Special Education Teacher Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the job description of a special education teacher, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

What Does a Special Education Teacher Do?

A special education teacher is employed precisely to work with children and young adults in need of additional assistance or a more progressive course of education so as to accomplish their study successfully.

One of the most important aspects of the job description of a special education teacher is to identify unique needs and create a protected, fascinating and encouraging environment for learning.

It also involves training either individuals or small units of people within or outside the classroom and establishing or making use of standard teaching procedures to satisfy personal needs of students.

In the course of performing his/her role, the special education teacher may find him/herself working with persons with physical disabilities, sensory impairment or with language and vocal difficulties.

Also issues such as psychiatric illness like autism, emotional disturbance, behavioral challenges or a blend of these impairments often require the attention of a special education teacher.

Under the directives of the school principal special education teachers are responsible for creating a manageable program and learning environment that will provide specific instruction for students with disabilities in order for them to gain from the general academic curriculum.

They cooperate with the classroom teacher in defining suitable activities for the students relating to the study program.

Other duties they perform include giving assessment of students with short-term learning challenges, as well as organizing and creating updates on records of the student’s progress.

It is also imperative for these teachers to make researches and plans in the course of preparing lesson notes.

The individual vying for this post will need to associate from time to time with experts, parents, and external organizations, as well as organize the work of support personnel.

Special Education Teacher Job Description Example/Sample/Template

Shown below is an example of the special education teacher job description, consisting of key duties, tasks, and responsibilities that individuals working in the position usually perform.

• Train students in individual development skills such as setting of objectives, self-reliance, self-determination and self-defense
• Give instructions to students in everyday living skills needed for self-sufficiency, maintenance and independence
• Set up explicit goals involving all lessons and project work and communicate these objectives to the students
• Make use of specialized instructional strategies and techniques in teaching to improve the development of cognition and memory, language as well as sensory and perceptual motor skills
• Set up meetings with parents to deliberate over their children’s improvement and to establish priorities and preferences for their children in terms of personalized educational requirements
• Display professional expertise by taking active part in curriculum development discussions, staff development, activities and other professional occasions.

Special Education Teacher Job Description for Resume

The job history section and other parts of a resume for the position of teacher with specialty in special education can be written using information from the sample job description provided above.

Special Education Teacher Requirements: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Career Success

It is essential for a special education teacher to possess the following skills and qualities to be able to function effectively in the course of discharging his/her duties.

• The successful applicant will exhibit mastery of the fundamental principles, and be able to apply theory into practical use for efficient training and constructive behavioral assistance favorable to all students with handicaps
• Ability to recognize individual variances in interests, aptitude, temperament and personality
• Ability to give practical behavioral assistance to students in an individual or group setting
• Demonstration of intelligence and in depth knowledge of local, state and federal regulations governing special education
• Possession of commendable human relations aptitude
• Proficiency in working effectively with students, parents, school administrators, colleagues, the central office and other school personnel.