Beyond the Classroom: From Para to Teacher

Show Notes

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Amber Lueth never planned to become a special education teacher. When she first stepped into a special education classroom as a paraprofessional, it was simply a practical decision to align her work schedule with her daughter's school hours. "At first, I was like, I can't do this," she confesses, describing her initial reaction to the challenging environment. But something unexpected happened – the students grew on her, and she discovered a sense of purpose absent from her previous career in a law office.
 
 This transformation from reluctant para to passionate special education teacher forms the heart of our conversation, revealing how meaningful work can appear in unexpected places. Amber shares the pivotal realization that drove her career change: "I felt good when I went home, being able to help them regulate themselves and use all their strategies." This sense of making a tangible difference starkly contrasts her law office experience, where she describes "taking people's houses" and never feeling satisfied with her contribution.
 
 Our discussion clearly reveals the challenges of special education teaching, from the complexities of developing appropriate IEP goals to the constant need for flexibility when strategies that worked yesterday suddenly fail today. Yet Amber's innovative approaches shine through, like creating number manipulatives based on students' favorite show, "Number Blocks," to teach math concepts. These creative solutions yield remarkable results, with one parent reporting her child becoming "obsessed with numbers" at home.
 
 What ultimately sustains educators in this demanding field? Amber doesn't hesitate: "I wouldn't be able to do it without you guys for support... I don't know what I would do without any person on our team." This honest acknowledgment of interdependence highlights why supportive professional relationships are crucial in special education, where the average career spans less than five years. Amber offers straightforward advice for those considering this path: "Go for it if it's something you're passionate about." Because without that passion, as our hosts note, "you're going to burn out pretty quick."
 
 Ready to hear more perspectives from the special education world? Subscribe to Life in the IEP Tribe and join our conversation about the challenges, triumphs, and unexpected joys of teaching exceptional students.

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What is Life in the IEP Tribe?

Join us as we dive into the world of special education with two educators who have walked the same path as many of you. In addition to teaching in self-contained and collaborative settings, our hosts bring a unique perspective to the challenges and triumphs of raising a special needs child. From classroom strategies to heartfelt family moments, they offer practical advice, empathy, and a community of support. Discover how their personal experiences can shed light on your journey and gain valuable insights into navigating the complexities of special education both in and out of the classroom. Welcome to the tribe!

Speaker 1: And that, my friend,
is how a bill becomes a law.

Welcome to the newest, freshest
, most ridiculous episode of

Life in the IEP Tribe.

I'm here and I being Jared with
my wife, laura, and we have

with us another special guest.

Now I got to tell you this
whole guest thing is really cool

because I really like hearing
what other people have to say

and their perspectives on things
, and I realized when we first

started doing this that my depth
of knowledge wasn't enough to

carry on many, many episodes, so
now we can talk to other people

.

Speaker 2: It's definitely been
helpful to help us.

We've learned a lot, and
hopefully other people have

learned some things.

A thing or two.

Speaker 1: Yeah, and so it's
been a lot of fun.

And again, like I said, we have
another, another, another.

Sure we have another special
guest who has a pretty

interesting story as to how she
came about in the world of

teaching special education.

So what I'm going to do is I'm
going to stop talking and, laura

, I'm going to let you introduce
her.

Speaker 2: All right.

So with us tonight today I
always say tonight because we

record at night, but you know
some people might be listening

during the day, but anyway.

So for this episode we have our
friend and coworker, amber Luth

, who we came to know last year.

We got a student and that was,
I guess, unplanned and we said,

okay, well, yeah, we're okay
with that, but she's got to come

with them.

So that's how we got her as
part of our crew and then, just

through some series of events
and some other unplanned things,

she now is teaching one of our
classes.

So she started off as assisting
us with a student as a para

last year and when she worked as
our para or a para this year

with our third class and just
really took the lead in the

classroom, and then when it was
time to hire somebody, then she

got the job and so she is now
our third teacher.

Speaker 1: And we didn't even
have to drug her.

Speaker 2: I know she came
willingly.

Speaker 1: It wasn't even one of
those things where it was okay.

So this kid is young, she's got
a lot of life in her.

We need to make sure that she
doesn't leave us and so.

But no, we didn't like she
wanted to be there and that's

kind of strange.

But it's a good thing that you
want to be there, because if you

didn't it'd be pretty miserable
.

That was deep, wasn't it?

Yeah, see I things?

So, laura, go ahead and kick
this off with Amber.

