What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Special Education Teacher (Honest 2026 Update)

Back in 2021 I made this video and it took off , so I'm coming back with an update. A lot has changed. I've moved from Mississippi to Florida to California, gone from self-contained teacher to behavior specialist, and the narrative around teaching has shifted a lot. In this video I'm sharing: ✅ What's actually different now vs. post-COVID ✅ Why behavior in special ed isn't necessarily "worse" but why we ARE seeing more students struggling ✅ The role of tech in emotional regulation (and what that means for your classroom) ✅ What I've learned about co-regulation, relationship-building, and becoming trauma-informed If you're a special education teacher, paraprofessional, or behavior support staff feeling burned out and wondering if it's always been this hard — this video is for you. Stop stressing over behavior data! My done-for-you behavior tracking tools make it simple to collect, organize, and use data — so you can focus on your students, not your clipboard. Find them at the TpT link below. 🛒 *My Teacher Resources & Stores* ✨ Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/s... ✨ Amazon Storefront (Favorite Teacher Tools): https://amzn.to/41ULfV7 ✨ Coaching Calls: https://pillar.io/thebehaviorcheckin 📌 *Stay connected:* Instagram | TikTok | Facebook: @thebehaviorcheckin Business inquiries: [email protected] #TeacherBurnout #TeacherSupport #SpecialEducation #ClassroomManagement #TeacherLife #specialeducation #behaviorspecialist #traumainformedteaching #spedteacher