Episode Ep 359 April 13, 2021 55 min 44s

359. On the Job with Caitlin Dalton, Middle School Special Education Teacher

"I wish more people looked at them as humans first and were not scared… They don't know what to say, they don't know how to act. They may be well meaning, but they don't see it's just OK to talk to them like you would talk to anyone else. They're like anyone else in that they seek connection, attention, and love from the people around them."

We're wrapping up Season 4 of the On the Job series today, and we're doing that by giving a big round of applause — let's make it a standing ovation — for all the teachers out there. Teachers have been thrown so many curveballs and challenges in addition to what is already not easy work, and today, Caitlin Dalton is here to talk all about what the past year has looked like, and to reflect on pre-pandemic life in the classroom. Caitlin is a middle school special education teacher, and she is the teacher we all want or want our children to have. She is so passionate, so enthusiastic, and cares so deeply about her work. Caitlin works with students with severe disabilities, and is happy to shed light on all the great things these students are capable of. She also talks about the emotional component of her work, and about why burnout is so common among teachers. When she's not teaching, Caitlin is an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapist for clients with autism, is an assistant cross-country coach at the school, and is, of course, a runner herself.

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