the piano and love literature, and would love to write one day. After my degree I would like to get involved in homework help programs (especially in math/science, because parents often have a lot of problems helping their kids in these subjects). I also want to get involved in programs that encourage girls in science/math/computer science.
I must say that being a woman in a world of man, I find sometimes I have a tendency to be the “mom” in the group :teehee:
Well, my degree is in counseling psychology, and I use it with teenagers and college students on a weekly basis. I do a lot of counseling for depression and mediation between parents and their kids. I worked with a young man with bipolar disorder for quite awhile, and am currently counseling a young lady with a history of incestual abuse.
I have also worked with kids with down syndrome, autism, aspergers, and other developmental disabilities when I ran an after school program.
I work as a secretary now, but I volunteer my counseling services.
Misty