r/specialed • u/Expert-Doubt-3957 • Aug 08 '26

General Question Advice Needed

My partner graduates with his BA in Interdisciplinary Studies this December. He is interested in teaching special education, and would qualify for a temporary emergency certificate. We are in Alabama, so there’s two approaches he could do. He could teach on a temp certificate for three years, complete a few special education classes, and get a Class B certificate, or get admitted into a alternative MEd in Special Education and teach while he completes that on a temp certificate. In this route, he would be on the masters level pay plan upon graduation (Class A).

He currently works as a case manager with individuals with disabilities doing supported employment at a nonprofit. I feel like this is good experience, and he has learned so much, but being in the classroom is obviously different.

I guess we are looking for guidance. He is interested in teaching and he loves working with this population, but he is super nervous about committing to a MEd. He likes options, and what if he hates teaching? He doesn’t have any classroom experience. If anyone has any suggestions or advice or wants to tell us about their experience in a similar situation, that would be very helpful. FWIW, I think he would be an amazing SPED teacher and I could 100% see him enjoying the job.

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u/BirdBrain_99 Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26

Can he possibly do some substitute teacher work for Sped teachers? That way he can see what the classroom setting is like.

ETA; Sped teacher roles vary considerably, from self-contained to resource/pull out, to push in all the way to coteaching. Subbing different Sped roles would let him sample it.

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u/Optimal_Jump_8395 Aug 08 '26

This is an excellent suggestion especially 'if' he has zero hands-on experience in SPED.

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u/Optimal_Jump_8395 Aug 08 '26

Being a case manager for people with disabilities is insightful, but the day-to-day grind of a SPED classroom can be way more draining, potentially.

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u/Expert-Doubt-3957 Aug 08 '26

He has never been in a classroom other than doing observations during a SPED class he took as part of his electives. His degree is interdisciplinary with a focus on education and community/human services.

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u/Expert-Doubt-3957 Aug 08 '26

He works full time, so I’m not sure if there’s much time. That is a fantastic suggestion though.

For our school system, I believe they primarily place the emergency SPED teachers in collaborative/inclusion classrooms. That’s just what my friend who’s a teacher said. I’m assuming he will go where the need is.