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Let us know what's up How does one navigate the often challenging yet rewarding world of special education? Join us on our podcast journey as we unravel our personal and professional experiences as special education teachers and parents of a child with special needs. We promise to offer a heartfelt exploration of the unique paths that led us here, filled with unexpected opportunities and a shared passion for uplifting students who often go unnoticed. Through candid anecdotes and reflections,...
How does one navigate the often challenging yet rewarding world of special education? Join us on our podcast journey as we unravel our personal and professional experiences as special education teachers and parents of a child with special needs. We promise to offer a heartfelt exploration of the unique paths that led us here, filled with unexpected opportunities and a shared passion for uplifting students who often go unnoticed. Through candid anecdotes and reflections, we reveal how our roles in the classroom and at home have shaped our understanding of this complex field, highlighting the profound impact educational decisions can have on both educators and families alike.
Listen in as we tackle the challenges of IEP meetings and the delicate balance between discipline and empathy in parenting. We share insights into the comprehension abilities of students with special needs, discuss the long-term impact of educational decisions, and address the sensitive topics surrounding discipline. Our podcast, "Life in the IEP Tribe," aims to be a supportive resource for parents, teachers, and networks, fostering collective learning and shared experiences within the special education community. Through our stories, we hope to encourage understanding and collaboration, providing a personal perspective that blends professional experiences with life at home.
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: hey, laura hey, jared
I got an idea what's up I think
that we should start a podcast
that could be fun yes, I agree.
Now, what do we want to talk
about?
Maybe sports?
Speaker 2: I like sports, all
right.
I I don't know if I know enough
about anyone really to talk
about it.
Speaker 1: What about politics?
Speaker 2: Cringe.
Speaker 1: I got an idea.
What about we do a podcast that
talks about what it's like in a
special education classroom
working with special needs?
Speaker 2: students.
Speaker 1: And then, on top of
that, what about we talk?
Or how about now?
What about how about we talk
about what it's like in the home
raising a child that has
special needs?
Speaker 2: I think that would be
very good.
Speaker 1: Now, what do we have
to bring to the table on that
conversation?
Why would anybody want to
listen to us?
Speaker 2: I have no clue.
Speaker 1: Yeah me either.
They're doing us a favor
because we said, hey, we're
going to do a podcast, Please
listen.
Speaker 2: Well, I think that
both of us are special education
teachers and we've had
different experiences in
different special education
classrooms, and so I've had
experience as a paraprofessional
in a special education
classroom.
I've also had paraprofessional
experience in general education
classrooms that had students
with special needs or
disabilities and serve them, and
then currently I'm teaching in
a small group adapted curriculum
classroom, and on top of that
we got Xander.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1: Our guy.
Speaker 2: The best part of it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and so you know
, same here.
If I took a step back and told
the entire story.
One, we'd be here forever,
Right.
Two, nobody wants to hear the
whole thing.
But it's funny that when we
mentioned to people, um, that we
both work in special education,
they're like oh, that makes
sense because of xander, our 19
year old special needs son.
And the funny thing is that had
absolutely nothing to do with
either one of us wanting to get
in to special education.
As a matter of fact, how did
you end up there?
Speaker 2: I ended up there as a
, at least in my first um job.
As a, para was in a special
education classroom, um, because
I couldn't figure out what I
wanted to do, and so I was um,
had a friend, I had my.
I called her my, she was my
georgia mom and she prompted me.
Okay, I want you in school and
I want you subbing after
Christmas.
Speaker 1: Okay yes, ma'am, yes,
ma'am.
Speaker 2: And she said, okay,
after the summer I want you in
school, not in school subbing,
in school to teach.
I was like, okay.
So I did that and I was like,
okay, I'm going to go teach.
And I'm like, well, maybe I'll
be a PE teacher.
And a job opening came up at the
elementary school where my boys
went to school and it was for a
special education
paraprofessional, the county
that we work in.
They departmentalized their
disabilities and so, depending
on the disabilities, they would
send all of the students with
that disability to one school or
a couple of schools.
And so the school that I was at
had the emotional behavior
disorder students, which is EBD,
behavior disorder students,
which is EBD, and so I helped
the special education teacher
with K through five.
There's two groups K2, 3, 5.
And so I bounced back and forth
helping them with their
different academics and some
coping skills and strategies,
and I absolutely loved it.
Had to take a little break for
some reasons that had nothing to
do with the students, and then,
when I came back to being a
paraprofessional, I was in the
gen ed classroom and I thought
at that time I wanted to go back
to finish my schooling, but
this time I thought I was going
to do guidance.
