Social Network Transcript (1) Special Education

Mariah Baker
University of Kentucky

For this interview, I chose to interview Autumn Pyles. She is also pursuing her degree in Special
Education at the University of Kentucky. Autumn is in her Junior year. I chose to interview
Autumn to receive an active students viewpoint on the field of Special Education and her view
point on the difficulty of the required courses. I felt as if additional thoughts and feelings about
the careers would benefit me by reassuring or deterring me from a degree in Special Education.
Below are the transcripts from our interview.
Me:
What virtues do you think are necessary in order to be a successful Special Education teacher?
Autumn:
The most important would definitely be patience. It takes a lot of the time for the kids to grasp
task that you and I see as simple. I think it is also very important to be committed and dedicated
to your work.
Me:
What has been your most difficult required course for Special Education?
Autumn:
Its a toss-up between the classes I am in now, either EDS 530 or EDS 357 because they both
require so much time outside of class to work on the material
Me: How did you manage to complete it successfully?
Autumn:
Time management. It sometimes requires more work and less sleep

Me:
What made you decide to major in Special Education?
Autumn:
These kids need more caring hardworking people who value their ability to learn and there role
in this world. I believe every person has a role to play in some way and education is the greatest
virtue to play in that role. I want to give these students what they might not be able to receive
without my help.
Me:
What advice can you give someone beginning courses as a Special Education major? What
advice can you offer someone beginning the schooling to become a Special Education teacher?
Autumn:
Be open to all the observation hours you can receive, get yourself in those classrooms as much as
possible and ask questions at the observations. Dont be afraid to try and apply what you are
learning in those classrooms to get more comfortable. Get as much experience in the classroom
as you possibly can.
Me:
Do you think that anyone can be a Special Education teacher?
Autumn:

No, it takes a person who doesnt see them for their disability, but for their independence, and
intelligence that they can still have, with the proper tactics. It takes a lot of patience and hardwork and time to get through to them, but with the help of that teacher, they can strive.
Me:
In your opinion, what do you think some pros and cons of teaching Special Education will be?
Autumn:
Pros: being able to see the growth of that student, and the smiles on their faces when they finally
get something they have been trying at so far. Has to be the most rewarding to see their smiles
and their laughter in the classroom. Theyre hilarious also! They never hold anything back.
Cons: the behaviors of these students can be very hard to deal with. Sometimes youll get hit, bit,
punched, everything you can possibly think of and you just have to ignore it and learn to replace
and cope with that behavior, which will be a huge con. Pay- I believe all educators should be
paid more since they are responsible for our future doctors and lawyers down the road.
Me:
Have you ever experienced anything that made you doubt your ability to be a successful Special
Education teacher?
Autumn:
I recently applied to my program and my application is now on hold until I get more experience
and see if my grades this semester reflect my ability to become one, so for a while I doubted
myself because they had doubted me. But, if you know in your heart you can cause change in
these students lives, you cant give up. So I am currently working harder than ever to prove

them wrong and show them I can be a great special education teacher someday. There will
always be moments where you doubt yourself, in any field you choose.

Social Network Interview (2) Special Education

Mariah Baker
University of Kentucky

This interview was with my High Schools Special Education teacher, Mrs. Laura Allen. Mrs.
Allen is still an active Special Education teacher at my High School. I thought it would be quite
beneficial to have the input directly from someone already in the field. Mrs. Allen and I
previously knew each other because of being in the same community; so when I asked her to do
the interview and she learned about my career path, she became extremely excited to help me
with the interview and that I was possible pursuing Special education as a career path.
Me:
What virtues are necessary in this field of study?
Mrs. Allen
I believe you have to have a positive attitude and believe every student can learn despite their
circumstances.
Me:
Was there ever a time that you doubted your ability as a student pursuing Special Education as a
major?
Mrs. Allen:
No, I knew there would be hard days, but I always go for the under dog and want to help them
be successful in life.
Me:
Has there ever been a time that you doubted your ability to continue with teaching in Special
Education?

Mrs. Allen
No, again, some days are hard, but my good days out way the bad by far.
Me:
What are some of the pros and cons of teaching in Special Education?
Mrs. Allen:
Pros- helping students reach their potential, diverse community
Cons- all of the paperwork
Me:
Are there any pieces of advice you wish someone would had offered you before you entered the
field of Special Education?
Mrs. Allen:
Not really. This is my 2nd careerso I was motivated and knew this was my calling/purpose to
be in education. I wanted to make a difference in people lives.
Me:
What advice can you offer someone going through the schooling to become a Special Education
teacher?
Mrs. Allen:
To know your passion and what you are in the field forhave purpose!
Me:

Teaching requires immense commitment and it is not always an easy task. Think back to an
obstacle you faced while teaching, how did you get through it?
Mrs. Allen:
Sometimes you have difficult students and at times parents can be upset or angry due to a
situation. It helps me stay focused on the situation at hand- knowing that I have done my best to
help that student reach their maximum potential. Whatever Im faced with I know at the end of
the day I was doing my best to help the student be his/her best.
Me:
What has being a Special Education Teacher taught you?
Mrs Allen:
Definitely patience.
Me:
Do you think that anyone could be a special education teacher?
Mrs. Allen:
No, I believe you have to have a passion for helping others!
Me:
What virtues do you see necessary in order to be successful in this field?
Mrs. Allen:
Patience, positive attitude, trust worthy, honesty

Me:
In my own opinion, I believe Special Education is an emotionally invested career choice. To
clarify, I believe it is emotionally invested because of the close relationships you must have with
the students in order to earn their trust and respect.
Me: Do you agree that the career path is emotionally invested?
Mrs. Allen:
Yes, you build a closed relationship with your student and their families. You have to want to
make a difference in their lives.
Me: If so, how do you manage to succeed in the emotionally invested path of this career?
Mrs. Allen: I set healthy boundaries with my students and their families. This helps creates open
communication and a positive environment for everyone. The idea is for myself and the parent
to work together for the success of their student.