Chapter 2: Outcries of the Silent Voices: A Resistance Against “Bless Your Heart”

It has always been ingrained that teaching is both a science and an art. However, this leaves out the biggest piece of the educational field: teaching is a work of heart. The challenges and joys as an educator differ between regions and positions. The experience of teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities in the South is one that cannot be compared to other educators’ experiences. This chapter will take you on a journey through the heart of an elementary school Severe/Profound Intellectual Disabilities teacher. The outcries of seemingly silent voices will be heard louder than the mantras of the South: Bless Your Heart, it takes a special person, and you have a special crown in heaven. These phrases roll off the tongue when someone is face-to-face with a student that has a significant cognitive disability without showing them the respect and dignity they deserve. The ways special educators must combat these old southern mindsets will be dissected to reveal the unique beauty teaching this population can bring. This chapter’s outcry is not only a resistance against the perceived reality of being a special education teacher, but a lens into hope, persistence, and joy in a field that has one of the lowest teacher retention rates in education. The key components of presuming competence and building relationships will be explored to provide simple strategies that increase educators’ joy, resilience, and tenacity to face the daily challenges in special education.