Mentoring New Special Education Teachers: A Guide for Mentors and Program Developers

The turnover rate for special education teachers is the highest of all education fields. It is a tremendously demanding field, made more difficult by the fact that special education classrooms now are populated by mostly moderate to severely disabled students - emotional and behaviorally challenged, autistic, mentally retarded, deaf and dumb, blind, etc. - making the demands even more pronounced. This book will help mentors and schools better develop, prepare, and retain these special education teachers, reducing the high turnover rates. It focuses specifically on special education programs, including coverage of IEPs, transition plans, referrals, behaviour planning, assistive and augmented technology, teaching assistants, medical issues, high parent involvement, and critical issues of burnout and isolation. The approach is very practical, offering vignettes, resources, checklists, and related practitioner-friendly tools and pedagogy.