I Just Don't Feel Like a Teacher: Struggling to Figure Out the First Year as an Early Childhood Special Educator

This article explores the experiences of six First-year teachers working in the broad, cross-categorical field of early childhood special education. A multicase approach provided insight into the complexity of teachers' roles and work with young children with special needs in a range of settings, with children of various ages and developmental delays. The findings indicate that the success of new early childhood special educators depends upon the development of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to effectively communicate and collaborate with families and colleagues. These skills were identified as essential and need to be fully integrated into their work with young children and their own professional development. The successes and challenges faced by these new professionals can inform current and future teacher education programs in early childhood special education.