This phenomenological study explores the personal and professional attributes of six elementary special education teachers who have taught in an urban school district for five or more years. The ongoing shortage of special education teachers and the increasing attrition rate have caused further analysis of the innate traits of long-serving special education teachers, making them effective in their role as special education teachers. The researcher designed in-depth interview questions to elicit attributes and characteristics that elementary special education teachers possess and have taught special education for five or more years. The special education teachers tell their stories and share what they value. The researcher reflects on and analyzes the data to identify key themes and capture the participants' shared experiences. The researcher seeks to understand the participants' narratives to understand what those individuals experience in their daily lives. Understanding who chooses to pursue becoming a special education teacher and why they do so allows school districts to recruit, hire, and retain special education teachers long-term. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]