Speaker 2: All right.

So I know, when we were kind of
preparing for this a little bit

, you told me that this isn't
something that you thought you

would do, which I had no clue,
because you're such a natural

and you're a para and that a lot
of times is the progression, a

para and that a lot of times is
is the progression.

So why don't you give us a
little bit of background of how,

um, yeah, how you got into the
special education field and then

how you made that transition?

Speaker 3: yes, I actually
became a para when my oldest

started kindergarten to have the
same schedule as she did for

school, because the schedule
that I was working when I was in

a law office was not the best
with her school schedule and

when there were snow days or
days off the law offices were

still open.

So it didn't work.

So if I was a parent at her
school, I could be home when she

was home, home with her over
the summer, take her to school

and they just put me in a
special education classroom.

It was a therapeutic learning
program and worked one-on-one

with kids that had behaviors and
tried to get them into the

classroom and if they had to be
taken out we took them out and

we always tried to keep them in
the classroom as long as they

were being safe with the other
students and I just continued to

do that.

And then we moved down here and
same thing.

I knew I didn't want to go back
into a law office because it

was boring and it's the same
thing every single day and the

job now is never boring and it
is never, ever the same thing.

Speaker 1: Right, and you can
certainly have five separate

experiences during the course of
the week.

Speaker 3: Yes.

Speaker 1: Even with the same
students, and so, of course,

we've shared a lot of those
students and we're familiar with

those students as well.

So what kept you from running
away when you first ended up in

a classroom that was a special
education classroom.

Speaker 3: At first I did.

When I first started I was like
I can't do this, I can't.

But the kids grew on me and I
felt good when I went home,

being able to help them and
regulate themselves and use all

their strategies.

And I didn't.

I felt good coming home.

Speaker 1: It makes.

It makes a big difference when,
when you feel like what you do

matters yeah, I know that I've
worked a handful of jobs over

the course of my life and there
aren't many of them like the

ones that I all left, the
exception of maybe one I found

myself thinking, yeah, there's
not a whole lot of real value to

this.

I'm helping somebody make money
and I don't really care about

that.

Speaker 3: That's what I was
doing, yeah, law offices and

taking people's houses.

I never, ever felt good, oh
gosh.

When I went home at night it
was not good.

I was making peanuts and the
lawyers were getting all the

money and they weren't doing all
the work.

Speaker 1: Yeah, I get that.

Speaker 2: This is a rewarding
job where the other one is not

so what is it that made you
decide that you wanted to take

it a step further and go for the
teaching instead of staying as

a para?

Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't really
know, other than I knew that I

wanted to do what I was doing
and help the kids and be able to

advocate for them and push for
inclusion and help them meet all

of their goals in any way that
I can.

I love buying things to help
them reach their goals.

Speaker 2: So you needed the
salary, you needed the salary.

Yeah, those big bucks that we
all get you know.

Speaker 1: Laura's story is very
similar to yours.

She started as a para as well,
and then it's really funny

because one day she's like, hey,
guess what, I just signed up

for school.

I was like, oh, wow, okay,
that's cool.

And then, you know, fast
forward and she's teaching as

well.

And so I think there's, I think
there's a lot to be said for

somebody who, you know they find
themselves in the middle of the

special education world and
then being willing to say, you

know, I'm willing to invest time
, money, sanity, like all of

these things, into a profession
that this isn't going to come as

a shock to anybody isn't making
anyone rich, right?

So there has to be that
fulfillment of the job itself,

because if somebody's doing it
just for the money, or even it's

not going to pan out very well.

Speaker 2: Yeah, that's for sure
.

So you know we're talking about
.

I went about the same route
that you did.

Jared didn't para, he subbed,
but then um, so yeah, a little

bit of experience in the
classroom.

What do you find that has been
valuable from going from a para

to a teacher instead of um,
cause we've all gone that non

non-traditional route where we
didn't go to school to be a

teacher and have the student
teaching.

And but as far as the
experiences as a para, what?

What skills or tools did you
bring into your classroom now

that you developed or learned
while you were a para?

Speaker 3: A lot of different
things.

I've learned things from you
guys and I've learned things

from the people that I worked
with before, and I worked

closely with the BCBA up in
Connecticut.

She taught me a lot of
different things and just kind

of bringing it all together and
seeing what works best for a

certain kid, it might not work
for another one, and just

knowing what will work for one
might not work for the other,

and then you got to be flexible
and try and come back around to

figure something else out that
will work for them Right, and's

it?

Speaker 2: one of the things
that I think is is challenging

is like okay, well, we tried
this and it's.

I think it's easy sometimes to
try it for a couple days and go

up nope, it's not working.

Start away, and so I I find
sometimes it's difficult to nope

.

Okay, let's, let's give it a
shot, for you know this many

days and at least try it,
instead of saying, well, you

know, we gave them this
manipulatively, well, you just

threw it and okay, we can't have
that anymore.

So let's try to reintroduce and
try to help them learn how how

to use it.

Um, so, do you feel that your
background with working close

with the BCBA has helped you
prepare for this position you're

in now?

I think so.

Yes, so talk a little bit about
I don't want to say that, so we

know that the IEP is
individualized.

What are some of the ways that
you have to individualize your

instruction for your students?

Speaker 3: It's really tailored
it to their goals.

Some of them can do things that
others can't and making sure

you have things that for one,
that they can realistically do

and for the everything is
tailored to their individual

needs and their goals.

Because what might be somebody
else's goal and they have a way

of that they can do it, and you
try and do it with somebody else

, they might not be able to
learn it and pick it up the same

way as the other student Right,
so they tailor it around what

works for them.

Speaker 2: And what they like.

I know you are really big on
providing things that they're

interested in, and I know we
talked about one of our other

episodes about really learning
the students and their you know,

not just their needs and their
abilities but what they're

interested in, and you do a
fantastic job at including

things that they're interested
in in the instruction.

And can you give us a couple of
examples of what you've done

with that?

Speaker 3: The number blocks.

Three of the five love the
number blocks and so when

they're working on their goal
where they have to match the

number and count out, you know,
here's number five, show me five

.

I've done the little math cubes
and I've stacked them up to

look like the number blocks,
because if they know the colors

of them they will put them in
order.

So you got to make sure that
it's not.

Oh, I know that this one goes
here and this is how they go and

the color of the number blocks.

So I get the white blocks and I
build them to look like the

number blocks so that they can
match them to the numbers.

But the number blocks are our
big one.

They like those.

Speaker 1: That's perfect, like
all the way around.

All of them well, what's crazy
is like we hear these stories of

of our students learning all
these great skills and as much

as I would love to take credit
for it, no, it's the number

blocks.

The kids watch number blocks.

They watch if they have free
time.

They want to watch number
blocks and but you know we'll

take what we can get.

Speaker 3: One of the moms told
me that her son is obsessed with

numbers now and he has a number
chart and he goes and he traces

them and points them all night
long.

Speaker 1: That's great well,
that is, and that's one of the

things about working in special
education as well as raising a

child with special needs, is
that there has to be a lot of

flexibility on the part of the
teacher and the parents, because

sometimes you're going to have
to learn how to just roll with

certain situations and if you
have, if you don't have kind of

that, that toolbox with you
different ideas, different

approaches it's really easy to
find yourself getting stuck.

And so I know that that we
found, you know, when we talk

about the classes, that we've
had our first year in the school

that we're in now.

Our classrooms are very
different than what they are

today, and the kids are very
different than that first group.

And so what worked with that
first group doesn't necessarily

work with the rest of them.

And as far as raising children
goes, we know that even those

that develop typically typically
whoo Curtis, I don't know that

talking is working very well
this evening those that are

learning things as what would be
called almost normal, it's hard

as well.

It's hard to raise kids and
teach kids, and there's this

need for flexibility.

But when it comes to again to
our students, not only is every

year different but, like you
were saying sometimes every day

is different.

What worked with the student
today may not work with them

tomorrow, and vice versa.

So let me ask you this as far
as your transition from being a

paraprofessional and moving into
the classroom setting being the

one Now, your situation was a
little bit different, where we

had this really odd situation I
guess that's what we'll call it

where we had a classroom with
two paras and no teacher Right.

So it was like how are we going
to figure this out?

But what have you?

This is the word I'm looking
for.

What would you say is the
biggest surprise in shifting

from a para position to being
the lead teacher in the

classroom?

Speaker 3: Definitely, I would
say, the IEP goals.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 3: Making the IEP goals
Like making them or tracking

them, or all of them, right them
or tracking them, or all of

them right, just deciding what,
what their goal should be, and

it's hard to see like, because
some days they can do it real

good and where they're at and
you don't know if you should

move them up or keep them where
they're at or if they can.

It's hard to track right and
and.

