Thursday, March 10, 2011

CURRENT TRENDS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION...(PARTII)

MY REFLECTION:

Teachers –SPECIAL EDUCATION

(THE NATURE OF THEIR WORK)

What are really the qualifications to be said that a special education teachers really help students with special needs to develop.

Engaging in this kind of profession is not that easy because you’re not going to handle children who are regular but special: children who need much attention and care.

A special education teacher has all the patience in teaching children with special needs. Don’t give up on them for them to learn. Don’t show them that you are losing your patience because even if they are special they can feel that.

A good special educator thinks first the sake of her students and not for their advantages. Be flexible in doing all the modifications that will help the students to learn and achieve their full potential..

Make their life meaningful and show to them that they are normal like the other…touch their lives, love them, appreciate them, and also make them excel.

TEACHERS, YOU ARE THE SECOND PARENT OF THE STUDENTS, HELP THEM TO SEE THE BEAUTY AND INNOCENCE OF LIFE BY CHANGING AND TOUCHING THEIR LIVES…”


THE WRITE UPS…

Teachers—Special Education

(THE NATURE OF THEIR WORK)

  • Special education teachers must be organized, patient, and able to motivate students, understanding of their students' special needs, and accepting of differences in others.
  • All States require teachers to be licensed; traditional licensing requires the completion of a special education teacher training program and at least a bachelor's degree, although some States require a master's degree.
  • Many States offer alternative licensure programs to attract college graduates who do not have training in education.
  • Excellent job prospects are expected due to rising enrollments of special education students and reported shortages of qualified teachers

Nature of the Work

Special education teachers work with children and youths who have a variety of disabilities. A small number of special education teachers work with students with severe cognitive, emotional, or physical disabilities, primarily teaching them life skills and basic literacy. However, the majority of special education teachers work with children with mild to moderate disabilities, using or modifying the general education curriculum to meet the child's individual needs and providing required remedial instruction. Most special education teachers instruct students at the preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school level, although some work with infants and toddlers.

The various types of disabilities that may qualify individuals for special education programs are as follows: specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, visual impairments, autism, combined deafness and blindness, traumatic brain injury, and other health impairments. Students are identified under one or more of these categories. Early identification of a child with special needs is an important part of a special education teacher's job, because early intervention is essential in educating children with disabilities.

Special education teachers use various techniques to promote learning. Depending on the student, teaching methods can include intensive individualized instruction, problem-solving assignments, and small-group work. When students need special accommodations to learn the general curriculum or to take a test, special education teachers ensure that appropriate accommodations are provided, such as having material read orally or lengthening the time allowed to take the test.

Special education teachers help to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each student receiving special education. The IEP sets personalized goals for the student and is tailored to that student's individual needs and abilities. When appropriate, the program includes a transition plan outlining specific steps to prepare students for middle school or high school or, in the case of older students, a job or post secondary study. Teachers review the IEP with the student's parents, school administrators, and the student's general education teachers. Teachers work closely with parents to inform them of their children's progress and suggest techniques to promote learning outside of school.

Special education teachers design and teach appropriate curricula, assign work geared toward each student's needs and abilities, and grade papers and homework assignments. They are involved in the student’s behavioral, social, and academic development, helping them develop emotionally and interact effectively in social situations. Preparing special education students for daily life after graduation also is an important aspect of the job. Teachers provide students with career counseling or help them learn life skills, such as balancing a checkbook.

As schools become more inclusive, special education teachers and general education teachers increasingly work together in general education classrooms. Special education teachers help general educators adapt curriculum materials and teaching techniques to meet the needs of students with disabilities. They coordinate the work of teachers, teacher assistants, and related personnel, such as therapists and social workers, to meet the individualized needs of the student within inclusive special education programs. A large part of a special education teacher's job involves communicating and coordinating with others involved in the child's well-being, including parents, social workers, school psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, school administrators, and other teachers.

Special education teachers work in a variety of settings. Some have their own classrooms and teach only special education students; others work as special education resource teachers and offer individualized help to students in general education classrooms; still others teach together with general education teachers in classes including both general and special education students. Some teachers work with special education students for several hours a day in a resource room, separate from their general education classroom. Considerably fewer special education teachers work in residential facilities or tutor students in home bound or hospital environments.

Some special education teachers work with infants and toddlers in the child's home with his or her parents. Many of these infants have challenges that slow or preclude normal development. Special education teachers help parents learn techniques and activities designed to stimulate the infant and encourage the growth and development of the child's skills. Toddlers usually receive their services at a preschool where special education teachers help them develop social, self-help, motor, language, and cognitive skills, often through the use of play.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos070.htm#nature

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