<p>That’s awesome 
Just a tip: there are a lot of ppl getting certified to teach bio, so you can increase your chances of getting a job if you look into a composite science certification, like getting certified in all science not just bio if you are interested!</p>
<p>OP – Have you considered majoring in neurobiology? Or if working more directly with kids is of greater interest, what about Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy with a focus on helping kids? Nothing is wrong with Special Ed, and there are more job openings in that field than for English teachers, for example. Teachers are under such siege these days, so as a parent, I would have a hard time encouraging my kid to become a teacher. (But one of the careers she is considering is a school principal, and I know she would be fabulous and that teaching is a ticket that must be punched along the way.)</p>
<p>Explore and think about becoming an OT or PT for kids. I would imagine that learning physiology and the like would be a lot more interesting if you could imagine actually applying your knowledge. Those fields might be more acceptable to your folks as well as provide the type of fulfillment you seek. Downside? Ahem, a lot more school. OTOH, after seeing the prospect of that much more school, maybe your folks would WANT you to become a special ed teacher!</p>
<p>I’m not interested in that. I actually HATE science with passion 
The part that appeals to me about sped is the actual teaching- working with students who don’t achieve and helping them achieve no matter how long it takes. I enjoy building a relationship with students over a full year and experience the growth. It’s not only the “helping people” thing.
Honestly, I don’t think I would enjoy physical therapy at all. Also, I definitely cannot go into a medical field because I get grossed out very easily by blood, etc.</p>
<p>My H and I are both attorneys.</p>
<p>My only daughter is studying to become a special ed teacher. She is attending a state school because she sees no point in spending $150K or more at a private school to get a teaching degree. She is in a 5 year program and will emerge with a masters’ in special ed and credentials to teach birth through grade 6. Her volunteer work with special needs children in HS earned her a $20K private scholarship (over 4 years) and a $2500 scholarship from her school for the first year. This year (her second), she was hired by the department that gave her the scholarship and for next year she has another scholarship and a job… She was also given a scholarship from the Ed dept based on her grades and her potential. </p>
<p>So far, we have not had to take out any loans to pay for her schooling. If things continue, she will graduate with no debt.</p>
<p>She has many contacts in our SD, where teachers without masters start at $50K. </p>
<p>I have no qualms about her not becoming a lawyer or a doctor. I have seen her work with special needs kids and she reaches them; her entire being shines and glows when she has success with a child. Other people who have seen her interact with the kids say the same thing. My only fear is that she’ll burn out so I am encouraging her to seek a further certificate in school administration so she can be the boss eventually.</p>
<p>Federer - If you want to be a sped teacher, go for it. Many teachers I know work summers at camps and their kids go free, sped teachers are widely desired as tutors for younger kids especially (in my area, even so-so tutors command $80 an hour!). If your goal in life is to make money and nothing else, don’t go into teaching. If not, think about it.</p>
<p>Last thing, NYC is firing MANY teachers. Sped and ESL teachers are exempt…</p>
<p>But, sometimes doing what you like is the best path to success!! I am from India and my parents wanted me to do engineering (no surprises there!), but after long “discussions” and a lot of foot stamping (and well realizing how miserable I was doing science!) they told me to do whatever I truly feel is for me, and what I really like and am passionate for! As for me I always saw myself in humanities! ALWAYS! And right now I am sooo happy that I could study humanities (and that I will be studying humanities) and and and I’m going to college!! (seriously with science college seemed sooo far away!!) 
So just let them know how much this decision matters to you (its gonna take a while to make them realize this 
but if you make them watch this bollywood movie 3 idiots the “process” will get quicker)</p>
<p>Follow your dream, or else who knows, you might regret not following it later in your life, when you look back.</p>
<p>Kudos to you for wanting to go into such a noble profession!</p>
<p>I basically had no idea about Special Ed till I took a class last semester. AMAZING!</p>
<p>Show your folks a couple of youtube vids about the amazing work Special Ed teachers do daily, and they will know how special what you want to do is, and maybe they can forget about the money aspect.</p>
<p>Countless times I’ve passed the special ed students while I switched buildings for classes. It always hurt me when I contemplated why they were doing nothing, while I was completing a meaningful journey in HS. Why they would sometimes be seen as cleaning the cafeteria tables, while I ran past to enter a buzzing science class. I knew they were not treated like I was, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have the potential to reach the stars. Their teachers, only 2 for a flock of 15, would always seem a mixture of tired, exhausted, and sleepy.
While more active and enthusiastic for learning, I never stepped my foot down to help these kids. My guilt trickled down my entire soul, and for a time I did try to reduce it by tutoring math to ppl who were on the verge of dropping out of school. Nevertheless, after graduation, I always regretted having to never made contact with the special ed students as I sincerely wanted to converse with them and be the special someone to shine their life.
My senior year, I would cross a hall where all of them would just wander off to the cafeteria for lunch in scattered pairs. I would smile if anyone of them locked their eyes with mine. I didn’t want to stare at them as if they were some rare species because I knew how that would have felt. In fact, I didn’t want to be like most people who disregarded these kids’ feelings. On my final day at school, I saw these kids walking and wandering around our large track, while the teachers just sat at a corner, sheltered under a quaint shade, with other kids who would rather prefer to sit and watch all the regular kids switch their classes off to the side of the track. I saw them that day, and they all saw me since I was the last person to travel to my class like a transient. I wanted to run and play with them that day, but I knew I was suppose to scurry off to my class where we would do nothing better than just play useless games that were meant to pass time and teach us nothing of the subject as exams had long passed.
What mortifies me now is what will happen to these kids? I will never know whether those that started out in my year would graduate with me too or will they repeat their routine the next year due to extension of study? What occupation will they have in life? Will they always remain dependent on someone to do their task for them or will they learn from experiences and tread like an adult?
All these questions interest and scare me, as I hope that they will not end doing that cafeteria job for life or roam high school tracks like unemployed souls. If only I could have known their dreams and made them possible in front of their eyes.
Federer, I am quite appreciative for your path of interest. Your job is no smaller than the measley money making doctors/engineers/any high paying career. In fact, if you are the best of the best special ed teachers out there, you will receive more blessings than money can ever buy. It pains me when I see so many special ed teachers, on the verge of retirement, who just don’t have the energy to make these kids feel young. I am glad that the one important thing that I missed in high school will be well taken care of by someone like you. This isn’t a giving-up speech on my part though, because I will actually pursue to meet special ed kids and learn the precious wishes I never got to hear. I just wanted to tell you how meaningful of a job it can be to become a teacher. </p>
<p>Live U Life</p>
<p>^ +1 Like :)</p>
<p>* Poor and content is rich, and rich enough. *</p>
<p>I loved your post Liveulife. 
In a nutshell. :)</p>
<p>Seconded wholeheartedly. :)</p>
<p>Thirded completely and utterly.</p>