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What does a special ed teacher do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Diana Jones

Special ED teachers are teaching professionals who create and apply appropriate curricula and assign activities for students with special needs and disabilities. These teachers must work with the parents, general education teachers, and the school administrators to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for each student. They are required to monitor the behavioral patterns of children with special needs while keeping track of their progress. Special ED teachers must also mentor other professionals who are involved with children with disabilities.

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Special ed teacher responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real special ed teacher resumes:

  • Manage a classroom conducive to learning by creating an environment that encourages students to read, write, and master math.
  • Assist children with autism and special needs navigate the school curriculum.
  • Develop individualize lessons to accommodate learning differences and write IEPs.
  • Challenge students to master basic math concepts through implementation of manipulative.
  • Conduct assessments for children with developmental disabilities, and develop IEPs.
  • Collaborate with speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and other professionals to develop and implement IFSP goals.
  • Implement, prepare, and outline curriculum and courses of study for students.
  • Promote organizational skills, note taking, study skills, and test taking skills
  • Ensure seamless instructional efforts by integrating top teaching strategies in a co-taught general education classroom.
  • Lead the data team with interpreting results, including NWEA and other benchmark assessments.

Special ed teacher skills and personality traits

We calculated that 20% of Special ED Teachers are proficient in Classroom Management, Instructional Materials, and Behavior Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Patience, and Resourcefulness.

We break down the percentage of Special ED Teachers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Classroom Management, 20%

    Mentored twenty teachers regarding classroom management and effective teaching strategies for students with disabilities.

  • Instructional Materials, 11%

    Assist the teacher in preparing instructional materials and classroom displays.

  • Behavior Management, 9%

    Supervised special education paraprofessionals and support their professional development in appropriate curriculum and behavior management areas.

  • Classroom Environment, 9%

    Established and maintained standards of student behavior needed to provide an orderly, productive classroom environment.

  • Math, 7%

    Challenged students to master basic math concepts through implementation of manipulative.

  • Professional Development, 5%

    Participated in professional development activities of the school district and school

Common skills that a special ed teacher uses to do their job include "classroom management," "instructional materials," and "behavior management." You can find details on the most important special ed teacher responsibilities below.

Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a special ed teacher to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "special education teachers need to explain concepts in terms that students with learning disabilities can understand." Additionally, a special ed teacher resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "teach students independent living skills and basic literacy, art, communication, and math. "

Patience. Many special ed teacher duties rely on patience. "special education teachers must be able to stay calm instructing students with disabilities, who may lack basic skills, present behavioral or other challenges, or require repeated efforts to understand material.," so a special ed teacher will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways special ed teacher responsibilities rely on patience: "demonstrate patience and understanding while providing individualized instruction in a safe, inclusive classroom learning environment for students with significant disabilities. "

Resourcefulness. This is an important skill for special ed teachers to perform their duties. For an example of how special ed teacher responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "special education teachers must develop different ways to present information that meet their students’ needs." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a special ed teacher: "showed resourcefulness and teaching effectiveness in meeting the needs of students with limited english language proficiency as well as learning disabilities. ".

See the full list of special ed teacher skills

Choose from 10+ customizable special ed teacher resume templates

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Compare different special ed teachers

Special ed teacher vs. Teacher internship

Teaching interns are individuals who assist teachers and educators in the classroom. The interns are instructed to fulfill the tasks set out and provided by the supervisors for them. They take part in meetings and jot down their minutes. It is part of their job to conduct research at the request of the supervisor. They make updates to social media platforms and make posts. Also, they create images to be used in posts through different social media platforms.

