“We Lost Our Connection with the Children, the Smiles, the ‘Good Mornings’”: Caring for Special Education Pupils During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Special education teachers care for their pupils’ physical, emotional, and social needs, serve as the primary communication channel between the school and the parents, and coordinate other care workers such as paraprofessionals and psychologists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Israeli special education system moved to distance instruction, and slowly resumed operations following the first lockdown, even while the general education system remained shuttered. The life-threatening situation of the pandemic, where special education workers faced the crisis situation both personally and at the same time, professionally, in helping their students, families, and colleagues, created a situation of “shared trauma” for the teachers. Semi-structured interviews with 17 Israeli special education teachers were conducted to explore how they experienced the phenomenon of the pandemic. The teachers felt frustrated with the system, fearful for their health, lonely, and helpless in their ability to accomplish their job. Their work was negatively affected by masking and distance restrictions upon returning to the classroom. Many teachers benefitted from the support of colleagues and principals. We explore the implications for those who work with special education pupils and highlight the potential for increased cooperation and collaboration between care workers for their own benefit and the welfare of children.