Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Special education teachers (middle school) teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. This 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.
A special education teacher's job is to work with students having learning or cognitive disabilities, or emotional or physical problems, managing the growth of their students in conjunction with their special needs. Special education teachers’ requirements include modifying the general education curriculum to meet the special individual needs of each student.
Special education teachers, and middle school, plan lessons and instruct and assign activities to students. They also grade assignments and tests, track students’ progress, and discuss students’ abilities and challenges with parents and counsellors.
How to become a special education teacher in India? A bachelor’s or master’s degree and prior experience in dealing with children with disabilities are helpful. Teachers, in middle school, should be patient, calm, organised, inspiring, and accepting. They need to have organisational skills, excellent communication and presentation skills, and sound decision-making skills.
Special education teachers work at specialised schools, in self-contained classes or in general education classes at public and private schools. They also work at residential facilities, home programs, health agencies, hospitals or clinics.
The job of teaching special education can be physically and emotionally draining and at the same time extremely satisfying or rewarding and a special education teacher's salary depends on the experience and skills.
To be successful, special education teachers need to be patient, accepting, understanding and passionate about helping students succeed.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- M.Ed Special Education
- B.Ed Special Education
- Bachelor's Any Subject
- B.E. Special Education
- B.Sc. Special Education and Rehabilitation
Tasks
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans designed to promote students' educational, physical, and social development.
- Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
- Modify the general education curriculum for special-needs students based upon a variety of instructional techniques and instructional technology.
- Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
- Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
Progression Routes
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