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Who is a Special Education Teacher?
If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn ~ Ignacio Estrada
Are you searching for a special education teacher job description? A special education teacher is a professional responsible for teaching students with special needs. He or she provides learning support to students determining their capabilities and capacities. A special education teacher assesses the progress of students. He or she collaborates with school psychologists, learning disabilities specialists, classroom teachers and parents. A special education teacher keeps updating students’ parents on their progress.
Special Education Teacher in a Nutshell
A special education teacher is a professional involved in teaching students with special needs. He or she assesses each students’ need and capabilities. A special education teacher determines the goals for them. He or she uses various teaching methods to improve students’ progress. A special education teacher evaluates students progress and informs their parents about the progress.
Quick Facts for Special Education Teacher
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Industry
Education
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Average Salary in India
₹25000
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Suitable for
Male, Female
A career as a special education teacher is suitable for everyone regardless of gender. Whether a person is a male, female or belongs to any other gender, he or she can establish a career as a special education teacher.
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Any special needs
Yes
A career as a special education teacher is suitable for candidates with special needs. A special education teacher is required to provide support in the learning of students with special needs. He or she is required to supervise them and ensure that they learn in a safe environment.
Table of Contents for Special Education Teacher
What is the role of Special Education Teacher?
Special education teachers provide special education in schools. They serve as teaching professional responsible for providing learning support to students with special needs. He or she works individually on each student’s progress. A special education teacher assigns problem-solving assignments to students. He or she provides them with special test-taking accommodations. A special education teacher designs an IEP (Individualised Education Programme) for all students with special needs. The programme is designed to cater to students’ needs. It includes students’ goals. He or she keeps parents up to date about their children’s progress. The need for special education teacher in India can be felt by the parents of special kids who want to see grow and evolve their kids as other kids.
Also read: Career as Teacher
Collaboration
A special education teacher is required to collaborate with school psychologists, speech and hearing specialists, learning disabilities specialists and classroom teachers. He or she is responsible for providing an integrated plan for developing learning capacities of students.
Assessment
A special education teacher is responsible for assessing his or her students’ progress. He or she sets goals for each student determining their capabilities. A special education teacher records the evaluations.
Types of a Special Education Teacher
There are various types of special education teacher in India. If you wish to opt for a career as a special education teacher, you may specialise in various disorders such as autism, behavioural, blindness and other disorders to teach students with their best abilities.
Emotional or Behavioural Disorder Special Educator: A special educator with a specialisation in emotional or behavioural disorder provides support in learning to students suffering from a diverse range of characteristics. It may include anxiety disorders, depression, hyperactivity disorder, attention deficit or numerous other behavioural disorders.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Special Educator: A special educator with a specialisation in autism spectrum provides learning support to students identified on the autism spectrum. It may cause communication delays, inability to correlate circumstances and other things.
Special Educator in College: A special educator possessing an M.Ed. in special education provides learning support to students with special needs studying in colleges or high schools.
Also read: Career as High School Teacher
What is the workplace/work environment of Special Education Teacher like?
A special education teacher works in a classroom setting of an educational institute. He or she provides learning support to students with emotional, physical or mental disorders. It is one of the stressful jobs. A special education teacher works under pressure. He or she evaluates students’ progress and makes reports. A special education teacher uses various teaching techniques to improve the learning experiences of students.
Does Special Education Teacher require travelling?
Not Likely
A career as a special education teacher does not require to travel on a regular basis in working hours. He or she travels to reach the education setting.
Employment Shifts
Full Time, Part Time, Hourly Basis, On Call
A special education teacher works full-time. Part-time, hourly basis and work from home employment opportunities may be provided in this career. Also, the career falls into a certain sift. A special education teacher works from early morning to afternoon. He or she works seven hours a day.
Employment Nature
Contractual, Permanent
If we talk about nature and scope of special education teacher, a special education teacher finds employment opportunities on both contractual as well as permanent basis. The duration of the contractual term depends on the requirements of upper management of the special educational facility. It could be increased depending on the work performance of special education teachers by reviewing the progress in students.
