National Special Education Day is a day that is celebrated annually on December 2nd.  This day was first established to commemorate the anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). This act was first signed into law in 1975 and it guarantees that students with special needs will be entitled to the same opportunities for education as non-disabled students.  Before this act, schools were not required to accommodate students with disabilities leaving many students excluded from an education.  

IDEA was instrumental in providing many students with equal access to an education while still providing many accommodations and modifications to ensure success.  IDEA has helped combat the stigma associated with special education.  This act also helped educators to focus on evaluating the education system and to initiate research into current teaching methods and develop technologies for accommodating students with special needs.  As a result, many students have been successful in their studies and have achieved a higher level of personal self-sufficiency.

The purpose of Special Education Day is to celebrate all the accomplishments made in helping students with special needs. It also honors teachers, school administrators, and parents who help to make sure that these students get the education they need and deserve.  To promote this holiday on social media, all you have to do is use the hashtags #NationalSpecialEducationDay and #SpecialEducationDay.  

The reason why this day is important to me is because 30 years ago, I decided that I wanted to become a special education teacher.  I made this decision because I truly wanted to make a difference in the classroom for students with special needs.  Over the course of my career, I have had many students enter my classroom that have lost hope in themselves because they felt they were unsuccessful in academics.  My first job as an educator is to make my students feel good about themselves.  Once I can get them to feel safe in the classroom, I can then focus on them feeling successful while learning.  Building confidence and developing their skills helps them to transition into society.  I have watched many of my students flourish and I’ve been able to help them develop skills that would benefit them post-graduation.  Many of my former students reach out to me and thank me for believing in them and helping them graduate.  These success stories have helped me to become a better educator.

Back in my days as a teacher, I was also fortunate to be part of a team that developed creative and meaningful learning opportunities for the students in our life skills classes.  We helped create many jobs within our school to aid in the development of practical skills students could use post-graduation.  One of the many jobs I helped to develop for my students was making and selling dog biscuits.  The students were involved in all aspects of the business from picking the recipe, making, and packing the biscuits, getting and delivering orders as well as the bookkeeping end of the business.  My students were recognized by one of the business clubs and were asked to participate in a mock “Shark Tank” competition. This experience helped many of my students with socialization, as well as developing important life skills.  Even though I retired, the business still exists and has extended to making the most delicious cookies. Many students that were in my class have gone on to work in our school and in the community. This is just one example of how providing students with disabilities with the support and experiences they need allows them to reach their potential and become successful, contributing members in society. This is why the quote below is so meaningful to me:

“It shouldn’t matter how slowly a student learns as long as we are encouraging them not to stop”      --- Robert John Meehan