Dual Perspectives: Navigating Special Education as a Teacher and a Parent

In this epiosde we get an insider's perspective of the world of special education from someone who sees it from both sides. 

Eleanor Janek is a dedicated special education teacher and a mother two two children with disabilties. 

Her insight is both eye opening and incredibly useful for virtually anyone who is a teacher or a parent.

The Odyssey: Parenting. Caregiving. Disability. 

The Center for Family Involvement at VCU School of Education's Partnership for People with Disabilities provides informational and emotional support to people with disabilities and their families. All of our services are free. We just want to help. We know how hard this can be because we're in it with you. 

 

SHOW NOTES:

Here's a link to the Virginia Department of Education's Critical Decision Points resource that Eleanor talked about. 

 

 

 

 

 

01:00:07:14 - 01:00:37:23

Erin Croyle

Welcome to The Odyssey. Parenting, Caregiving, Disability. I'm Erin Croyle, the creator and host. The Odyssey podcast explores the unique journey where sent on when a loved one has a disability. I started down this path in 2010 when my first child was born with Down's Syndrome. My journey weaved its way here, working with the Center for Family Involvement at VCU's, Partnership for People with Disabilities.

 

01:00:38:00 - 01:01:05:17

Erin Croyle

This podcast does a deep dive into the joys and hardships we face. We celebrate how amazing the odyssey of parenting, caregiving and disability is, but we don't shy away from the tough stuff. For many of us, advocating for and navigating special education services is one of those hard things. But we often don't realize that it's no walk in the park for educators either.

 

01:01:05:19 - 01:01:21:16

Erin Croyle

That's why I made it my mission to talk to a special education teacher who is also a parent whose children also have disabilities. Which brings me to today's guest, Eleanor Janek.

 

01:01:21:18 - 01:01:25:04

Erin Croyle

Eleanor, thank you so much for joining me.

 

01:01:25:06 - 01:01:26:20

Eleanor Janek

Thank you.

 

01:01:26:22 - 01:01:33:12

Erin Croyle

Eleanor, can we start by you giving us a little bit of a background about who you are and what you do?

 

01:01:33:14 - 01:02:07:17

Eleanor Janek

So I am a special education teacher in Virginia. This is my 16th year as a teacher, but my 25th year in education and I am 44 and I've been married for almost 19 years with two children. One is 16. She is deaf with cochlear implants and she has autism. And then I also have a seven year old who has ADHD and currently undergoing evaluations for autism as well.

 

01:02:07:19 - 01:02:15:19

Erin Croyle

so you have quite the perspective. I'm curious what drew you to educ