Speaker 1: And identifying where
to start is really difficult,

because I mean, when you think
about the school year in the

general education setting,
especially with teachers that

teach the same grade or subject
every year, there's kind of a.

They already kind of have an
idea of what they're going to do

, they already have an idea of
how they're going to present the

material, they have a pretty
good idea of the breadth of the

spectrum of kids that they're
working with, the highest and

the lowest really not being, you
know, miles apart, and so they

go into every year with an idea
of what they want to do.

Well, that doesn't quite work
for us, because not only do we

have multiple students with
multiple abilities, but we have

multiple ages and are still
required to teach multiple

standards, to teach multiple
standards, and so it's kind of a

double whammy, because we have
to try to learn the kid and then

develop something specifically
for them.

And I don't remember why I
started saying all that, like my

brain just went.

It's kind of sound like the
goat right, it was just horrible

.

So yeah, so that's us.

Go ahead, curtis.

Speaker 2: We were talking about
her jumping into this role and

then having to, like you know,
evolve into the teacher and yeah

, but I'm not know where you
were trying to go yeah so, yeah,

it works hard, we're going to
go with that.

Speaker 1: And then the
paperwork right.

So there's a ton of paperwork
that comes along with it.

That is by far the worst part
of the job.

Paperwork is stupid.

They should just get rid of all
of it.

All right, let's see where we
at.

Speaker 3: Yeah.

Speaker 1: Okay, I got it.

So we have questions.

Right, we put these questions
out, so we don't have to do this

, right?

So I'm going to pick a question
.

Okay, here we go.

Let's start with this one.

Speaker 2: Are you talking to me
?

Speaker 1: Yeah, go ahead.

Speaker 2: Okay, we know that at
the beginning of the year there

was a lot.

You know that we had to kind of
help each other put together

and help do some different
things, and our team moves

around a lot and so you've had
to have a lot of collaboration

and a lot of teamwork, so you've
had to have a lot of

collaboration and a lot of
teamwork.

So, being in this role, how has
your perspective on that of

collaborating with other
teachers and having a team, how

has it changed and evolved, like
, especially when you're working

with paras or other SPED team
members and are, as you're now,

the teacher and not the para.

Speaker 3: Well, I definitely
know I wouldn't be able to do it

without you guys for support.

Speaker 1: But mainly me, right?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Speaker 3: That's just because
he's got the muscles, our team

works really well together and
you can rely on them if you need

something.

I don't know what I would do
without anyone person on our

team.

Speaker 2: I think we agree with
that one.

For those that don't know, we
have a team of is it nine of us?

Yeah, nine of us, and it's
surprising how we function and

get along.

I'm not saying that there's
never any hiccups, because you

know coworkers, friends,
families all have issues,

because you know co-workers,
friends, families, all have

issues.

However, for the size of team
that we have, it does work well

and I feel like, yeah, just
treating each other with that

kindness and respect goes a long
way too.

Was it weird for you to go from
working with this group?

You know you were a para and
was it weird for you to step

over to that teaching role?

Did you like feel weird?

Speaker 3: I did feel weird.

I don't know why I just did.

Speaker 2: No, and I get that
we're going from being a para to

a teacher, because I still, and
, like we said, our paras, they,

they're the reason why we can
do what we're doing.

And so, you know, I think it's
it's great to still have that

para mindset because we know, we
know that, we know what they

make and and we know that
they're they do a lot and for

for that and um, so I, I me,
personally, I feel like it's

it's, it's good for teachers to
have had that kind of experience

and I don't feel like I hope
that they don't get taken for

granted or advantage of.

Speaker 1: So, yep, hold on, I
was going to say something.

I forgot what it was again.

Yeah, so what I was going to
say, I remember.

Now I remember.

So one of the cool things that
we've been able to experience

this year is we have three
members of our team that have

decided to go back to school and
pursue being teachers not

moving from that paraposition to
the teaching position and it's

been really cool to see other
people not only experience the

job with us and enjoy it, but
grow such a connection with it

that they are pushing forward in
their education to again be

teachers.

What would you say if you could
say one?

We have one thought, one piece
of advice, one bit of direction

to any para out there that was
considering becoming a teacher

in the special education world.

Speaker 3: I would say go for it
if it's something that you're

passionate about and that you
love doing.

Speaker 1: Right, just kind of
like take a stab at it, because

you never know.

And again, this is one of those
occupations that if you don't

love the people you're serving,
you're going to burn out pretty

quick.

