Being a teacher is one of the most challenging professions today. But for special education teachers, those challenges often come with an added layer of responsibility — and reward.

For Erica Garner, becoming a special education teacher wasn’t part of her original plan. Still, she says it felt like a calling she was always meant to answer.

Garner said her connection to special education began long before she entered the classroom. Growing up, her parents’ close friends had a son with profound disabilities, and she spent years helping care for him.

“I saw the impact that people had on his life,” Garner said. “Originally, I wasn’t going to do special education. I actually went to school to be an occupational therapist.”

Special education teachers work with students who have learning, mental, emotional, or physical disabilities, adapting lessons and developing plans to meet each individual child’s needs.

According to federal data, about 14% of public school students in the United States receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, meaning millions of children rely on special education teachers each year.

That early experience stayed with her and eventually guided her toward a career in special education, a field she says is often misunderstood.

Educators say those misconceptions can make the job even harder, especially as special education teachers juggle increasing expectations.

“I think people think special ed and they think nonverbal kids in wheelchairs,” Garner said. “A big stereotype is kids that can’t learn, and that’s not true. I think every kid has the ability to learn in some way, shape, or form.”

Garner says one of the most rewarding parts of her job is watching students grow — even when that growth looks different for every child.

“I have kids that growth is going to look like eating in the cafeteria by themselves, and that’s a huge win,” she said. “I have kids that are going to independently go to the bathroom, and that’s growth.”

Those small victories come amid a national staffing challenge. Nearly one in five U.S. schools reported they were not fully staffed in special education at the start of the 2023–24 school year, making it the most understaffed teaching specialty nationwide.

She said she doesn’t take lightly the responsibility of teaching and caring for students with disabilities.

“It is scary to send any kid into the world,” Garner said. “But to send a kid that has disabilities, you wonder if they’re being treated fairly, if other kids are being nice to them, and if someone is there who loves them and is doing what’s best for them.”

Despite the physical and mental exhaustion that can come with the job, Garner says the small victories make it worthwhile.

“I have kids that are nonverbal but can add and subtract three-digit numbers,” she said. “We’re teaching these kids skills they’re going to use later in life to have a meaningful life and give back to society.”

Special education, she said, may have fallen into her lap — but it’s a role she fully embraced and never looked back on.

“I get to work with kids every day and see growth constantly,” Garner said. “And it’s really cool.”