Special Eductaion

Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with mild and moderate disabilities. They also teach basic skills, such as literacy and communication techniques, to students with severe disabilities.   MAIN TASKS and RESPONSIBILITIES: Work as part of a team that typically includes general education teachers, school administration, and parents. As a team, they develop educational programs specific to each student’s needs. It outlines goals and services for each student.  Special education teachers may spend a portion of the day teaching classes together with general education teachers. They help present the information in a manner that students with disabilities can more easily understand. They also assist general education teachers to adapt lessons that will meet the needs of the students with disabilities in their classes, Since students with disabilities may attend classes with general education students, also known as inclusive classrooms. Collaborate with teachers, psychologist and social workers, to accommodate requirements of students with disabilities. For example, they may show a teacher how to work with a student who needs particular attention. Work with students who have a wide variety of mental, emotional, physical, and learning disabilities. For example, some work with students who need assistance in subject areas, such as reading and math. Others help students develop study skills, such as using flashcards and text highlighting. Work with students who have physical and sensory disabilities, such as blindness and deafness, and with students who are wheelchair-bound. They may also work with those who have autism spectrum disorders and emotional disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Work with students from preschool to high school. Some teachers work with students who have severe disabilities. Help students with severe disabilities develop basic life skills, such as how to respond to questions and how to follow directions. Some teach students with moderate disabilities the skills necessary to live independently to find a job, such as managing money and time. In Addition to: Assess students’ skills to determine their needs and to develop teaching plans Adapt lessons to meet the needs of students Plan, organize and assign activities that are specific to each student’s abilities Teach and mentor students as a class, in small groups, and one-on-one Assess students’ performance, and track their progress Prepare and help students transition from grade to grade Prepare special needs students for inclusion  Manage student behavior through monitoring, supervising and assessing behavioral patterns  Monitor, evaluate and document each student's progress  maintain accurate and complete records  maintain a current knowledge of special education best practices Key Competencies organizational and planning skills collaboration and teamwork judgment and decision-making creative and Critical-thinking skills problem-solving conflict management and resolution appreciation of diversity adaptability Patience  Line manager: Project Manager In direct cooperation with:  Project coordinator, Social worker