I think I read somewhere that
the average career for a special

education teacher was, I think,
less than five years, if I

remember correctly, just because
of how hard it is and there's

not a bunch of money in it.

But the truth is this is that
working in the setting that we

work in, if you got paid a ton
of money, it still would be very

hard to stick with it if you
don't love the kids, because it

is a whole different world, it
is a whole different tribe, as

we've mentioned numerous times.

And so you know, I think that
you can also take that advice

and share that with parents.

And you know, I know parents
don't typically choose for their

children to have special needs,
right.

They kind of shock them when it
comes along, right, and we're

not expecting.

But at the same time, I think
it really is great advice to

really urge and support parents
and say, hey, listen, but jump

in.

Like some of our other guests
have said, it gets messy, it

gets kind of crazy sometimes and
it's not necessarily all

because I don't know about you,
but I know.

There's times when we have
conversations with people and

one of the standard questions is
oh so what do you do?

And when you tell them that you
work in special education, they

go oh so.

I know listen, I've got scars
I'm looking at right now from

those children that you aw.

No, because it is, it's a tough
.

It's a tough relationship to
grow when we're working with

students with special needs.

And, yes, there are some that
are just sweet as candy, but

they're kids and even the best
of kids can be turdy, right and

so, but what we have to do for
their benefit, for our benefit,

is, like you said, amber, just
you kind of have to dive in and

and one thing that that I know
has been huge for us is that

that willingness to kind of
approach every day as an as a

new day, and that we have to
have short memories and and you

know they talk about football
players, quarterbacks, they

throw an interception.

Well, they have to have a short
memory come back out and it's

kind of the same thing, right.

Speaker 2: Well, yeah, you can't
If we hold things about that

happened the day before and try
to well, now we're not going to

do that again today, right, that
doesn't help anybody.

And then they just remember
that, oh yeah, I did do that.

Let me do that again, yeah,
every day.

Every day with a clean slate,
because at the end of the day

and I know I mean we've seen you
, amber, evolve into a fantastic

teacher.

Your love for the kids is
apparent and I would not think

that you would be there if that
wasn't there.

Speaker 1: I think I ran out of
words.

How about you, Critty?

Speaker 2: It's hard at the end
of the week, isn't?

Speaker 1: it.

Speaker 2: Yeah, in our world,
tomorrow's Friday Fridays are

always worse than not worse, but
they're harder because we've

been getting up and going all
week, all week, all week, and

it's like, oh Friday.

So Thursday night, friday Eve,
is hard.

Speaker 1: Well, Miss Elle, you
have anything else you want to

share with our listener out
there?

All both of them.

Speaker 3: I don't think so.

Speaker 1: Okay, well, that's
fine and dandy, there's nothing

wrong with that.

See, that's something.

But see, and that's something
strange too, because, let's be

honest, how many teachers have
you ever met?

Speaker 2: I don't like to talk.

I don't like to talk, Right?

So it's like yeah, it's one of
those things.

Speaker 1: You know, every
teacher, and then we'll end with

this because I'm afraid I'll
say something to get myself in

trouble.

But every staff meeting you
ever sit in is full of teachers,

right?

I mean, we work at schools.

Teachers are always the ones
getting on the kids about hey,

hey, I need you to not talk when
I'm talking, please catch a

bubble, listen to what I have to
say, and then you throw us all

in a room and that's all they do
.

Teachers are all so that even
like you know, the bosses the

principals have to be like catch
a bubble, and there's nothing

more exciting than being 40
years old and being told to

catch a bubble.

Speaker 2: So anyway, but we go
all day.

Well, most teachers go all day
talking to children.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 2: We're lucky that we
have a team.

Most teachers do go all day
long talking to children and

even though they're in a
building full of adults, there's

not a whole lot of adult
conversation that goes on in

their what?

Three minutes of planning and
their two-minute lunch, I mean.

Speaker 1: That's true, that's a
good point.

Well, that's sad.

It's like I spend all day
talking to an eight-year-old

Like who wants that?

Speaker 2: Hey, we've had some
eight-year-olds have some pretty

great conversations.

Speaker 1: That is true, that is
true.

So anyway, with all that said,
we're going to go ahead and wrap

up this episode.

Thank you, amber, for hanging
out with us and chit-chatting,

and hey, anybody that's
listening to this.

If you haven't heard the other
stuff, go ahead and listen to

some of the episodes from the
past, Way back in the day, like

October.

All right, that's it, I'm done.

Speaker 3: We'll see you later,
Amber.