[Spraynard Kruger]

Find yourself a good mentor. And no, I'm not talking about Jack Daniels, either.

You will learn coping skills. And, if you break your contract, you can guarantee that you won't be able to come back to work here. The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. A year will fly.

Are your problems personal or classroom related? There are a lot of resources available for Autism teachers. You just have to know where to ask. My wife was in the same boat as you 12 years ago, getting pushed on a plane to come back here...when all she wanted to do was cut and run.

It was for the best! hang in there.

[Nolan05]

CCSD is a hard place to get comfortable with and I was told that by many teachers when I was there. There is such a high turnover in new teachers because many used to come from the east and they thought how great Vegas wold be and then got there and saw that they could not make it. BOth my wife and I had trouble our 1st years, but it does get better. CCSD just does not look out for it's newbies that well, kind of like a rookie ball player gets treated by the vets. My good friend just entered his 5th year and dais it is totally different from his first couple and loves his job now. Most colleges do not prepare new teachers for how it is really going to be, just by what the books tell them it should be.

[Heyygirl]

Many of the issues with new teachers have to do with the nature of the job. No amount of college education can prepare someone for running any type of classroom, and participating on any campus. It is a lonely experience. Especially these days with NCLB and all the repetition of paperwork required. The paperwork is a whole other job in itself. Also, if one has an introverted personality, it is pretty much alien to what comes naturally to that person. Extroverts do well as teachers as it is full of interaction, people around all the time, noise, noise, noise. They are energized by by this. Introverts become depleted by it. Introverts are energized when they have time alone to "recharge". So, if one is an introvert (ie:me) he/she must find quiet time each day to regain the emotional and literally physical energy that is drained from the classroom experience. It can be done, but it is a perpetually alien environment. Fortunately, only 180 days out of the year. That is the upside. You have received some great advice here. Good luck with your decision.

[ali74]

OP..if you can shed more light on your experience..it'll be helpful for prospective special ed teachers

[quixotic59]

Originally Posted by Saphybug1

I came to work here as a special Ed teacher in autism and I absolutely hate it and want to go back home! Is hard to get out of the contract in this distrct.

While I don't have any experience with CCSD, I have taught in NYC for 21 years. Your original post could be true for almost anyone involved in Special Ed. right now. Due to the fact that S.E. students usually require a higher expenditure per pupil than regular ed. many municipalities are trying to cut back on spending. Ironically, right now there is a shortage of special ed teachers.
The job you do is especially difficult and I give you a lot of credit for pursuing that specialty. As tough as it seems right now, with time you will master the quirks of CCSD (or any other locality) and be able to concentrate on your students. You might try and remember why you chose this path to begin with and use that to help you endure for the present.
No matter what, as previous posters have said, NEVER walk out on a teaching job during the year. It will follow you as a black mark on your record forever. Being reliable is one of the top requirements for a teaching position anywhere.
Talk to your colleagues, they probably have some good advice on survival skills!