What skills stand out on Self Contained Special Education Teacher resumes?

-Transformative educators who are skilled in addressing racial and social inequities in their programs -Educators who are fullly qualified and trained to work with students with disabilities who are also English-language learners -Educators who are trained to work collaboratively with general educators on planning, teaching, and assessing those students with disabilities in gen-ed classrooms, i.e., co-teaching in inclusive settings -Fluent in other languages besides English due to the diverse language backgrounds of students and families (at least in California) -Any evidence of leadership work on the job, e.g., trainings for general educators on inclusion, diversity, families, and more -Strong technology skills for communication with all stakeholders and for teaching students virtually -Trained to teach using UDL approaches to address diversity of student learning styles

What soft skills should all Self Contained Special Education Teachers possess?

In any teaching position, whether special education or otherwise, it is perhaps the soft skills that are the greatest indicators of professional aptitude and success. In my years as a principal, we used to call this "teacher mojo," and it was an aura that is easier to glean in an interview than on a resume but centers around those personal traits that the person brings with them to the table beyond their content and pedagogical knowledge and expertise. A hiring administrator wants to know that the candidate is collaborative; special education teachers are expected to partner with their general education colleagues and related service providers and serve as case managers of interdisciplinary teams. They need to have excellent listening and facilitation skills, demonstrated through approachability, patience, flexibility, cultural competence, and the ability to lead sometimes difficult conversations. Special educators need to have impeccable time management skills and be reliable when meeting deadlines, as timelines are set by federal legislation and state regulation, not simply the whim of a school administrator. Additionally, they need to model inclusivity and kindness; they are often the voices in their buildings for the excluded students. They should be confident enough to say, for example, "have we thought about accessibility concerns for the upcoming field trip?" and be willing to kindly remind their colleagues of equal access and inclusivity when someone suggests "leaving those kids behind just this one time."

What hard/technical skills are most important for Self Contained Special Education Teachers?

It would be important for a special education teacher applicant to have experience administering standardized assessments and to be able to list specific examples of names of those assessments. These could include state assessments administered for NCLB purposes or norm-referenced assessments administered to students who are undergoing the child study or eligibility (or re-evaluation) process. Additionally, successful candidates can articulate not only standard classroom technology hardware and software systems in which they may be proficient but can also specifically name examples of adaptive and assistive technology equipment and programs they have used with students for IEP accommodations. Finally, special education teachers must also have skills in data collection and analysis, as they are responsible for setting measurable individualized targets for student performance, gathering regular data to assess growth toward those targets as skills are taught, and then analyzing those data to make instructional decisions. They also need to be able to use and interpret these data and other assessment data for stakeholders (such as parents) and work with the IEP team to plan appropriate services, accommodations, and placements for students based on measurable outcomes.

What Self Contained Special Education Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Now that many students are learning online, and the use of technology has been established, it will be hard to put that cat back in the bag. My advice would be to spend the gap year exploring educational technology tools like Google Classroom, Seesaw, Schoology, Screencastify, Kami, BrainPop, Padlet, MobyMax, NewsELA, and more. In the future, there may or may not be a need to teach completely online again, but these tools can be useful in the classroom or for home/school connections as well.

What type of skills will young Self Contained Special Education Teachers need?

New faculty will have to demonstrate an increased ability to differentiate instruction and work with the general education faculty to meet students where they are and implement techniques to accelerate the learning of all students who may have experienced COVID-related gaps in knowledge. Specifically, these skills would be related to explicit instruction and Direct Instruction, as well as other evidence-based techniques. Applications of instructional technologies mediated through computers and tablets, peers, and teachers will need to be used. An example would be related to questioning, having students respond to teacher questions in various ways. The most basic of these responses would be a binary response, such as right false questions next to a provided set of choices for students to select. Then, the most difficult of reactions - a production response, would show students' in-depth understanding. All of the above would be driven by the new faculty's experience with assessment and assessment practices. The outcomes of assessment, both formal and informal, will drive instruction. Another skill or activity to be undertaken will be an intimate knowledge of the standards students must meet and resource materials available in their respective schools to help meet those standards. The textbook is not the curriculum or the standards but a vehicle to achieve those standards. By familiarizing the curriculum, educators will better handle those prerequisite skills needed to perform at the highest levels.

Automatically apply for jobs with Zippia

Upload your resume to get started.

Self contained special education teacher skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

1 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Peg Hughes Ph.D.,

Dr. Rachel Potter

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical self contained special education teacher skills. We ranked the top skills for self contained special education teachers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 54.1% of self contained special education teacher resumes contained classroom management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a self contained special education teacher needs to be successful in the workplace.

List of self contained special education teacher skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a self contained special education teacher resume and required skills for a self contained special education teacher to have include:

Classroom Management

Social Studies

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
Self Contained Special Education Teacher
Self Contained Special Education Teacher Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs