Keeping Perspective in Special Education: A Pep Talk for the New School Year

Keeping Perspective in Special Education: A Pep Talk for the New School Year

Introduction

 Are you feeling that beginning of the year exhaustion, yet?

The new routines, new students, new paras, new schedules…it literally feels like everything hits all at once. 

Today, I want to talk with you about perspective…how to step outside your school bubble, keep little problems from feeling like big ones, and protect yourself from burnout before a new school year starts.

I’m going to share some of the lessons I’ve learned throughout my career, and some practical strategies to help you decide what’s truly worth your energy. My hope is that you’ll walk away with a fresh perspective and a little more peace of mind as you head into this school year.

Misery Loves Company

So if you’ve started your year and you are feeling overwhelmed right now, if you’re running around trying to do everything for everyone, if your to-do list feels like it’s growing faster than you can check things off, I want you to know…it’s not just you.

You know the term “misery loves company?”

Sometimes it’s just nice to hear that you aren’t the only one having issues. 

I go to many buildings and talk to many teachers and I hear it from some of you on my email list.

This job is demanding, especially at the start of the year. There’s a lot coming at you all at once: new students, new paraprofessionals, new expectations, and new routines. It’s totally normal to feel like everything is urgent and that every little thing matters so much.

But here’s some truth that only comes with experience: I promise that most of the “big” problems you’re dealing with right now… won’t feel so big later in the year.

Having taught for so long, I experienced my own set of BIG problems. A new student on day 3 of school with major behavior concerns who need a one-to-one para and I didn’t have one. Students will extreme medical needs that I didn’t know how to address or handle. An extreme shortage of staff and not being able to cover all my students inclusion minutes. Large groups of pull-out students with a huge range of abilities and needs.

And yes, I’ve cried. I’ve cried out of frustration, exhaustion, and sheer overwhelm. I’ve cried because I didn’t feel like I was doing enough. I’ve cried because I was mad and felt mistreated by the system. I threatened to quit more times than I care to admit. I questioned whether I was cut out for this work, even though deep down I knew I was where I was meant to be.

And yet… here I am. Still standing. Still showing up to support teachers like you who are in the thick of it because I love this field. Because even on the hard days, I know we are making a difference. 

Big Problems Don't Stay Big Forever

And I want you to know that those overwhelming problems won’t stay big forever. Once the routines settle, once relationships are built, once the chaos fades into a rhythm, you will get through it. You will find solutions. You will figure it out.

Now, I can’t promise you’ll get all the support you need from higher-ups. I can’t promise your class size will shrink or that a para will magically reappear or that every gen ed teacher will be on board with inclusion.

But I can promise that you will get stronger.
You will become more confident.
And your perspective will shift.

And one day, like me, you might look back and not even remember the things that once felt like the end of the world.

So if you’re in that space right now where everything feels heavy—know this:
You’re not alone. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re just in the hard part. And it will get easier.

But while you're in it, or before you head back into the thick of it, I thought it would help to have a few tools to help bring you back to center.

Because even though we can't always change our circumstances, we can shift our perspective, and that shift can make all the difference.

Perspective Shift #1: Ask Yourself—Will This Matter in 3 Days? 3 Weeks? 3 Months?

One of the best tools I picked up along the way in my career is the "Triple 3 Rule." When something stressful happens, stop and ask:

• Will this matter in 3 days?
  
  
• Will it matter in 3 weeks?
  
  
• Will it matter in 3 months?
  
  

If the answer is no… let it go. That lesson plan flop? The para who forgot their duty? The student who had a meltdown in the hallway? These are moments, not milestones. Don't give them more mental real estate than they deserve.

Perspective Shift #2: Stay in Your Lane but Don’t Isolate

It’s easy to get pulled into everyone else’s drama…another teacher complaining about admin, a parent email with a negative tone, or a district-wide initiative that feels like just one more thing. It helps to stay focused on your lane: your students, your team, your goals.

But… “stay in your lane” doesn’t mean you should isolate. Find your people. Find those who build you up, offer perspective, and remind you that you're doing enough. This might be your co-teacher, another special education teacher down the hall, or even an online community of educators who get it.

Heck—it might even be a voice on a podcast reminding you that you’re doing enough, even when it feels like you’re barely keeping your head above water.

And then don’t overlook the power of building strong connections with your general education colleagues, too. I know it can feel like you’re in different worlds, but those relationships can make all the difference. When you collaborate, communicate, and support one another, you not only improve outcomes for students… you create a team that helps everyone stay afloat.

Perspective Shift #3: Know When to Zoom In… and When to Zoom Out

In special education, we’re trained to notice the little things..tiny gains in behavior, a shift in attention span, an absent seizure taking place, a student finally writing their name independently. That attention to detail is a superpower. That attention to detail? It’s a superpower.
But just like any superpower—it can also be draining.

When you’re constantly zoomed in on every data point, every behavior plan, every missed service minute, it’s easy to feel like you’re carrying the weight of the world.

That’s why it’s so important to also know when to zoom out.

To step back and look at the big picture.
To remind yourself that progress is happening, even if it’s not on a perfect timeline.
To see that your students are growing—even if today wasn’t the breakthrough you hoped for.

Zooming in helps us meet individual needs.
Zooming out helps us stay grounded and emotionally healthy.

And the balance between the two? That’s where the magic happens.

So give yourself permission to step back sometimes and reconnect with the bigger purpose behind the work you’re doing.

Your Peace is Worth Protecting

As you settle into this new school year, I challenge you to carry this one truth with you: you cannot do it all, and you don’t have to. 

Focus on what matters most. Tackle the most pressing issue first. Let the little things go. Laugh with your paras. High five your kids. Give yourself grace. Keep perspective.

The job is big. But at the end of the day…it’s a J-O-B. And it can’t be more important than your well-being.

So protect your peace.
Trust that things will settle.
And remind yourself…you’re doing better than you think.

Thank you for letting me walk alongside you during this busy, messy, exciting start to the school year. I hope I have given you not just strategies, but also perspective, and maybe even a little bit of peace.

Don't let the conversation end here.

Tune in to Special Education for Beginners where we dive deeper into topics that matter to you, sharing stories and insights that inspire.

Eager to expand your toolkit? Check out these episodes today:

Episode Episode 173: Effective Progress Monitoring Methods and Strategies
Episode 142: Save Time Writing IEPs with Artificial Intelligence