While teaching itself demands patience and dedication, working with children with special needs requires an even deeper sense of compassion and understanding. Special education teachers go beyond conventional teaching methods, adapting their approach to suit every child and helping them become more confident and independent. This Teachers’ Day, CE speaks to special education teachers about their experiences, challenges and the special bond they share with their students.
Shankar Foundation: Teaching with patience and love
For teachers at Shankar Foundation in Begumpet, every day is a learning experience. P Pavani, who has been associated with the school for 12 years, says her journey helped her understand the world of special education. “After coming here, I learnt about different disabilities. I am very happy to be a part of this school. We should have a lot of patience to teach these students. I never felt like giving up on them,” she says. For Pavani, the relationship has also become deeply personal. Married for 16 years and without children of her own, she says, “I feel that these are my kids and look at them in that way.”
For Victoria K, a pre-primary special education teacher at Shankar Foundation, the decision to enter the field came after she encountered children with special needs during a visit to Sweekar with her father. Her experience, she says, has taught her to adapt to every child’s needs. “Daily we get to learn. According to their mood, whether they want to learn or not, we adjust and teach them,” she says. Victoria, who is also a mother of an intellectually challenged child, believes in approaching the students positively.
Principal Pavan Rekha, who started at the school as a teacher and has now spent more than two decades there, says special education requires a completely different teaching approach. “We are trained to teach these students, which cannot be done with normal teaching methods. We have to prepare flash cards and make sure that they learn. A lot of care goes into teaching these kids, and these are all our kids. We love to do this and make these students independent. They are students who work in IT sectors and different fields of work and we are proud to be called their teachers,” she says.
Devnar School for the Blind: A bond beyond the classroom
At Devnar School for the Blind in Begumpet, many teachers have found their way into special education through personal experiences, turning their profession into a journey of understanding, empathy and purpose.
Hogla G, who has been associated with Devnar Foundation since 2000, shares, “After my son suffered with visual impairment, there was no one to guide me. Then I joined here and first I volunteered, and the management supported me.”
V Nagalakshmi, who has been teaching at Devnar for 14 years, also entered the field because of her daughter, who has an intellectual disability. Initially, she lacked confidence in handling her child’s condition and wanted to learn more. “I had the intention to work, so I was just thinking and wished to take up a job here,” she says.
Her first experience of teaching visually impaired students was challenging, particularly as her subject is mathematics. “I understood that these children are more empathic and compassionate. The attachment they have with us is more than the normal students. There was a time I felt like quitting, but their love made me stay. I am blessed and the management has supported me in every way possible,” shares Nagalakshmi.
For P Glory, who has spent 30 years at Devnar, the school became a source of strength after she lost her son. Someone suggested that she visit the school, where she found comfort in the children. “Two or three children asked, ‘Why are you crying? Teacher, we are your sons.’ They are concerned about me if I don’t turn up for a day. Since we teach these kids, I know there is a blessing for us from God. Service to man is service to God and that keeps me motivated,” she recalls emotionally.
For these teachers, education goes far beyond lessons and classrooms. It is about patience, empathy, encouragement and helping every child discover their potential.