Teaching in a special needs class is one of the toughest but most fulfilling careers. Thus skills are needed to deal with students who have learning challenges as well as get to ensure that the students get a favorable environment for learning. However, there are some specific interventions that can be particular important for a particular teacher and may make all the difference in the students’ outcomes in teaching-learning process. Herein this article, we shall be exploring the top 5 skills every special education teacher should have.
I have learned these skills throughout my studies at Centennial College to be able to solve a variety of issues—teaching strategies, student behaviors, and professional relationships with both students and other teachers as well as their families. Below are some features of the special education teacher that will enable him or her to do a successful job and change the lives of his or her learners positively.
Who is a Special Education Teacher?
A Special Education Teacher is a teacher who teaches in a classroom, and all or some of the pupils he or she teaches exhibit learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They are taught how to develop IEP and ensure that children who require extra attention and support in school get the same to enable them understands what is taught in class.
Special educators may teach students in a classroom designed for children with learning disabilities, or in a resource room, or as it raining involve in general education classroom.
Key Roles and Responsibilities of a Special Education Teacher
These teachers have a very important function of including students with disabilities into the classroom, teaching them, building their academic skills, social skills and self-esteem.
1. Developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
Inclusive education teachers, parents, general education teachers and school psychologists collaborate to generate student specific IEPs that describe what will be provided for the student.
2. Adapting Lesson Plans
They are able to change typical lesson plans and teaching approaches in order to consider the learning disabled abilities and learning preferences, learning tools such as multisensory learning, assistive technologies, and DLA.
3. Consistent with the recommendations for managing behavior were:
Some of them may have behavior plan as they have EM or Behavioral problems that need to be observed or handled. These strategies work in classroom to foster an appropriate environment that has to be observed by teachers.
4. Collaboration with Other Staff and Parents
A special education teacher collaborates with other teachers, counsellors, and the student’s family to monitor the child’s progress, review the IEPs and determine whether or not the child’s needs are met.
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5. Assessing Student Progress
They monitor the accomplishments of academic, emotional, and social of their students on a frequent basis adjusting instruction approach and helpful resources.
Requirements of a Special Education Teacher
• Education: Usually (depending on the specific job) it is necessary to have a bachelor’s degree in special education. Some schools may also have the requirement of a master’s degree or other certification.
• Licensure: All teachers in the public schools are required to meet licensing or certification requirements for special education, although requirements by states may differ.
• Skills: Some of the most important attributes for a teacher include; patience, empathy, good communication, flexibility, advanced educational psychology, and behavior management skills.
Special Education Teacher Environments
Special education teachers can work in various settings, including:
• Self-contained classrooms for students who need significant support.
• Resource rooms where students spend part of their day for specialized instruction.
• Inclusion classrooms where they co-teach alongside general education teachers to support students in the general education setting.
Required Skills Every Special Education Teacher Needs:
1. Patience
Many people believe that the special education teacher should possess good patience as it is one vital trait. Learning regression applies since, special needs students need extra hours and focus to understand concepts and lessons as well as to practice to perfect skills. These teachers must be very patient actually when they are working with students one to one or in pairs and group formations giving them the repeated reinforcement and motivation they require.
Special edu teachers also have relations with the parent who are under pressure too. In the article it is stated that even though it is painful for any parent to hear a child’s misery, teachers have to be sensitive, courteous and patient. Building trust takes time. Before providing suggestions, teachers should let parents to say all that they have to say.
Besides, special education teachers work closely with others such as therapists, school psychologists and the management. It means they have to take time when addressing any issues that may come up when designing and putting into practice IEPs. By tempering the conflict in conversations, the relationships formed become more cooperative.
2. Adaptability
This means that special Ed teachers already encounter different kids with different needs and so they cannot standard their approach to teaching or the learning /teaching aids they use. For example, they may use:
• Visual presentation, use of body language and sign language for persons who learn by seeing
• Audio books songs and oral quizzes for those who learn through listening
• Tactual learning tools, concrete objects and computer technology for the benefit of kinetic students
Teachers need also to align their teaching in response to the given pace and abilities of learners. Coming from material slowly, responding individually, changing tests and homework help special needs children to work at a pace they find comfortable.
Special Ed teachers, moreover, teach students with Behavior Disorders, and educating students with intellectual disabilities. They need to modify it/contribute/adjust – occasionally in real-time – based on difficult behaviors in order to effectively redirect students. Applying the early material, flexibility in school practice promotes behavior management.
3. Communication Skills
Being able to explain development to parents or to consult with school staff regarding IEP goals, a special education teacher has to be good at talking. Clarifying and listening with attention while speaking persuasively and efficiently builds the foundation of a good relationship.
When it comes to any challenging conversation to with parents regarding their child special Ed teachers should speak kindly and carefully regarding disabilities or behavioral concerns. Avoiding acronym usage and employ basic language and attentive practice clarifies to the parents their child’s difficulties and advances.
Teachers also supervise the IEP parents meeting, the administration, school psychologist, and other staff members. It means that they should describe students’ needs, explain legal procedures in a gentle manner, and convene various voices about learning objectives. Good communication improves efficiency of teams.
Paraprofessionals, classroom aids, behavioral specialist’s teachers, and therapists assist in the delivery of special student support. By being clear and consistent with communication, it becomes easy to plan on coordination by everyone.
4. Organization
Special education entails lesson planning for a variety of learning needs, along with course adaptations, documentations in IEP, monitoring data for the progress of a number of students, and interactions with the teaching staff and the parents of the learner. It, in fact, requires good organizational skills as a manager or any official at that level of organization.
The use of cohesive methods in organizing digital and paper works make the teachers’ valuable time very valuable. The materials and the student data should be well-ordered and within their logical thinking musically accessible. Being an educator, color coding of IEP files, using a master calendar of meetings, getting reminders for paperwork required, making use of spreadsheets for documentation and comparison are immensely beneficial.
In the classroom, there are bins, shelves, supplies, neat desks, all labeled correctly; and daily schedule visuals that assist students when moving from one activity to another. Organization accompanied by a regimen gives a child stability and familiarity they depend on.
5. Resourcefulness
Special-ed teachers, however, have to regularly come across student issues for which an emergency workaround has to be conceptualized. Stewardship allows a teacher to tap into various human assets and their knowledge and skills to achieve learning objectives.
For example, a student with low skill level in reading comprehension can be helped through instruction in attempt to use music and rhythm to help in reinforcement of language patterns. As a teacher, one can allow students to record answers instead of writing and this also enhance writing ability the children without the fine motor writing difficulties. Instructive teachers fit into existing hardware, adapt content to change, alter approaches and use learners’ pursuits to motivate and assist progress.
It will prompt teachers to look for innovative solutions especially during periods when schools have ridiculously meager budgets to cater for. That is why getting free reuse materials, starting online fundraising, applying for grants, and partnering with community organizations can contribute to proper equipping of classrooms to meet students’ needs.
During their special education journey students use instruction effectively when teachers employ the following classroom management strategies: patience, flexibility, communication, organization, and resourcefulness. Only focusing on the students’ requirements rather than spoon-feeding them through curriculum documents provides direction to assisting each learner uncover his or her capabilities. Special Ed teachers with talents interconnected can alter the lives of learners with disabilities from disabled to enabled.
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