Special Education Teacher

Working Schedule

• Special Education Teachers generally work during school hours. They usually work ten months, with a two-month summer break and time off for holidays, including a winter break. If they teach at a school system that does a year-round school, they work for nine weeks with a three-week vacation. Some Special Education Teachers may work in hospitals or residential facilities or visit their students at home. 

Typical Duties

• Coordinate the placement of special needs students into the general education classroom
• Develop and implement IEPs for each student
• Develop and implement strategies to help meet the basic needs of students with severe handicapping conditions
• Discuss students' progress with parents, general education teachers, administrators, and counselors
• Ensure that general education teachers are providing appropriate accommodations and following the student's IEP
• Establish and enforce behavioral rules and policies, using behavior modification and positive reinforcement
• Help students transition from grade to grade and prepare them for the transition from school to life after graduation
• Meet with parents, guardians, other teachers, and administrators to resolve any academic or behavioral problems
• Meet with parents and guardians to evaluate student's progress 
• Modify gen-ed curriculum to meet the student's needs
• Observe and evaluate student's academic performance, behavior, social development, and physical health
• Plan and supervise class projects, guest speakers, and field trips
• Prepare, administer, and grade assignments and tests
• Provide additional instruction to students in vocational areas as needed
• Teach students personal development skills like independence and goal setting
• Update IEPs throughout the school year to show students' progress 
• Supervise teacher assistants who work with special needs students

Additional Responsibilities

• Advise parents and guardians on community resources and skills to better assist their child
• Attend professional development meetings, conferences, and training workshops
• Attend staff meetings and perform administrative duties such as cafeteria and hall monitoring or bus loading and unloading
• Counsel students who have academic problems, adjustment issues, and special academic interests
• Help teach students living skills to prepare them for independent living, such as food preparation and hygiene
• Tutor students with sensory impairments

Soft Skills

• Active Learning
• Active Listening
• Communication
• Coordination
• Critical Thinking
• Decision Making
• Instructing Others
• Negotiation
• Persuasion
• Perceive and Understand Social Cues
• Problem Solving
• Reading Comprehension
• Resource Management
• Service Orientation
• Time Management
• Writing

Technical Skills

• Cloud-based sharing software (SharePoint)
• Computer training software (Padlet, Schoology)
• Database query software (Blackboard)
• Electronic Mail Software
• Multimedia educational software (Seesaw)
• Presentation software (Google Slides, PowerPoint)
• Project management (Google classroom)
• Video creation and editing (Flipgrid)
• Voice recognition software
• Word processing software (Microsoft Word)

• Public schools
• Private schools
• Residential facilities
• Hospitals
• Homes

Special Education Teachers who work for school systems usually work school hours for ten months with holidays and school breaks off. However, they might have to schedule meetings or attend training and development or staff meetings after school. They may also hold additional responsibilities at the school. Special Education teachers who work in other areas like hospitals or student homes get to work outside the school building but likely have to travel a lot. 

The work of a Special Education Teacher can be challenging but also rewarding. They benefit from a more flexible schedule and curriculum than general education teachers. However, most times, they are responsible for adapting the existing curriculum to meet the needs of their students. Special Education Teachers have a lot of responsibilities. Still, they get to work more one-on-one with students than in a traditional classroom and help those students achieve academic and personal goals.

The job growth for Special Education Teachers in the coming years is excellent. This career is growing at a rate of 8%, with an average of 38,600 job openings each year over the next decade. Special Education Teachers working with preschool-age children are even more in demand, with a predicted growth rate of 12% over the next few years.

Jobs are increasing in demand in this field as more students with disabilities are being identified at younger ages. Increased student enrollment and special education funding will also impact growth in this job field. 

Working as a Special Education Teacher requires a lot of compassion, empathy, and patience. Individuals in this job field have probably always shown these traits and would go above and beyond to meet the needs of others. They were most likely the students that would share their lunch with the student who didn't have anything to eat, sit with the new kid at lunch, and not tolerate bullying of special needs kids or any bullying.