No punchline here... just an epiphany.

Over the past 18 years, many people have asked me, “What exactly does a special education teacher do?” I usually give a pretty long answer (yes I can be wordy… shocking!) involving leveling the playing field, teaching differently for kids who learn differently, and using different techniques to allow students to access a rigorous curriculum.

Sometimes it seems like kids with learning disabilities need to navigate a complicated maze in order to master what other kids can do following one straight line…. but they can still master it!

But thanks to observing my daughter at swim lessons today, I have a new and much simpler answer.

My daughter has taken swim lessons every summer for the past 6 years. She has become an excellent swimmer. This year, she reached the final stage of the lessons… diving!

Looks like Bob could use a pool noodle.

Although she was struggling to master the technique, she was determined to succeed and never gave up. She made a little bit of progress each day. Then today, she got it. She improved more in one 30 minute session than she had in the other 8 combined.

Why?

What was different?

The instructors are all high school kids on the swim team. They are all excellent swimmers and very nice kids. Because they rotate stations each day, my daughter MJ had a different instructor every day. Each instructor did a great job explaining and demonstrating what MJ should do. But it just wasn’t “clicking.”

That technique doesn’t look quite right.

Today, her newest instructor watched MJ dive off the blocks a couple of times. Then this 16 year old expert quietly walked over to the supply room and emerged with a pool noodle. She held the noodle parallel to the water a few feet in front of the block on which my daughter was standing. Then she said, “OK MJ. Dive over this noodle without touching it.”

MJ dove and barely nicked the noodle. On her second try, she cleared it completely. After about 10 more tries with the noodle, the young lady tossed it to the side and told MJ to give it a shot without it.

Did any of these women need a pool noodle while learning to dive? Who knows? More importantly, who cares?

splash (I was going to make that huge for emphasis… but in diving a big splash is bad).

She dove nearly flawlessly into the pool. After a few more attempts and some minor adjustments, she had it. She could dive off the blocks like a pro!

That is what a special education teacher does.

We provide the right pool noodle for each kid.

MJ could dive. She just needed to look at the challenge a little differently. Does that make her a worse diver than someone else? Should she be penalized for learning how to dive differently than others had learned? Did she fail because it took her more time and attempts? Of course not. She dove incredibly well. Who cares how she got there?

MJ may never be a Katie Ledecky… but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be proud of the obstacle she overcame today. I know I am.

That is what special educators are experts in… finding the right “pool noodle” and helping kids to help themselves overcome their obstacles. Even though the right “pool noodle” might be different for each kid I teach, I know it is out there. I just have to rely on my experience, training, and instincts to find the right match.

So the next time someone asks me, “What do special education teachers do?”, I will proudly tell them...

“We help kids find the right pool noodle for themselves.”

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