All teachers need to have a special education background. There. I said it.

It may mean obtaining a minor in special education or working part time in a special needs school. It may mean babysitting for a child with autism or volunteering at a special needs daycare program. I don’t much care how it happens; it just needs to happen.

For better or worse, mainstreaming is the direction our educational system has been heading in for years. Mainstreaming to me is like communism or a giant hot fudge sundae with the works. Sounds pretty sweet in theory; in practice, not so much.

While I can and have talked about the great lacking in the current iteration of mainstreaming education, I think the best and most productive fix comes from our teachers. We will not be able to part the seas or throw bolts of lightening from our fingertips. But we can – and we should – educate ourselves. We can be prepared for what we know will be coming our way. We can stand up and take responsibility, avoid pitfalls and above all else, help all children learn.

We just need to learn a few things first.

We need to avoid situations like this one and aim for something closer to this.

While I hope Bignity can be a stepping stone for general educators to learn a little bit more about special education, no website is a substitute for real experience. I encourage all general education teachers to take a few continuing education classes, to ask questions and to ask for help.