The SpEd Resource Co

Some days, teaching is just plain exhausting.

And if you’re a special education teacher, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.

There are days when I leave school feeling like I’ve accomplished so much. A student mastered a skill we’ve been working on for weeks. Someone had a breakthrough. A lesson actually went according to plan!

And then there are the other days.

The days when you’re pulled in a hundred different directions, your to-do list keeps growing, and you wonder how you’re supposed to get everything done with the time and resources you have.

I know those days because I’m living them, too.

The Reality of Teaching Special Education

One of my biggest struggles is feeling like I don’t always have the resources or support I need to do my job effectively.

At my school, I don’t have a curriculum provided for me. I also don’t have a designated prep or planning period.

That means finding, creating, and adapting instructional materials while also managing IEPs, collecting data, collaborating with staff, supporting students, and handling everything else that comes with being a special education teacher.

And somehow, all of that is supposed to fit into a regular school day.

It’s a lot.

I love working with my students, and I want to give them the best education and support possible. But wanting to do a good job doesn’t magically create more hours in the day.

Sometimes, the expectations placed on teachers simply don’t match the time and resources we’re given.

And that takes a toll.

Finding One Positive in Every Day

Something I try to remind myself is that even on the hardest days, there’s usually something good worth noticing.

Sometimes it’s a big accomplishment. Other times, it’s something incredibly small.

Maybe a student independently completes a task they’ve been struggling with. Maybe someone uses a coping strategy instead of becoming overwhelmed. Maybe a student who usually needs several reminders follows a direction the first time.

Those moments matter.

When the day feels overwhelming, I try to find at least one positive thing to take home with me.

It doesn’t erase the difficult parts of the day. It doesn’t make the paperwork disappear or solve the challenges we’re facing.

But it reminds me why I do this work.

And some days, that one small win is exactly what I need.

Learning to Leave Work at Work

This has probably been one of the biggest changes I’ve made for myself this school year.

In previous years, I brought my work laptop and paperwork home almost every night. I worked in the evenings, on weekends, and whenever I could squeeze in a little extra time.

There was always something that needed to be done.

Another IEP to work on. More data to organize. Lessons to plan. Materials to prepare.

And the work never really ended.

This year, I decided something needed to change.

I’ve made myself unavailable outside of my contracted hours. I leave my work at school and intentionally make time during the school day to complete paperwork and other responsibilities.

Of course, emergencies happen. There may still be situations when I need to bring something home.

But that is no longer my everyday routine.

And I’m learning that it’s okay.

My time outside of school belongs to me and my family. I need that time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the parts of my life that have nothing to do with teaching.

Setting those boundaries hasn’t made my workload disappear, but it has helped me protect my time and energy.

If leaving everything at school feels impossible right now, start small. Choose one evening each week when you don’t open your laptop, check work messages, or bring paperwork home.

Give yourself that time.

You Cannot Do Everything, Every Day

This is something I think a lot of us struggle to accept.

As teachers, we want to do everything we can for our students. We want engaging lessons, organized classrooms, accurate documentation, meaningful progress, and strong relationships with families.

But there are only so many hours in a day.

Some days, the lesson doesn’t go as planned. Sometimes the paperwork has to wait. Sometimes we spend more time helping a student regulate than working on the academic skills we intended to teach.

And sometimes, simply getting through the day is an accomplishment.

I’ve had to learn to prioritize what truly needs my attention and accept that some things will have to wait until tomorrow.

The to-do list will probably never be completely finished.

That doesn’t mean the work we’re doing isn’t meaningful.

The Burnout Is Real

I think one of the hardest things about teacher burnout is how isolating it can feel.

You look around and wonder if everyone else is somehow managing things better than you are.

But I want you to know something.

I see it. I feel it. I’m living it.

The exhaustion is real. The frustration is real. The feeling of never having enough time, resources, or support is real.

And you’re not the only one experiencing it.

We can love our students and still feel overwhelmed by the demands of our jobs.

We can be dedicated educators and still need boundaries.

We can care deeply about our work and recognize that something needs to change.

Those feelings can exist together.

A Reminder for the Hard Days

If you’re reading this after one of those days when everything seemed to go wrong, I hope you’ll remember a few things.

Find one positive moment from your day, no matter how small.

Give yourself permission to leave unfinished work for tomorrow when you can.

Make time for something outside of school that brings you joy.

And remember that taking care of yourself matters, too.

I’m still figuring out how to balance all of this myself. Some days are easier than others, and I certainly don’t have all the answers.

But I do know that we deserve lives outside of our classrooms.

We deserve time to rest, spend time with our families, and enjoy the things that make us happy.

Most importantly, we deserve to feel supported in the work we do.

So if today was a hard day, take a moment to recognize what you accomplished, even if it wasn’t everything you had planned.

Tomorrow is another day.

And we’re in this together.

— The SpEd Resource Co.