Top 10 Tips for Starting Your Career in SEN - Special Education Needs
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Are you starting your career in SEN - Special Education Needs?
Are you looking for ways to make this experience even better and more rewarding? You're not alone. This is a tough industry, but it's also an incredibly rewarding one. If you want the best chance at starting off on the right foot, then here are 10 tips that will help get you there!
Find a mentor in Special Education
It's easy to feel overwhelmed starting in SEN - Special Education Needs, and the best way to avoid this is by finding someone who has done it before you. Find somebody else starting out, or even an experienced professional, but make sure they're willing to take the time for mentoring newbies like yourself! The more support that you have early on, the better.
Take your work seriously while still having fun with it all
It can be tempting just to throw up your hands at some of these kids and go 'oh well,' but remember that every single one of them deserves exactly what we give them: our full attention and our very best effort.
Learn to be content with working on the small things
A lot of times, what may seem like a mundane task is actually very important when seen in context.
Don't forget that it's ok not to know everything in SEN!
Try asking questions about something you don't understand or telling your mentors and colleagues that there are some aspects of the work which remain unclear for now. This can also help us find new ways of doing our jobs more efficiently. After all, nobody knows how best to do this better than we do ourselves!
Be proactive about your self-care
Start a daily practice of mindfulness or meditation. This might sound like hocus pocus at first but when you use these practices consistently they can really help manage stress levels and improve our emotional well-being. There are loads of apps out there which make trying this so easy!
If you find yourself in a difficult situation, talk to someone
Whether an individual such as another colleague with SEN experience, supervisor or manager, or senior leader from HR/the company, and ask how best to deal with the issue. It may not be anything serious (or even something you could do differently), but getting advice from an outside perspective can provide valuable, much-needed support and insight.
SEN knowledge is power
If you don't feel like you're in the know about something, ask questions! The worst that could happen would be having someone tell you they'll find out for you or to go look it up themselves, in which case your curiosity should be satisfied because now YOU have a starting point on what to research next.
Empowering others with knowledge around SEN goes both ways
Share information as well as asking for it when needed. You might not think of yourself as an expert but chances are good there's at least one person who will need your help understanding something someday and would appreciate being able to come back to you later instead of starting from scratch.
Keep your eyes on the prize when starting in a new job in Special Education
What are you working for? What is the goal at hand? Whether it's to be an advocate, educate others, or just serve as a voice for someone who can't speak up themselves--keep these reasons in mind and maybe even share them with other staff members both before starting and during breaks so that everyone has buy-in moving forward.
It doesn't matter if you're starting out fresh
Or if you have been doing this work for years; there will always be something else to learn! Find time each day/weekend to read blogs related to special educational needs or explore different topics unrelated) because information might not come easy otherwise.
Starting a career in SEN may not be as easy as starting any other, but it's no doubt worth the effort given these reasons and more. If you would like to learn more about how you can start your career in Special Educational Needs, check our latest blogs:
- How to start your career in Special Education
- Top 6 career paths in Special Education in 2021
- How do I make the right career choice in 2021
- 10 interview tips that will help you get started
- How to become a Special Educational Needs Assistant
- How to become a SENco in 2021
Looking for SEN Jobs? Click here to search our current roles
Updated Feb 24