So I'm just going to do
guidance because I want to help
these kids, and I quickly
learned that, yeah, those
guidance counselors don't get to
do that as much as they'd like
to.
So I started thinking, well,
what am I going to do?
What am I going to do?
I'm going to go back to special
education, and so that's one
way I can help the students that
, um, not always, but often get
overlooked.
I always had a draw to just the
underdog, and so that's what I
decided okay.
Okay, I'm gonna go back to
school and get into this sped
world and that's why we got
married, isn't it?
Speaker 1: because you're all
about the underdog no well it's
funny is that, while you're
telling this story, I remember
you calling me and saying hey, I
think I just did a thing and I
was like okay, what's up?
Yeah, I I'm back in school and
I was like oh, because we didn't
.
I don't think we even really
talked about a whole lot like in
depth up to that point or
didn't have a plan for you to go
back to school.
Speaker 2: It's just one of
those.
Speaker 1: Yep, oh, hey, jared,
by the way, I'm going to school
and I thought that was excellent
.
I thought it was great and it
was really neat to be able to,
um, to be a part of that
experience.
Did I cut you off?
Was there something else?
You were saying?
I have a bad habit of doing
that my job.
No, my story is a little bit
different, but not totally,
because the idea was brought to
fruition in the same manner.
So I had finished my undergrad
and I had no idea what I wanted
to do.
It was in psychology and I had
zero interest in being a
therapist or anything like that.
I had zero interest in being a
therapist or anything like that.
As a matter of fact, the only
reason I went after that degree
is because I originally went for
a business degree and looked at
the, the, the graduation plan,
and realized I did not care
about business at all.
So I finished that degree and I
was trying to figure out what
am I going to do.
So my dad, who is a pastor here
locally, says, hey, why don't
you consider going to seminary?
I thought that's cool, right, I
have.
My faith is very important to
me, the Bible is very important
to me.
So I thought, sure, why not?
So then, while I started doing
that, we needed to generate some
funds.
So in the midst of being in
school, I and you talked me into
it.
Hey, why don't you sub, why
don't you sub?
So I was like, cool, I'll sub.
And I remember it just like
yesterday.
I was subbing in one of the
special education classrooms and
it was just me and this one
student and this little boy,
like he, climbed up me like I
was a ladder, looked into my ear
and said Mr Curtis, you got ear
pudding.
And immediately I was like you
know what this is for me?
So I went back to you and said,
laura, if I could do this for
the rest of my life, I think I'd
be happy, I think it would just
be outstanding.
And then it rolled on from
there.
But then with that, as you said
earlier with Xander, there was a
lot of trial and error, a lot
of laughing and a lot of tears,
and it was a difficult process
because we're talking about, at
the time, a child that was, uh,
he was eight years old when we
got together and he wouldn't eat
anything solid.
That we knew about and we'll
talk about those stories later.
Um, he, he wouldn't eat food,
he, he wouldn't sit down.
I mean, the kid was like a
million miles an hour, every
moment of every day, and it was
difficult, and so we did again.
We worked through a lot of
things, there's a lot of trial
and error, and we learned a lot
from those experiences.
So I think I can speak for you
when I say we don't believe that
expertise comes from having a
piece of paper oh, no Right.
We don't believe that expertise
comes from your own personal
experience.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: But when you can take
that and put it together and
have conversations with people
that have either you know that
education or experience and come
together and talk about it.
I was listening to you talk
about your Georgia mom and
what's interesting is that you
know it took her to influence
you to move in this direction.
That eventually led to you
learning more about special
education, and I think that
often people minimize the impact
that they can have in others'
lives, people outside that don't
.
Maybe you don't have a special
needs child or you're not a
special education teacher or
you're not in contact with
people that need special needs
ever.
But you find yourself with
friends or somebody may know
somebody, and they have that
conversation and to really kind
of get yourself into the mix, I
mean I remember when Xander was
oh, he was little, I think,
golly, he was probably two years
old and I can remember my mom
saying hey, listen, I think you
really need to get him looked at
because I think there's some
developmental delays going on.
And I had no idea what I was
looking at.
I had no clue.
I mean, yeah, I was a dad, but
I don't know about you.
I didn't get the how to Raise a
Child with Autism handbook.
When Xander was born, it wasn't
something they handed to me at
the hospital, right?
I can remember sitting in his
IEP meetings and just feeling so
confused and it wasn't the
teacher's fault.
I mean, xander's been in our
district his entire school life
and just feeling so confused and
it wasn't the teacher's fault.
