Special Education Teacher

Overview

Who is Special Education Teacher?

Special education teachers need to be highly patient, sensitive, and empathetic individuals with a passion for teaching and commitment to helping those with special needs. They should be well-versed with the assistive technologies used to assist the students in learning. They should have excellent communication skills in order to collaborate with a range of professionals and the students’ parents to provide an integrated plan to address the academic needs of their students. Sharp observational skills and analytical abilities are required in order to identify the students’ needs and monitor their progress. They should be skilled at critical thinking and creative problem solving to ensure that the students’ needs are being met. In order to develop and implement effective lesson plans and teaching methods suited to the student's needs, a special education teacher should be organized, inspiring, and good at time management.

Typical day at work

What does Special Education Teacher do?

Special Education Teachers work with children and youth who have a variety of disabilities. Most special education teachers instruct students at the elementary, middle, and secondary school level, although some work with infants and toddlers. A small number of special education teachers work with students with more significant cognitive disabilities, primarily teaching life skills and basic communication and literacy in connection with the general education curriculum.

• Assess and identify the educational needs of the students formal and informal assessments
• Outline the students’ academic and behavioural goals and milestones 
• Prepare lesson plans by modifying the general teaching methods to adapt the academic environment to suit the students’ needs
• Design and develop individualized learning plans
• Implement the individualized learning plans and record the students’ progress
• Evaluate the students’ performance through appropriate assessment methods
• Prepare progress reports for each student
• Coordinate with the students’ parents, caregivers, disabilities specialists, counsellors, school social workers
• Design home activities to supplement classroom teaching

Abilities & aptitude needed

What are the skills, abilities & aptitude needed to become Special Education Teacher?

Special education teachers need to be highly patient, sensitive, and empathetic individuals with a  passion for teaching and commitment to helping those with special needs. They should be well-versed with the assistive technologies used to assist the students in learning. They should have excellent communication skills in order to collaborate with a range of professionals and the students’ parents to provide an integrated plan to address the academic needs of their students. Sharp observational skills and analytical abilities are required in order to identify the students’ needs and monitor their progress. They should be skilled at critical thinking and creative problem solving to ensure that the students’ needs are being met. In order to develop and implement effective lesson plans and teaching methods suited to the student's needs, a special education teacher should be organized, inspiring, and good at time management.

Courses

Which course I can pursue?