Special Education Teachers

Special Education Teachers typically perform the following 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. • Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. • Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation. • Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems. • Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes. • Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development. • 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. • Guide and counsel students with adjustments, academic problems, or special academic interests. • Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students. • Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy. • 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. • 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. • Monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements. • Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs. • Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.