Work Place
special schools
A special education teacher works in a classroom setting. There are several codes of ethics for special education teacher that he or she must follow as a teacher is considered another parent of the student.
Presence in Geographical Area
Semi-urban, Urban
A special education teacher finds numerous alluring opportunities in urban cities such as Pune, Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi. There is a good scope for special education teachers in urban areas. The special education teacher salary is higher in urban cities than in semi-urban areas.
Time Pressure
Likely
A special education teacher is required to evaluate student’s progress and make reports. He or she is required to work under pressure. But there is not frequent time pressure. The career requires patience to ensure students learn effectively.
Overtime Details
A special education teacher does not require to work overtime on a regular basis. He or she may be sometimes required to work overtime for special programmes organised for students.
Weekly Hours of Work
Min 35 Hours
A special education teacher works a minimum of 35 hours a week.
How to become a Special Education Teacher?
Steps to become a Special Education Teacher
What are the skills and qualities required to become a/an Special Education Teacher?
There are several inbuilt characteristics of special education school requirements that a special education teacher must possess besides a bachelor's degree in special education. We have mentioned below special education teacher skills.
Critical thinking: A special education teacher is a professional responsible for evaluating students’ progress. He or she determines various methods to improve the learning experience of students with special needs.
Patience: A special education teacher must possess patience as a characteristic. Students with special needs may take more time in learning and understand a concept as compared to students without special needs. A special education teacher requires to understand that students are not always immediately responsive.
Communication skills: A special education teacher must possess excellent communication skills. He or she should be able to communicate clearly with parents, teachers, administrators and children.
Problem Solving Ability: A special education teacher must be able to identify the problems. He or she should be able to determine the strength and weaknesses of alternative solutions. A special education teacher focuses on students’ learning and progress in learning life skills. He or she conceives numerous ways of reaching out to students.
Which certifications and internships can be helpful in becoming Special Education Teacher?
We have mentioned below certifications that individuals may opt for who want to establish a career as a Special Education Teacher.
Teacher Development: Embedding Mental Health in the Curriculum | |
Education Research that Matters: Applying Research to Your Teaching Practice |
Internship Availability
Internships play a crucial role in the initial level of career development. It brings industry insights and learning opportunities. Individuals are required to opt for internships between the semester break of their academic programme or after successful completion of the academic programme. A special education teaching intern is required to develop, implement and evaluate the curriculum designed for special students. He or she is responsible for providing the necessary information to the classroom teacher. A special education teaching intern is required to collaborate with the class teacher in adapting curriculum and making necessary modifications. He or she ensures the implementation of modifications in the syllabus and assesses overall progress of the child.
Career Path Progression for Special Education Teacher
There are numerous institutions that offer special education teacher courses to aspiring individuals. Candidates can also opt for a bachelor's degree in special education. There are other similar roles that aspiring individuals can opt. We have mentioned below such roles related to special education model.
Occupational Therapist: An occupational therapist provides support to patients with physical disabilities and helps them regain physical mobility and function properly. They train their clients through various exercises involving physical and mental activities to develop motor and sensory perception, and hand-eye coordination.
Childcare Worker: A childcare worker reads and plays with babies and toddlers. He or she introduces them to basic concepts. A childcare worker uses games and instructional techniques to provide support to children’s development. He or she teaches them vocabulary with storytelling and rhymes.
Recreational Therapist: A recreational therapist provides support to people suffering from behavioural or physical disorders. He or she helps them in reducing anxiety, stress and depression. A recreation therapist is responsible for building confidence in people and making them socialise with everyone. He or she provides support in recovering basic and physical abilities.
Instructional Coordinator: An instructional coordinator is responsible for evaluating the teaching methods and effectiveness of curriculums of schools, boards and federal regulations. He or she observes teachers teaching in classrooms. An instructional coordinator reviews student test data and interviews school staff about the curriculum.