I mean Xander's been in our
district his entire school life
and I think you'll agree with me
when I say his teachers have
been amazing, absolutely From
the very first day he stepped
into special education, pre-k,
to where he is right now in the
high school, and it's been a
complete blessing to have these
people that did their very best
to kind of bring me along and
then bring us along to help
teach us what these IEP meetings
are about, what an IEP is, what
a goal is right I mean, we know
what goals are, but in the
world of IEP, what does that
mean?
What are the objectives right?
All of these things.
And so we kind of walk into
this world that we haven't been
prepared for and it's very
different than your typical
developing family, developing
family.
So, laura, what are some things
that maybe that we can discuss,
that would help anybody that
would want to listen to us.
Speaker 2: I think that I know
one question we get asked a lot
of times is especially with some
of the students that struggle a
little bit more with their
intellect or that struggle with
communicating.
A lot of times we get questions
like well, do they even
understand?
And so I think that would be a
good topic to discuss it.
You know the amount of
understanding that they have and
, um, and then also one that
we're kind of kind of coming up
on is what happens after
graduation, and there's a lot
that happens a long time before
they graduate that impacts what
happens when they graduate and
so so I think that I mean that's
one that we've kind of muddled
through the progress and with
with being the first time that
you know we've dealt with this
and and we teach elementary
school, so you know what happens
when they graduate and what are
the options and what do I need
to do to get them to these
options.
Speaker 1: Right and do, and to
tie onto that, do the decisions
that we as parents and teachers
and and those that work with
special education children and
students does.
What happen, what happens at the
elementary school level is that
going to impact where they are
in middle school, where they are
in high school?
And you know, that's one of
those things that's real easy
for us to kind of just figure.
Well, you know, we get through
elementary school, we get
through middle school, and then
it'll all come out in the wash
in high school.
And what we're finding out
again, both by being educated
and in education and working
with our own son, is that
there's a lot that goes into it
over the course of the child's
academic career that can make a
big difference on what path they
end up on moving on through
school.
Because, like you said, it's
one of those we're so quick to
assume that students don't
understand when they can't
necessarily communicate in a
typical manner, and so we can,
by default, sometimes miss
opportunities in working with
them at that lower level that
are going to help guide them in
the direction that they need to
go.
So there's something that we're
going to talk about as well.
Speaker 2: Right.
Well, there's other questions
that we get asked and kind of
going along with that Well, do
they understand?
A lot of times we get that
question when it's talking about
repercussions of their action
or consequences and discipline.
And we get that question a lot
like well, if I have my child
sit timeout, do they even
understand?
Or you know, what kind of
punishment will work?
Do they even understand why
they're having this happen or
why they're doing this?
And so I think talking about
consequences and discipline is a
tough subject because nobody
wants to feel like that.
They're picking on the kid with
the disability, right, right,
and I think there's a lot of
time.
There's a false sense of I'm
sorry, sympathy, but there's a
false sense of they feel bad for
their child.
Speaker 1: And I think that's
probably another conversation
we'll have too, about the and um
, whether that's necessary and
whatnot yeah, and we could go on
and on and continue to create
this list of things to talk
about, but we've decided to call
the podcast life in the IEP
tribe because, as we've been
disgusting discussing not
disgusting, but sometimes
disgusting things happens and
maybe we'll delve into some of
those stories as well disclaimer
before we start right.
Speaker 2: Anybody that has like
weak stomachs.
Speaker 1: We don't need any of
that going right so, but what we
have found out, and the reason,
the whole driving point behind
the podcast, is that to become
effective parents, teachers, any
support to children of special
education is to be effective, we
can't do it alone oh no right.
We could not walk into a room
anywhere and say here's
everything that we did and this
is why we're seeing these
benefits from this progress in
xander um.
As a matter of fact, we just
had a great conversation not too
terribly long ago with a mother
that you know, relatively new
student to us, and and we were
able to say, oh, oh, my goodness
, no, that's fantastic.
Whatever you're doing, keep
doing it.
That sounds great, you know,
because there was a parent that
was invested in into seeing
their child progress as far as
they possibly could and that
allows us to come alongside and
be a team member, part of the
tribe, part of the family that
helps this student holistically
progress and become the best
person, could, become the best,
to contribute as much as he
possibly can to society.
And that's really, at the end
of the day, I think that us as
teachers, as parents of special
needs kids, is that we want to
see them be productive members
of society, absolutely, and
sometimes we need help figuring
out what that is.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: So there you have it,
Jared Curtis, Laura Curtis,
doing a podcast.
We're calling it Life in the
IEP Tribe and we are here to
help create a sense of community
and hope for all of those that
may feel like they're alone.
Now, I know that you spend a
good bit of time.
