Whilst many teachers and those who work in the education industry often talk of how gratifying and rewarding it can be, there is always another side to coin. Helping children mentally grow and watch them reach their full potential is about as important and regarding as a profession gets, but can also be very difficult and challenging along the way. I, Annette Godfrey Lambeth, have dedicated my career to helping children with learning disadvantages, and fought to make the education system more inclusive for all children. IN this time I have met some wonderful people, so committed to their work.
For me, Annette Godfrey Lambeth, working with such great people has been an honor and is something I thoroughly enjoy. However, I have seen how much working in special education can take out of people. It is demanding work, and very exhausting, and unfortunately many teachers simply can;t work in the industry for longer than a certain period of time. Not only is this due to the the nature of the job, but some feel the lack of support, advise and guidance can make the work feel isolating at times.
With this in mind, I recently decided to try and combat the issue. I developed a Special Education Summer Symposium in an effort to recruit, retain and support new teachers to the field of Special Education. As people who work in the industry know, it is often understaffed, and we need more people than ever to join us and help tackle education injustices for children with learning disadvantages. Whilst recruitment was an important issue at the event, so too was retention. By inviting people across the special education spectrum to the symposium, my hope was that they would be able to network, share stories and help reinforce the reasons they joined the industry in the first place. As mentioned, it can be a very challenging job. Being able to meet with others who have had similar experiences can help ease one's mind, and reassure each other that the challenges faced in the industry are worth wile in the long run.
By networking, we hoped that the teacher would be able to build up their support networks offer advise and guidance on methods and approaches, and be able to form friendships that can be beneficial to everyone working in the industry. You can read Annette Lambeth's Bio to find out more about my life and career.
For me, Annette Godfrey Lambeth, working with such great people has been an honor and is something I thoroughly enjoy. However, I have seen how much working in special education can take out of people. It is demanding work, and very exhausting, and unfortunately many teachers simply can;t work in the industry for longer than a certain period of time. Not only is this due to the the nature of the job, but some feel the lack of support, advise and guidance can make the work feel isolating at times.
With this in mind, I recently decided to try and combat the issue. I developed a Special Education Summer Symposium in an effort to recruit, retain and support new teachers to the field of Special Education. As people who work in the industry know, it is often understaffed, and we need more people than ever to join us and help tackle education injustices for children with learning disadvantages. Whilst recruitment was an important issue at the event, so too was retention. By inviting people across the special education spectrum to the symposium, my hope was that they would be able to network, share stories and help reinforce the reasons they joined the industry in the first place. As mentioned, it can be a very challenging job. Being able to meet with others who have had similar experiences can help ease one's mind, and reassure each other that the challenges faced in the industry are worth wile in the long run.
By networking, we hoped that the teacher would be able to build up their support networks offer advise and guidance on methods and approaches, and be able to form friendships that can be beneficial to everyone working in the industry. You can read Annette Lambeth's Bio to find out more about my life and career.