My Job -- My Niche Part 2

Since that auspicious day, my life has completely changed course. After all the preliminaries were accomplished, I began working as a substitute teacher. As I took assignments, I began realizing that I especially enjoyed working with special needs children. Since my first assignment, I have worked with visually impaired, hearing impaired, autistic, severely physically disabled (non-verbal in communication), behaviorally challenged and other special needs. I have taken assignments with students who generally didn’t have special needs (with the exception of the students who are integrated with the other students, yet have cross-categorical special education teachers work with them periodically) and have enjoyed those classes and those students. However, I have gained a reputation for accepting the “harder” assignments (ironically, I find the SPED challenging, but less difficult than the “normal” assignments).


Within a few weeks of accepting assignments as a substitute teacher, I realized I was doing the right thing at the right time. I also realized I needed to pursue the career I have been thinking about for a few years – counseling. I realized this after accepting an assignment at a facility that is set aside to intervene for at-risk children (pre-school to senior) and children with behavioral issues. I accepted an assignment one day, and was asked to return the next day. This was with a group of senior-high aged boys who have been faced with many obstacles (family, drugs, gangs – one young man stated that all his family but one aunt is in prison or dead, so he will probably eventually end up in prison). On the second day, I became the soundboard for a couple of boys who, during the break, voluntarily shared with me their life stories (one was the young man who expects to be in prison). After such an encounter, I went home and told my wife, “I need to be a counselor. I was able to listen to these boys, but I was only there two days, and I wasn’t qualified to counsel them anyway.”

At that point, I began looking for programs that would work with my schedule. I have found such a program, and will begin classes in the winter. This program is designed to meet the needs of students who work full-time. Therefore, I will be able to continue to substitute while I work on my Masters and PhD in Counseling Psychology.

Substitute teaching has proven to be so very satisfying to me. It has also helped me identify what my niche really is.