Becoming A Special Education Teacher - Skills, Jobs & More

A special education teacher is a compassionate and well-trained professional who assists the students dealing with physical, emotional, development, or behavioral challenges. Such teachers work in different settings supporting students with special needs or developmental differences. While this profession requires special attention and care for people, its career outlook remains strong, with incredible job growth in the future. However, this profession is well suited for people who have a strong desire to teach students and care deeply about people with disabilities. 

 

If you are looking forward to becoming a special education teacher, this article will show you the right path. Here you will get to learn more about this job role, the requirements, skills that are needed, different job roles, salary expectations, and more. So, scroll down and find the details you need to plan your way forward and gain the position as a special educator.

 

An Overview Of A Special Education Teacher

 

Special educators are the ones who help students suffering from academic, physical, mental, and emotional challenges. These teachers are specially trained to develop and implement appropriate curricula to teach students reading, writing, and other skills. They understand the students' requirements for special care, and hence, they work considering the needs and abilities of each student. Apart from academics, special education teachers are responsible for developing social and behavioral skills in the students. 

 

While the teachers perform various functions both inside and outside the classroom, the large part of their job consists of helping students embrace their skills and coordinating with other teachers, psychologists, counselors, administrators, and more for the child’s well-being. 

 

Different Types Of Job Roles For Special Educators

 

 

The work profile of special education teachers is quite different from other teaching roles. They are hired to educate students with special needs and divided into different categories according to their qualifications and work experience. Here are some of the job roles available for such educators.

 

- Educators For Kindergarten Till Class 12: Such educators teach kids with various impairments. They instruct students who are in elementary, middle, and secondary school. 

- Teaching Students With High Incidence Disabilities: They are responsible for teaching students with high-incidence problems such as speech-language impairments, behavioral issues, and learning difficulties.

- Teachers For Autism Spectrum Disorder Survivors: They help students diagnosed with autism spectrum conditions. This includes challenges like communication difficulties, inability to sit in social gatherings, difficulty relating with others, etc. 

- Educators For Low Incidence Disabilities Students: Teaching students who have physical or cognitive special needs. These students require assistance with reading and practical abilities.

- Teachers For Students With Emotional Or Behavioral Disorders: The educators are specialized in teaching students with emotional or behavioral disorders like anxiety, depression, conduct disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, etc. 

- Educators For College Or University: These teachers work with students who have special needs after the school education.  

 

Other than these, special education teachers can also work as instructional coordinators, childcare workers, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, social workers, and teacher assistants.

 

How To Become A Special Education Teacher?

 

In order to establish a career as a special ed teacher, an individual is required to have at least a bachelor’s degree. This degree with adequate knowledge and skills can help them get a job in a private school. However, to teach students in a public school, the person must also have a state-issued certification or license. They can also opt for teaching special students in colleges and universities. 

 

Here’s an overview of how an individual can become a special education teacher. 

 

1. Basic School Education: First, the individual must complete their senior year of high school in any stream. Primary education is a must to become a special education teacher.

2. Bachelor’s Degree: After high school, they are required to get a bachelor’s degree. While some pursue their degree in special education, others get a degree in the subject they want to teach. This is where the journey to becoming a teacher begins. However, this degree won’t let them enter public schools.  

3. Certification/License: For teaching in a public school, all states require an individual to have a license in the specific grade level that they desire to teach. Such certification displays the competency of the individual in teaching students with disabilities. During the certification process, they get the experience to teach students and eventually get the certificate based on a specific disability.

4. Post Graduation: Experienced teachers can move forward by enrolling themselves in post-graduation programs in special education. This will help them become mentors or lead teachers in colleges or universities. By completing their post-graduation, they can also become counselors, principals, instructional coordinators, etc. 

 

Skills Required To Become A Special Education Teacher

 

More than any other profession, a special educator is required to have a unique set of characteristics in order to succeed in their career. They are needed to handle situations where others might give up. So, to be perfect in their career, they need the following personality traits or skills. 

 

1. Patience

2. Good-humor 

3. Well organized

4. Adaptability

5. Critical thinking 

6. Problem-solving ability

7. Sound decision-making skill

8. Excellent communication

9. Even-tempered

10. Creative in teaching methods

11. Thick-skinned and more. 

Special Education Teacher: Salary And Job Outlook

Now that we have an overview of how you can become a special education teacher, it’s time to look at two major aspects of the career– jobs & salary. 

 

If you look at the job market for special educators, approximately 131,900 teachers currently assist special students in the United States. And the overall employment of the teachers is projected to grow by 8% by 2030. The retirement of the present teachers aids this high demand. This makes it clear that the need for special educators will rise in the near future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), when we talk about the salary, such teachers get an average wage of $60,000 per year. However, this varies with the level of education, institute area, qualification, and skills of the teacher, among other factors. 

 

Conclusion

 

Here we come to an end. Now that you are well-versed in the job role of a special educator, it’s time to move forward and build a prosperous career. Keep this guide handy and share it with your friends and family who you think are suitable for the job of a special education teacher. 

 

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