College in Colorado E-mailed by: Marissa Orser

Career Profile

Special Education Teacher What They Do

Just the Facts
Teaches elementary and preschool school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students. Includes teachers who specialize and work with audibly and visually handicapped students, and those who teach basic academic and life processes skills to the mentally impaired. This career is part of the Education and Training cluster Teaching and Training pathway. Insider Info Dig into the details and check out what people in this job have to say about their work.

A person in this career:

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Instructs students in academic subjects using a variety of techniques such as l Insider Info phonetics, multisensory learning, and repetition to reinforce learning and to meet students' varying needs and interests. Teaches socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior Related Careers modification and positive reinforcement. Employs special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to l Interpreter/Translator improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory. Confers with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and Multimedia professionals to develop individual educational plans designed to promote students' educational, physical, and social development. Watch a one-minute video showing what Establishes and enforces rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining it's like to work in this career or related order among students. careers Modifies the general education curriculum for special-needs students based upon a variety of instructional techniques and technologies. Confers with parents or guardians, teachers, counselors, and administrators to Special Education Teachers, resolve students' behavioral and academic problems. Secondary School Maintains accurate and complete student records and prepares reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative watch video regulations. Develops and implements strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions. Coordinates placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands People who do this job report that:

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You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools. Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

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Seeing clearly at a distance Seeing clearly up close Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

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Irregular hours

Specialty and Similar Careers Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
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Developmental Therapist -- Assesses a child in order to determine if that child is mentally developing in a healthy manner Learning Specialist -- Works closely with the teachers in order to provide direct and indirect services to all students in need of academic support by prioritizing inclusion through a variety of co-teaching models, including teaming, parallel teaching and alternative teaching. Sign Language Teacher -- Instructs both deaf and hearing students in American Sign Language (ASL). Speech Language Pathologist -- Diagnoses and treats communication and swallowing disorders in patients.

Is This For You?

Interests: The following categories describe the work interests (compatible with Holland's Model) of people who tend to succeed in this career: Your Interests: The last time you took the Interest Profiler your results were:

Social You are a "helper". You like being around people and helping them with Social problems. Socializing is fun for you. Enterprising Artistic You are a "creator". You enjoy things like art, music and books, and express Take the Interest Profiler again. your feelings easily. You don''t like rigid rules and structure. Work Values: Work values are aspects of work that are satisfying to you. The following work values are Your Work Values: generally associated with this career. The last time you took the Work Achievement It's very important to you that your work allows you to use your best Values Sorter your results were: abilities. You want to see the results of your work and get a feeling of accomplishment. Independence It's very important to you that your work allows you to make decisions Achievement on your own. You want to try out your own ideas and work with little supervision. Relationships Take the Work Values Sorter again. Tell me more about Work Values ... Aptitudes: Aptitudes reflect a person's ability to acquire skills and knowledge.

The following aptitudes are important for success in this career:

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General learning ability Verbal aptitude Clerical perception General learning ability Top one-third Verbal aptitude Top one-third Numerical aptitude Middle third Spatial perception Bottom third Form perception Middle third Clerical perception Top one-third Eye-hand coordination Middle third Finger dexterity Bottom third Manual dexterity Bottom third

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Tell me more about Aptitudes ...

Skills You Need

Basic Skills The following skills are important for this career:
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Reading comprehension medium (level 5) Active listening medium (level 5) Writing medium (level 5) Speaking medium (level 5) Mathematics medium (level 3) Critical thinking medium (level 5) Active learning medium (level 5) Learning strategies high (level 6) Monitoring medium (level 5)

Your Basic Skills: Now that you know the basic skills for this career, would you like to find your personal basic skills? Try the Basic Skills Survey.

These skills are necessary but not as important:

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Science low (level 2)

Tell me more about Basic Skills ... Transferable Skills Here's a list of skills used in this career that are also used in other careers. High level of skill required
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Your Transferable Skills: Now that you know the transferable skills for this career, would you like to find your personal transferable skills? Try the Transferable Skills Checklist.

Counseling and advising people Evaluating student work Preparing case reports Preparing educational materials Reviewing and evaluating educational materials

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Teaching education and training programs Working as a member of an education team

Tell me more about Transferable Skills ... Workplace Skills Workplace skills are practiced activities that help people become successful in all kinds of careers. Here's a list of the workplace skills that are used in this career.

Medium level of skill required High level of skill required

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Coordination Instructing Social perceptiveness

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Complex problem solving Judgment and decision making Negotiation Persuasion Service orientation Time management

Tell me more about Workplace Skills ... Improve Your Skills: Skills are wonderful because you can always improve them! All it takes is a little hard work and motivation. So if you see that a career requires more skill than you currently have, don't worry it's always possible to learn more skills.

What To Learn
High School What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Education and Training cluster Teaching and Training pathway. Beyond High School Here's a list of programs that you should consider if you're interested in this career:
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Special Education and Teaching, General Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances Education/Teaching of Individuals with Mental Retardation Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic and Other Physical Health Impairments Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries

Education Level

Education training and experience are required at different levels for success in different occupations. Bachelor's degree All States require special education teachers to be licensed, which typically requires at least a bachelor's degree and completion of an approved training program in special education teaching. Many States require a master's degree. Most States have alternative methods for entry for bachelor's degree holders who do not have training in education. In some States, special education teachers receive a general education credential to teach kindergarten through grade 12. These teachers then train in a specialty, such as learning disabilities or behavioral disorders. Many States offer general special education licenses across a variety of disability categories, while others license several different specialties within special education.

