How to Become a Special Needs Teacher
Teaching special needs students can be difficult yet rewarding. A report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics shows that teaching jobs are among the top 10 fastest growing careers. Special education teachers rank sixth on the list, and the need in this specialized area is projected to increase even more in the coming years. But before you can become a special education teacher, you must have the qualifications required to effectively instruct students with disabilities.
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Instructions
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Earn a minimum of a 4-year bachelor's degree. Complete the required number of education credits for the program. Many states now require that special education teachers have a master's degree in special education or be in the process of earning a graduate degree. Coursework includes both general teaching courses as well as specific courses in special education.
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Choose a specialization. You can specialize in middle childhood through adolescence level special education for children and youth ages 6 through 21. Other specializations include middle childhood through early adolescence, teaching students ages 6 through 13, or early adolescence through adolescence, teaching students ages 10 through 21.
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Fulfill your particular school's requirements for completing a field experience in special education. This involves observing students in the classroom for 2 to 4 hours each week throughout the semester. Prior to student teaching, you will also need to complete a practicum in special education, which requires that you observe, aid and teach in a special education classroom, typically for a duration of 2 weeks.
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Complete the requisite number of student teaching hours supervised by a certified teacher. A university supervisor will periodically observe and evaluate your performance in the classroom. While the number of documented student teaching hours varies among different university teaching programs, most schools require that to qualify for teacher certification in the major of special education, you complete at least two student teaching experiences.
First, you must student teach for 30 to 35 hours each week working with children and youth in regular classroom settings, usually for an average number of 14 to 15 weeks. Then you must complete additional hours of student teaching in a special education classroom working with students in your chosen area of specialization. Depending on the college or university, this can mean documenting another 8 to 14 weeks of student teaching experience. -
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Pass a professional assessment test administered by the state. You must complete an accredited teacher-training program to qualify to take the exam. The test is designed to assess your teaching skills and competency in your content area. Graduates are tested on their knowledge of the basic principles of special education. Exam questions cover content categories such as understanding exceptionalities, delivery of services and social and legal issues related to children with special needs.
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Submit to a state and federal criminal background check, which requires being fingerprinted. In some states, you may have to undergo a complete criminal background check prior to student teaching. This may include a child abuse history clearance. Procedures for background checks required by law may vary by state. Contact your state Department of Education for the latest information (see Resources).
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Become certified by the state in which you want to teach. Licensure requirements can differ depending on the state. Certification to teach special education is available for grades K to 12. Special education certification is based on subject area rather than by age groups or grade levels. Teaching specializations include learning disabilities, cognitive disabilities and emotional/behavioral disabilities. You must complete at least one of these areas of certification.
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Submit your application form to to the Department of Education in your state. Include your official college transcripts, verification of student teaching experience and a copy of your Professional Teacher's Assessment scores.
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Be prepared to teach in a variety of different settings, as you will be working with special needs students. You must learn to deal with stress related to working with students who are learning disabled, autistic or otherwise mentally and/or physically challenged. You will be required to adapt your teaching curriculum to meet the specific needs of your students, since you may be working with a small group or providing individualized instruction in a resource room.
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