The content, classroom, or pay is not why I am choosing to teach special education, it is the students I will work with. As I reflect on my experiences with students with disabilities, I realize that I have learned so much from them. Whether it was how to communicate with someone who is non-verbal or determining the best course of action for students with disabilities educationally, I discovered that I too am the student. A few stories come to mind that have inspired me to teach in a special education classroom. First, there is a student named Caleb who is a person with autism spectrum disorder. Each time I would go into the classroom I was excited to see Caleb because I knew he was going to be equally as excited to see me. Although he could not express it in words, I saw his joy for school evidenced by the look in his eyes. Caleb showed me how much could be expressed and communicated non-verbally. Caleb taught me to pay close attention to the entirety of a communicating person not just their words. Second, when I was in high school I volunteered every day to play with the special education students in the gym. There was one student that would shoot baskets each day for the entirety of the time we were in the gym. Adam was content to shoot the ball over and over again, so I would stand at the base of the hoop and rebound every shot he made. We wouldn’t talk much, but with every shot, I would give him a thumbs up that was reciprocated back to me. Adam showed me how to connect by tapping into and sharing in that person's joy. He was one of the happiest and most content people I have ever met, and through our shared experience I became content as well. Finally, I recently met Judy, an adult with an intellectual disability through the best buddies program at NC State. Judy and I talk on the phone almost every day. We chat about the grocery store, religion, and most importantly life. There is so much joy in our conversations and I look forward to hearing what she has to say. Recently, Judy told me that she was bullied in school when she was young. Judy told me that the other students called her names and mocked her, and I realized that even at 56 years old, she was still deeply traumatized by this experience. I saw this as an opportunity to work with Judy to advocate for herself. I helped Judy to understand that people who hurt others are simply hurting inside. Then I worked with Judy on expressing to those that bully her that she is disappointed and hurt by their words. As we developed a plan for such encounters, I could feel the relief and empowerment Judy was experiencing and felt such satisfaction that I had been a part of helping Judy stand up for herself in a positive and productive way. These experiences are just a small glimpse of the possibilities in special education. Not only is it about academics, but it is also about bonding with students emotionally, teaching them independence, and how to advocate for themselves. After I graduate in 2024, I plan on teaching special education in an elementary school. I don’t need the showy trappings of being a teacher, all I need are the students. They are what inspire me to teach and keep me motivated to help them learn.