Insider Info
Education
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Those in the field say it's important to know what you're getting into. "You either like it or you don't," says special education teacher Nancy Mendonca. "My advice would be to volunteer in some classroom like that. That would be the best way to determine if you're cut out for it." Volunteering at a group home, or at an event like the Special Olympics, is another way to find out what it's like to work with the mentally and physically handicapped.
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In the United States, special education teachers have to be licensed. Individual states have slightly different rules governing licensing. In general, you'll need to have a bachelor's degree and have completed an approved teacher preparation program with a specific number of subject and education credits and supervised practice teaching. Many states also require special education teachers to obtain a master's degree in special education, involving at least one year of additional course work, including a specialization, beyond the bachelor's degree.
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National certification standards for special education teachers are being developed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This will allow licensed special education teachers to move freely between states.
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To learn more about the special education teacher certification and licensing requirements in your area, contact your state's department of education. Extra Requirements Voluntary certification is available from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

For additional information, visit these websites:

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http://www.naset.org http://www.nbpts.org/for_candidates/certificate_areas

Money And Outlook

Colorado Earnings Average Annual Wage $51,410

Entry Annual Wage $34,370 Experienced Annual Wage $72,260 Average Hourly Wage $24.72 Entry Hourly Wage $16.52 Experienced Hourly Wage $34.74 Colorado Regional Earnings Colorado Metropolitan Areas Wages Region Average Entry Level Experienced Boulder MSA $57,010 or $27.41/hr $35,560 or $17.10/hr $81,170 or $39.02/hr Colorado Springs MSA $45,700 or $21.97/hr $33,260 or $15.99/hr $59,960 or $28.83/hr Denver-Aurora-Broomfield MSA $53,250 or $25.60/hr $35,710 or $17.17/hr $73,180 or $35.18/hr Fort Collins-Loveland MSA $47,590 or $22.88/hr $32,490 or $15.62/hr $67,240 or $32.33/hr Greeley MSA $51,290 or $24.66/hr $35,000 or $16.83/hr $76,600 or $36.83/hr Colorado Geographical Areas Wages Region Average Entry Level Experienced Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area $40,200 or $19.33/hr $31,180 or $14.99/hr $54,480 or $26.19/hr Western Colorado nonmetropolitan area $43,810 or $21.06/hr $32,690 or $15.72/hr $58,280 or $28.02/hr North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area $45,400 or $21.83/hr $32,770 or $15.75/hr $63,370 or $30.47/hr Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area $48,790 or $23.46/hr $37,910 or $18.23/hr $71,840 or $34.54/hr View Map

National Earnings The earnings information below is for the occupational group Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten, and Elementary School. The occupation Special Education Teacher is part of this group.

Average Annual Wage $56,700 Average Hourly Wage $27.26 Average Annual Range $35,700 to $84,440 Note: variations in salaries reflect differences in size of firm, location, level of education and professional credentials. Where do these numbers come from?

Colorado's Employment and Outlook (State-wide) Increasing Annual growth rate is estimated to be 29% Job Openings 196 estimated annual job openings Employment 3,323 were employed in this occupation Outlook Colorado's Regional Employment and Outlook Regions with increasing outlook (over 20% growth rate expected)

Region Denver Aurora Colorado Springs Greeley Pueblo

Employment 1,600 474 132 135

Projected Growth Rate 30% 44% 29% 22% 48 21 4 3

Annual Openings (growth) 47 14 4 4

Annual Openings (replacement) 95 35 8 7

Annual Openings

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National Employment and Outlook Outlook increasing The employment change from 2010 to 2020 is estimated to be +21.3%. (The National average for all occupations is +13%) Job Openings small number A total of 11330 average annual openings are expected for this occupation between 2010 and 2020. (The National Average for all occupations is 7,242 openings) Employment medium occupation This was a medium sized occupation in the United States, employing 222,800 workers in 2010. (The National average for all occupations is 191,847 workers) Growth Average growth Employment of special education teachers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations. Growth is expected because of increasing enrollment and continued demand for special education services. Although overall student enrollment is expected to grow, there will be some variation by region. Enrollment is expected to grow fastest in the South and West. In the Midwest, enrollment is expected to hold steady, and the Northeast is projected to have declines. As a result, employment growth for special education teachers is expected to be faster in the South and West than in the Midwest and Northeast. However, despite expected increases in enrollment, employment growth for special education teachers will depend on state and local government budgets. When state and local governments experience budget deficits, they may lay off employees, including teachers. As a result, employment growth of special education teachers may be somewhat reduced by stateandlocalgovernmentbudgetdeficits. Non Traditional This is a non-traditional occupation for men in 2011. Occupation Large concentrations of this occupation are found in these industries Industries
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Elementary and secondary schools, private (NAICS611100) (92.9%)

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