Special Education Teacher Jobs and Salaries
Childcare Worker
- Average Salary 21000
- Starting Salary 10000
- Junior Level Salary 10000
- Senior Level Salary 33000
Job Description
A childcare worker is a professional who takes care of babies, toddlers, and young children in the absence of their parents. He or she is responsible for providing support in a child’s development. Childcare worker improves their vocabulary with storytelling and rhymes. He or she teaches them good behavioral habits and skills through games and other activities.
Salary Description
The salary varies depending on the skills and work experience of candidates. There are numerous other factors that affect the salary such as the size of the organization and the area where it is located. An entry-level childcare worker could earn more than Rs. 200,000 per annum. A senior-level experienced childcare worker could earn more than Rs. 400,000 per annum.
Recreational Therapist
- Average Salary 28000
- Starting Salary 21000
- Junior Level Salary 21000
- Senior Level Salary 35000
Job Description
A recreational therapist is a professional responsible for recovering mental and physical abilities of people. He or she is involved in directing, planning and coordinating recreation treatment programmes for patients with injuries, illness or disabilities. Such treatment programmes may include sports, drama, music and other activities to ensure the physical, emotional and social well being of patients.
Salary Description
The salary varies with skills and work experience of candidates. An entry-level special education teacher could earn more than Rs. 250,000 per annum. A senior-level special education teacher could earn more than Rs. 400,000 per annum.
Instructional Coordinator
- Average Salary 26000
- Starting Salary 15000
- Junior Level Salary 15000
- Senior Level Salary 36000
Job Description
An instructional coordinator supervises the teacher in the classroom. He or she recommends the change in curriculum based on his or her research. An instructional teacher may organise training sessions for teachers on teaching methods and use of technology.
Salary Description
The salary varies depending on the skills and work experience of candidates. An entry-level instructional coordinator could earn more than Rs. 200,000 per annum. A senior-level instructional coordinator could earn more than Rs. 400,000 per annum.
Frequently Asked Questions for Special Education Teacher
Que. What is the average fee for the diploma programme in special education?
Ans.The fee varies depending on the institution. Private institutes charge a hefty amount of fee while government colleges charge an economical amount of fee. The average fee of a diploma in a special education programme ranges Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 100,000 per annum.
Que. Which is better B.Ed. in special education or B.A.-B.Ed. in special education?
Ans.The B.Ed. in special education is an undergraduate programme with a duration of two years. The minimum requirement to opt for this programme is successful completion of a bachelor’s degree programme in any specialisation. While a B.A.-B.Ed. in special education is a dual degree programme with a completion duration of four years. The minimum eligibility to opt for this programme is the completion of 10+2 with an aggregate of 50 per cent of marks.
The B.A-B.Ed. special education dual degree programme is shorter in duration. It takes a minimum of three years for completion of graduation and the duration of B.Ed in special education is two years. Hence, it takes a minimum of five years.
Que. What is the average fee of B.A.-B.Ed. dual degree in special education?
Ans.The fee varies depending on the institutional setting. Government colleges charge an economical amount of fee while private colleges charge a hefty amount of fees. The average tuition fee for B.A.-B.Ed. dual degree in special education programme ranges Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 60,000 per annum.
Que. What is the average salary offered to graduates of B.Ed. in special education programme?
Ans.The salary varies depending on skills and experience of candidates. Employers prefer to hire candidates with prior work experience. Internships play a crucial role in getting a full-time job role. The average salary offered to graduates in B.Ed. special education is Rs. 200,000 to Rs. 2,000,000 per annum.
Que. What is the minimum education requirement to teach students with special needs in college?
Ans.Candidates are required to successfully complete an M.Ed. in special education to become eligible for teaching students with special needs in colleges and universities.
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Did you know?
Fact 1
Jean Mask Gaspard Itard is known as the father of special education.
Fact 2
The boys are more likely to suffer from learning disabilities as compared to girls.
Fact 3
Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Sir Issac Newton and Walt Disney suffered from learning disabilities.
Fact 4
According to law, children with disabilities must be educated in an education setting for non-disabled children as long as they make reasonable progress in IEP goals.
Fact 5
Tom Cruise, a famous Hollywood actor was diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disorder in his childhood.