The annual salary of teacher interns is $1,058 lower than the average salary of special ed teachers.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between special ed teachers and teacher interns are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like classroom management, instructional materials, and classroom environment.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a special ed teacher are more likely to require skills like "behavior management," "math," "autism," and "adaptive." On the other hand, a job as a teacher internship requires skills like "classroom management strategies," "learning styles," "student learning," and "esl." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Teacher interns earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $47,436. On the other hand, special ed teachers are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $47,015.On average, teacher interns reach lower levels of education than special ed teachers. Teacher interns are 12.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Special ed teacher vs. Teacher associate

A teacher associate is responsible for assisting the teacher in classroom operations and providing teaching support for the students. Teacher associates develop learning materials according to the instructions of the headteachers, helping them to track students' progress and observing class behaviors. They also take class responsibility if the teacher is away, ensuring to keep activity records and attendance for reference. A teacher associate must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in handling students' difficulties and working with the teacher to develop techniques to address those challenges.

On average, teacher associates earn a $15,449 lower salary than special ed teachers a year.A few skills overlap for special ed teachers and teacher associates. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "classroom management," "instructional materials," and "behavior management. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, special ed teacher responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "professional development," "autism," "adaptive," and "public schools." Meanwhile, a teacher associate has duties that require skills in areas such as "child care," "cpr," "child development," and "cleanliness." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, teacher associates earn a lower salary than special ed teachers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, teacher associates earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $32,745. Whereas special ed teachers have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $47,015.teacher associates earn lower levels of education than special ed teachers in general. They're 14.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for special ed teachers in the next 3-5 years?

Dr. Diana JonesDr. Diana Jones LinkedIn profile

Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University

Technology in the next 3-5 years -- That is a tough question because technology is continually changing. However, I would say whatever learning system their school provides (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard, etc.), they should get to know. Also, the technology that involves making/editing videos of teaching would be necessary. The technique that includes exercise, fitness, sports such as heart rate monitors, Fitbits, etc. Finally, a technology that allows interactions between teachers and students and students and students.

Special ed teacher vs. Long term substitute teacher

A long term substitute teacher is responsible for covering the duties of a teacher who is away for a long time. Long term substitute teachers proceed with the lesson plan outlines and the regular teacher's curriculum depending on their expertise. They monitor and assess the students' behavior, create an engaging learning environment, evaluate the students' learning progress by conducting a series of tests, create reports of the students' performance, and help students struggling with the subject.

On average scale, long term substitute teachers bring in lower salaries than special ed teachers. In fact, they earn a $6,648 lower salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on special ed teachers and long term substitute teachers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "classroom management," "instructional materials," and "classroom environment.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a special ed teacher is likely to be skilled in "behavior management," "autism," "adaptive," and "mathematics," while a typical long term substitute teacher is skilled in "long-term substitute," "student learning," "kindergarten," and "iep."

Long term substitute teachers earn the highest salary when working in the education industry, where they receive an average salary of $44,729. Comparatively, special ed teachers have the highest earning potential in the education industry, with an average salary of $47,015.When it comes to education, long term substitute teachers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to special ed teachers. In fact, they're 4.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Special ed teacher vs. Learning support teacher

Learning support teachers focus on offering out-of-school education to pupils who need additional help. Their duties include planning and implementing constructive teaching policies as well as collaborating with parents, other relevant professionals, and personnel. They assist pupils in adapting and overcoming problems that emerge due to learning difficulties. Also, the design and foster suitable skills and social abilities as well as motivate students to develop independence, self-confidence, and to achieve their full potential. Additionally, they develop and deliver lessons as well as record and assess children's progress.

Learning support teachers typically earn lower pay than special ed teachers. On average, learning support teachers earn a $15,542 lower salary per year.According to resumes from special ed teachers and learning support teachers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "classroom management," "instructional materials," and "classroom environment. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "behavior management," "autism," "adaptive," and "public schools" are skills that commonly show up on special ed teacher resumes. On the other hand, learning support teachers use skills like iep, academic support, student learning, and study on their resumes.The education industry tends to pay the highest salaries for learning support teachers, with average annual pay of $35,976. Comparatively, the highest special ed teacher annual salary comes from the education industry.learning support teachers reach similar levels of education compared to special ed teachers, in general. The difference is that they're 2.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of special ed teacher

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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