Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Overview
SaveJob Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $99K |
| Median: | $61K |
| Low: | $42K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
- Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development.
- Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.
- Guide and counsel students with adjustments, academic problems, or special academic interests.
- Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and instructional technology.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
- Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
- Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy.
- Collaborate with other teachers that provide instruction to special education students to ensure that the students receive appropriate support.
- Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
- Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.
- Monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements.
- Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
- Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
- Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
- Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
- Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.
- Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
- Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine students' strengths and needs.
- Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.
- Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
- Meet with parents and guardians to provide guidance in using community resources and to teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.
- Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
- Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.
- Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
- Provide additional instruction in vocational areas.
- Organize and label materials and display students' work.
- Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
- Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
- Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.
- Visit schools to tutor students with sensory impairments and to consult with teachers regarding students' special needs.
- Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
- Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
English Language
90%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Education and Training
89%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Mathematics
79%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administrative
75%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Customer and Personal Service
72%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Psychology
70%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Sociology and Anthropology
67%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Public Safety and Security
65%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Law and Government
61%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Administration and Management
59%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Top 10 Skills
Active Learning
80%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening
80%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Instructing
80%
Teaching others how to do something.
Learning Strategies
80%
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Social Perceptiveness
80%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking
80%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination
78%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring
78%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension
78%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Service Orientation
78%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning
78%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
78%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Problem Sensitivity
78%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Speech Clarity
78%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
78%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension
78%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
78%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Information Ordering
75%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Top 10 Work Activities
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
84%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
81%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Working with Computers
77%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Assisting and Caring for Others
72%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Coaching and Developing Others
72%
Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Training and Teaching Others
72%
Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Getting Information
71%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
70%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
70%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
70%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Detailed Work Activities
- Design psychological or educational treatment procedures or programs.
- Develop educational programs.
- Establish rules or policies governing student behavior.
- Develop strategies or programs for students with special needs.
- Set up classroom materials or equipment.
- Teach life skills.
- Discuss problems or issues with supervisors.
- Discuss student progress with parents or guardians.
- Collaborate with other teaching professionals to develop educational programs.
- Modify teaching methods or materials to accommodate student needs.
- Advise students on academic or career matters.
- Develop instructional objectives.
- Maintain student records.
- Prepare reports detailing student activities or performance.
- Assist students with special educational needs.
- Apply multiple teaching methods.
- Direct activities of subordinates.
- Monitor student performance.
- Monitor student behavior, social development, or health.
- Evaluate student work.
- Teach others to use technology or equipment.
- Plan educational activities.
- Create technology-based learning materials.
- Administer tests to assess educational needs or progress.
- Document lesson plans.
- Prepare tests.
- Teach vocational courses.
- Display student work.
- Serve on institutional or departmental committees.
- Attend training sessions or professional meetings to develop or maintain professional knowledge.
- Plan experiential learning activities.
- Supervise school or student activities.
- Evaluate performance of educational staff.
- Supervise student research or internship work.
- Tutor students who need extra assistance.
- Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
- Distribute instructional or library materials.
- Order instructional or library materials or equipment.
Education
Interests
Social
100%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Artistic
56%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Investigative
56%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Conventional
49%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Realistic
35%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Enterprising
26%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Work Values
Relationships
91%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Support
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Recognition
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Colleges
SAGE Scholars Member Schools that offer majors leading to this career.
Check out the College Search to see the full list of schools with majors for this career.