Do you enjoy working with children? Do you seem to have a particular knack for working with individuals who are challenged in some specific manner? Do you think that you would like to use this talent that you possess to pursue a career path that would be fulfilling? If you answered yes to these questions, then obtaining the necessary special education degree that will allow you to work as a special education teacher is likely to be an ideal choice for you. Start your special education degree today with help of our search widget. Try it out to find a school near you.Perhaps the first choice you will need to make in relation to your future career path is whether you would prefer to work with elementary age children or high school age children. It is important to understand that as a special education teacher you would be expected to teach students who have a broad range of handicaps or disabilities.
Similar to a regular education teacher, a special education teacher will be expected to create lessons that are interactive and that will allow each of his or her students to adequately learn the content that is being presented. You will also be responsible for assessing your students on a set of content or a specific skill in order to check for understanding. Keep in mind, in order to address the many different ability levels of your special education class you will likely find it necessary to use a variety of assessment tools. Following your assessments you will be expected to grade a student’s performance and record the grades as per your school’s guidelines. After all, your special education students will periodically receive a report card that will detail their progress and performance in certain subject areas. It will also be your responsibility to establish and enforce a set of rules for your classroom that will adequately suit your expectations and the capabilities of your students. While these rules may be similar to those of a regular education classroom, it is likely that you will have to spend extra time working to help your students understand the rules and how they will be enforced.
Should you choose to work as an elementary level special education teacher you will probably be expected to teach all of the major subject areas (including math, language arts, science, and social studies). However, if being a special education teacher at the high school level is more to your liking then you may be able to focus your teaching in a few concentrated areas. Due to the nature of your students you will likely find it necessary to spend a large portion of your instructional time teaching life skills and social skills that will help them function in the real world. On any given day as a special education teacher, you will likely find it necessary to confer with any number of other educational professionals who are working with your students. This may include parents, administrators, physical or occupational therapists, speech therapists, or paraprofessionals. Search above to find special education courses near you.