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Career Details
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Career Details

25-2057.00 - Special Education Teachers, Middle School


Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. 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.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
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Forecasted Employment
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Change in Employment
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Change in Employment %
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Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • 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.
  • Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
  • Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.
  • Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
  • Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems, or special academic interests.
  • Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
  • 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.
  • Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
  • Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.
  • Monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements.
  • Administer standardized ability and achievement tests and interpret results to determine students' strengths and areas of need.
  • Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.
  • Meet with parents and guardians to provide guidance in using community resources and to teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.
  • Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
  • Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
  • Organize and label materials and display students' work.
  • Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
  • Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
  • Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
  • Perform administrative duties, such as assisting in school libraries, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
  • Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
  • Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.
  • Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.
  • Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation.
  • Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
  • Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.
  • Collaborate with other teachers that provide instruction to special education students to ensure that the students receive appropriate support.
Supplemental
  • Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.
  • Provide additional instruction in vocational areas.
  • Visit schools to tutor students with sensory impairments and to consult with teachers regarding students' special needs.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Education and Training
  • 95%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 English Language
  • 95%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Psychology
  • 79%
    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 72%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Mathematics
  • 71%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 69%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Clerical
  • 66%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Therapy and Counseling
  • 66%
    Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 64%
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
 Geography
  • 58%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
 Sociology and Anthropology
  • 56%
    Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
 Administration and Management
  • 53%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 History and Archeology
  • 52%
    Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
 Communications and Media
  • 52%
    Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Computer data input devices
  • Alternative computer keyboards
  • Eye controlled computer mouse equipment
  • Foot operated mouse equipment
  • Head operated joysticks
  • Mouth operated joysticks
  • Reading pens
  • Trackballs
 Audio and visual equipment
  • Audio tape recorders or players
  • Microphones
  • Television monitors
  • Video cassette recorders VCR
 Communication aids for the physically challenged
  • Braille slates
  • Braille styluses
  • Communication boards
  • Jellybean switches
  • Portable communication devices
  • Sound switches
  • Teletypewriters TTY
  • Word prediction software
 Laboratory heating and drying equipment
  • Bunsen burners
  • Laboratory heating plates
 Computer printers
  • Computer laser printers
 Computers
  • Desktop computers
  • Laptop computers
  • Personal computers
  • Tablet computers
 Cameras
  • Digital video cameras
  • Document cameras
  • Video camcorders
 Laboratory implements
  • Dissection scalpels
 Computer displays
  • Interactive whiteboards
  • Wireless touch screen monitors
 Drafting supplies
  • Pencil compasses
 Duplicating machines
  • Photocopying equipment
 Safety apparel
  • Safety gloves
 Toys
  • Science activity kits
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Educational or reference software
  • Common Curriculum
  • EasyCBM
  • Hand held spell checkers
  • Padlet
  • Schoology
  • Seesaw
  • Text to speech software
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Flipgrid
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Pear Deck
  • Video editing software
 Business function specific software
  • Google Classroom
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
  • Microsoft SharePointHOT
 Utility and device driver software
  • Screen magnification software
  • Screen reader software
  • Voice activated software
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific certifications are listed for this career
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Laurel Ridge Community College
Wytheville Community College