Here's why SEN is such a rewarding career choice
From teaching assistants to SENCOs, here’s why SEN is such a rewarding career choice
Special educational needs (SEN) teaching roles are varied, challenging and incredibly rewarding. The difficulty of the profession is clearly demonstrated by the high rate of burnout: 12.3% of SEN teachers leave the profession - nearly double the rate of other teachers - yet the number of pupils with special educational needs is continuing to rise. In fact, in January 2019, the number of SEN pupils rose to 1,318,300 - that’s 14.9% of the total pupil population.
Working with children from a range of backgrounds with a variety of special needs is no walk in the park and certainly isn’t for everyone - but the fact is that SEN can be an incredible career choice for the right person. So from SEN teaching assistant jobs to teaching roles and SENCOs, if you’re thinking about stepping away from mainstream teaching, read on to discover why SEN is such a unique yet rewarding career path.
The day to day role
As part of the SEN team, you will work specifically with children and young adults who find learning more difficult than others. You could be teaching children with mild or moderate learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia), physical disabilities, emotional or behavioural problems, or hearing or visual impairments. As well as preparing lessons and teaching across the curriculum, other elements of the job include researching and creating group and individual learning plans, working closely with parents and other professionals, developing appropriate learning activities for each child and encouraging and guiding development. It goes without saying that to succeed in SEN, you need to have genuine passion and enthusiasm as well as plenty of patience, but the rewards are huge - and you can make a real difference to the lives of young people.
Why SEN is so rewarding
SEN teaching and SEN teaching assistant jobs can often be even more rewarding and have more job satisfaction than a typical teaching job. After all, when you are working with children who aren’t even sure they are capable of learning, seeing them achieve things beyond what they thought was possible is incredible. With SEN teaching, you are supporting the children who need it the most and ensuring all children have access to the curriculum in a safe and successful learning environment. You can really make a difference and the rewards are tangible. Need more convincing? Here are five more reasons why SEN is such a rewarding career choice:
Shape the future of the next generation
Yes, qualifications are important, but with SEN teaching it’s about so much more - and there is so much progress to witness. It’s about preparing children who are most in need for their life, helping them to be successful, get a job - and ultimately live independently one day. It’s about giving them a life without limits, opening doors and showing them that anything is possible. Finally, it’s about more than just preparing them for the next exam - it’s about having a direct positive impact on their futures. There is nothing more rewarding than watching a SEN child master a situation and make connections with the world around them, knowing that you had an integral part to play in the development and shaping of their future.
Learn new skills
In SEN teaching and SEN teaching assistant jobs, it’s not just the students who learn - the teachers are constantly picking up new skills, too. SEN students tend to benefit from a highly structured environment, so SEN teachers will need to make sure every part of the day is accounted for - which means there’s no better way to hone your classroom management and organisational skills! Not only that, but you’ll also improve your interpersonal skills and communication skills, and you’ll learn how to interact with and be part of a wider team, including parents, other teachers, specialists and even psychologists, too.
Be creative
Another thing that makes SEN teaching so rewarding is you get more freedom with what you teach and how you teach it. It’s all about the individual child and finding ways to inspire them - which means you get to be incredibly creative in your approach. Sensory activities, singing, dancing, cooking, eating, painting - there are so many creative ways to inspire your students and help them to understand and grasp different concepts. You might even end up teaching the same material in three or four different ways to help different children understand it in a way that works for them! It’s not a one size fits all strategy - it’s about trying new things and adapting your teaching style to meet individual needs.
Build relationships
In an SEN setting, you will typically teach smaller classes and may even conduct lessons on a one-to-one basis, which means you can really get to know the children you are teaching so you can really make a difference in their lives. By building personal relationships with your students and investing the time getting to know them, you will learn what it is they really need. Each pupil is unique - and discovering their individual needs, strengths and differences is all part of the magic of SEN teaching.
Be inspired by your students
Without a doubt, one of the most rewarding parts of SEN teaching is that you get to learn from your students every day. Watching them overcome obstacles and work so hard to make progress is one of the most inspiring things in the world - and despite the challenges involved with SEN teaching, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a student spend hours trying to learn something and then finally succeeding.
Want to find out more?
SEN teaching certainly isn’t for everyone - but for the right person, working with children with special educational needs can be hugely rewarding and incredibly enjoyable. At Class People, we’re experts in SEN recruitment and can help you find your dream role. Simply contact us today to find out more about the SEN teaching roles and SEN teaching assistant jobs we currently have available.
