As the summer comes to a close and the beginning of another school year is quickly approaching, I find myself asking the question, “Am I really ready for another year?” If you’re a special education teacher or anyone working in education, you might be asking this too.
Maybe you’ve even considered leaving the field altogether. Maybe you told yourself this might be your last year. Maybe you spent the summer trying not to think about lesson plans, IEPs, behavior plans, or progress monitoring. Yet, here you are, showing up for another school year.
If this sounds like you, you are not alone.
There have been so many changes in education, schools and classrooms over the last five years. COVID-19 and other factors changed the state of education and now students have different needs and desires, it is an ever evolving process. With these changes, teachers are being asked to do more each year. In addition to all of our usual tasks, we’re implementing new curricula, navigating rising behavior challenges, and meeting growing expectations, often with less support. Unfortunately, we are all part of a larger, interconnected system, and big systems are slow to catch up to the changes happening around us.
But, year after year, you show up. That is HUGE. Let’s unpack why. Let’s look at what the research says. And let’s honor the courage it takes to return.
If you’re heading into another school year, it is not because it’s easy, but because it still matters to you, which means you are most likely anchored by purpose.
Research published in the journal, Educational Psychology, found that teachers who report a strong sense of meaning in their work are less likely to burn out and more likely to experience job satisfaction, even in high-demand roles like special education.
Another study by Klassen and Chiu (2011) revealed that self-efficacy, a teacher’s belief in their ability to influence student learning, is one of the most powerful predictors of both commitment and long-term job satisfaction.
What does that mean for you? You don’t need to feel great about everything to keep going. You just need to stay connected to why you’re here and believe that your work still makes a difference. Your purpose may change year after year so it’s important to relook at your purpose at the beginning of every school year.
If you’ve been questioning your role in education lately, you’re not imagining things. The data tells us this too.
A 2022 RAND Corporation report found that nearly 24% of teachers said they were likely to leave their job. This is more than double the attrition rate of U.S. workers overall. The top reasons reported were burnout, low pay, political pressures, and lack of support. For special education teachers, the data is even higher.
The U.S. Department of Education has identified ongoing shortages in special education staffing across a vast number of states. Organizations like the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and NCPSSERS have declared a national crisis that is driven by unsustainable caseloads, excessive paperwork, and insufficient access to training and support.
A 2021 study in Exceptional Children (Bettini et al.) found that special educators were far more likely to leave when they lacked administrative support, collaboration time, and autonomy in decision making. And in a 2017 study published in Teaching and Teacher Education, Skaalvik and Skaalvik identified emotional exhaustion and lack of role clarity as key contributors to special educator attrition. Yet we are still here.
If you’re still showing up, take a moment to acknowledge that. Truly. You may not feel “ready,” but you are present, and that’s powerful.
Here are three tools to ground yourself as you step into the 2025-2026 school year:
Write down your “why” for becoming a teacher. Keep it somewhere visible—on your desk, planner, or even a sticky note on your laptop. Let it guide your decisions when the noise of the day gets loud. (Stay tuned: I’ll be sharing a detailed reflection activity soon to support this work.)
Burnout thrives in isolation, connection heals it and community restores it. Lean on your team, whether that’s paraeducators, fellow teachers, office staff, or an online PLN (Professional Learning Network). Celebrate the small wins together. Laugh, cry and be human together.
You’re trained to care for others, but your well being matters just as much, if not more. Think about the plane analogy, put on your life mask first and then help others. Start small: a two-minute breathing break between meetings, a gratitude sticky note, or a short walk after school. These micro-practices can help retrain your nervous system and restore your energy over time (McGonigal, 2015).
This school year, don’t aim for perfection. Aim for presence. Stay rooted in your impact. Ask for support when you need it. And remember what you do matters, deeply.
Whether you’re stepping into this year with excitement, hesitation, exhaustion, or hope—you belong here. And I’m so glad you’re still here.
Please share your reflections with me by dropping a comment below. Let’s inspire one another as we return to the work that matters most.
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