Bless you. From the bottom of our Shmoopy hearts, bless you. The world needs more people like you—less hedge fund managers, more special eduction teachers. If Karma is at all real, you'll come back in your next life and make tons of money—and if you end up a hedge fund manager, we hope at least you end up being a good one.

Or a Mantis Shrimp. Those things are pretty cool. (Source)

Now moving on...kind of.

If you love working with children, know your way around hand sanitizer, and have the patience of a saint, you're in the right place.

If you crave the power of a thousand suns, a watch that Diddy would be jealous of, and a throne of money, maybe you should take a look here.

Sticking around? Even though you're missing out on that throne of, well, money? You're a brave soul.

Welcome to the world of education, where you'll be paid primarily in love and appreciation from everyone you teach and interact with. (You'll make a little money, too.)

"Special education teacher" is pretty much an umbrella term for those resilient souls who wish to dedicate their lives to teaching students with special needs or disabilities. While special needs students vary drastically in condition and ability, it's the job of special education teachers to work with students who have a variety of different physical, emotional, and mental disabilities.

As a special education teacher, you'll have to be a jack of all trades. Your classroom will be full of students with a wide range of disabilities and you'll need to be able to effectively cater to each student, making sure they're progressing. A special education teacher is required to adapt to the needs of every single student in their classroom and to make sure that they're all meeting their learning goals.

Wipe the sweat off your forehead and grab a sip of water—we're not done yet.

Special education teachers work closely with parents and other teachers to create Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for each student. It is the duty of the special education teacher to not only track each student's progress, but to meet often with parents/teachers about each student and whether or not they are on the right track.

You'll also serve as an advocate for your students—making sure that any educational policies being handed down from the administration don't affect the quality of learning for your students. Oh yeah, this isn't the sit down, zip it, and teach methods that you may have suffered through while in school. This is a hands on, individualized approach. You're making sure your students don't get left behind or fall through the cracks.

It's kind of like No Child Left Behind. Except this time, you'll be there to make sure that children aren't, in fact, left behind. (Source)

So why embark on a career that is so challenging and demanding? Simply put, if you are someone who enjoys helping others achieve their goals, advocating for those who may not be able to advocate for themselves, and nurturing a room of students who otherwise may be left behind in traditional education, the rewards outweigh the stresses of the job.

A special education teacher doesn't just help those with disabilities move forward in their academic careers, they can also help those with severe cognitive impairments learn to say yes or no, or to learn to go to the bathroom on their own. It's about helping students learn the stuff that some of us take for granted.

As a special education teacher you need to bleed creativity the way a football player, well, bleeds. You may be in a room with students whose disabilities include speech impediments, behavioral/emotional disabilities, and learning disabilities. None of these students will be able to achieve their full potential if they are taught the same way.

It is the job of a special education teacher to be able to whip up lesson plans that work for each student (IEPs) and be able to quickly modify those plans if they find that they are not working. This requires frequently thinking of new ways to express complex ideas in a way that will actually reach your students.

You'll also have to be an expert communicator. You may have students in general education classes, so you'll need the ability to communicate with other educators about how your students are progressing and how you can help support them. Special education teachers also are in constant communication with their students' parents. Whether it be a behavioral concern, a change in an IEP, or anything else, it's your job to keep parents constantly in the loop.

Maybe you're not that into being a jack of all trades—that's cool, too. Special education programs at universities may offer the opportunity to specialize in working with a particular disability. While this is typically reserved for graduate programs, some states do require prospective teachers to have a master's degree in order to obtain a teaching credential.

Speaking of credentials—yeah—you're going to need one of those before you can call yourself a special education teacher. In order to obtain a credential in most states, you will need to have completed a bachelor's degree program in special education and a teacher's preparation program.

Put simply—special education teachers are the heavyweight champions of your local school districts. They make it their mission to fight for their students every day, whether they're learning to write an essay or learning how to tie a shoelace. Special education teachers—you're the real MVP.

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