You're a part of different like
Facebook groups, special
educators, and seeing a lot of
the things that they go through
and sometimes there's funny
stories.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: But a lot of times
that's not the case.
A lot of times it's teachers
that feel like they're stranded
on an island by themselves, and
you know that IEP that
individualized for the student
doesn't count for the parent and
the teacher.
Right, right, you don't have to
do this on your own.
You don't have to be just an
individual trying to direct
students, trying to direct your
children.
Allow others to come alongside
of you.
Speaker 2: Even just with us and
in our own team.
I don't know how many times
that we've had conversations
with our staff and they've
brought things up like oh hey, I
noticed that so-and-so is doing
this.
Do you think that they would
like to do this, or what do you
think about trying that?
And so we need a tribe at work
and it can't just be the two of
us and trying to get everything
together and do everything for
these students.
And so, as far as a tribe goes
at work, that's, you know, our
team is our tribe and they
invest in these kids, and you
know, and without them it would
just be you and I pulling our
hair out, and not only that I
mean, my goodness, I couldn't
imagine what our jobs would be
like if we didn't have the team
that we do and if they were just
, you know, warm bodies, right,
we're just filling spots.
Speaker 1: It would be a
nightmare.
But we are fortunate enough to
be surrounded by people that
love the kids and want to see
them again, want to see them
succeed.
But then, even as parents we
have, we have people in our
lives that came alongside of us
and still, to this day, do right
To help Xander even continue to
develop at the age of 19.
Speaker 2: Right, there's
definitely people in our
personal life and in our journey
with Xander that we couldn't
have gotten to where we are
today.
So that tribe is so important
and, like you said, we're hoping
that this brings a sense of
community.
If there's somebody that
doesn't have that and either a
parent or an educator or a
grandparent or a friend
paraprofessional that are
feeling that I'm trying and I'm
trying and I'm trying and I'm
getting nowhere, hopefully we
can bring some encouragement and
some resources and maybe answer
some questions or, if anything,
tell a story and listen to one
of our stories and they can get
a laugh.
Speaker 1: Right, at the very
least, I like that you mentioned
resources, because one of the
things that we plan on doing as
a staple in our podcast is to
have some of those supports and
some of those resources to have
conversations with occupational
therapists.
Right, how do I know if my kid
even needs occupational therapy?
Speaker 2: What is occupational
therapy?
Speaker 1: They don't have a job
, Exactly Talking to SLPs or
speech language pathologists to
help answer questions about
development there.
We plan to bring our paras in
on this because they are just.
They have so much to offer to
help us out.
Who am I missing?
Speaker 2: ABA therapist, aba
therapist, aba therapist.
Speaker 1: We're going to reach
out to some yeah, because that's
what we found.
Studies tell us that one of the
how am I going to say this that
students with disabilities most
of the time bring with them
undesired behavior,
inappropriate behavior Right
time bring with them undesired
behavior, inappropriate behavior
, right.
There's, of course, so when we
will talk about the whys behind
all that and moving forward, but
it is a common thing.
It is a common thing, and and
why is that?
Is it just that your kids bad?
well, no it's not, they're just
bad kids, but, at the same time,
it's not always that they have
these behaviors because of their
exceptionality or that they
don't know any better.
Right and so we're going to talk
our way through all of that.
So, again, we want this to be a
resource.
We want this to be an
opportunity to help educate each
other.
As a matter of fact, if you
want to shoot us an email with a
question or a story, you can
send that over to us at see if I
can remember it already.
Here we go life in the iep at
gmailcom and we'll be sure to
check it out.
If it's something that you
don't want to end up in one of
these podcasts, just go ahead
and and make that.
So I'm getting a weird look.
Speaker 2: Is it life in the IEP
or life in the IEP tribe?
Speaker 1: Life in the IEP tribe
.
Okay, what did I say?
Speaker 2: Life in the IEP.
Speaker 1: Oh, no Life in the
IEP tribe at gmailcom.
Did you get that?
Speaker 2: Sorry, it's been a
long day.
Speaker 1: It has.
It has, but it's been a long
day.
It has.
It has, but it's been a good
one.
Yes, so again, hopefully this
can be a resource for you, and
if not, that's cool.
Just find something that it
might be and send it to them,
and if you don't like it, then
we don't like you.
No, that's not right.
I shouldn't say that.
It's okay, it's okay to have
our own opinions.
Speaker 2: We're not for
everybody.
Speaker 1: Yeah, at least we're
for each other.
Yes.
I like that, so until next time
again.
I'm Jared Curtis, I'm here with
my wife, Laura Curtis, and we
will see you later.
Speaker 2: Bye.