Job Description for Special Education Teachers
Special education teachers are specialty teachers who oversee the education and development of people with mental and/or physical disabilities. They may be employed by both public and private schools or special facilities for substance abusers, mental health and/or retardation patients.
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Job Responsibilities
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Special education teachers are tasked with teaching students who are not ready or fit for general education a variety of educational principles. For students with chronic mental disabilities, teachers may work to improve their basic quality of life through life skills instruction. Students with behavioral, visual or aural challenges are taught similar lessons as their general education peers, but at a different pace or in a different way.
Another responsibility of special education teachers may be to serve in an advisory position to general education teachers with special education students in their class.
Students
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Students who enter special education programs can come from a diverse background. Some students are visually or hearing impaired with average mental capabilities, while some students suffer from any number of neurological disorders that are classified as mental retardation. Some students suffer from psychological issues that prevent them from working with other students, even if they are not mentally or physically impaired.
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Work Environment
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The majority of special education teachers are employed by schools, teaching classes in preschool on up to 12th grade. A small percentage of special education teachers find work in daycare centers, substance abuse centers, doctor's offices or in a child's home.
In schools, special education teachers may work in their own classroom full of special needs students or in a general education classroom helping the main teacher learn about working with children with disabilities. In non-school environments, special education teachers can provide a variety of instruction to both patients/students and to facility employees on how to effectively work with the diverse population.
Education
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Special education teachers complete a specialized curriculum in special education programs that offer bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees. These courses offer general education basics along with courses on special education principles and practices.
Salary
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean salary of special education teachers differed depending on the type of school that employed them (preschool, elementary or secondary) with the range being from about $53,000 for elementary school teachers to about $55,000 annually for secondary school teachers, as of 2009.
Job Outlook
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that special education teachers would be in high demand from 2008 to 2018 and that school districts would experience difficulty filling these positions because of their specialized nature and because of special education teachers leaving the industry for various reasons. The growth of the industry was projected to be faster than average, with a 17 percent increase from 2008 to 2018.
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References
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