Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Secondary School Special Ed Teachers
Secondary School Special Ed Teachers teach secondary 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.
Table of contents
What they do
Secondary School Special Ed Teachers teach secondary 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.
- Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
- Observe and evaluate students’ performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Secondary School Special Ed Teachers prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. They use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
A typical day for a Secondary School Special Education Teacher will also include:
- Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
- 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 students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Secondary School Special Ed Teachers also attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required. They may also meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children’s progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Secondary School Special Ed Teachers attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence. They might also confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students’ behavioral and academic problems.
In addition, they confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans designed to promote students’ educational, physical, and social development.
To some Secondary School Special Ed Teachers, it is also their responsibility to provide additional instruction in vocational areas.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
73% said they were satisfied with their job and 73% said they found their job meaningful.
I’m described as a (LIMM) Learning Impaired Mild to Moderate teacher which is simply a special education teacher. However, the Department of Defense loves their acronyms.
As a sped teacher, my key responsibility is generating and following an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for students with unique needs on my caseload and making sure that the general education teachers are also doing the same. An IEP is a legal agreement.
Some students with IEPs don’t need intensive help. They only need mild assistance. I teach both in my classroom and the general education classroom. It’s best to make co-teaching a team effort. Depending on the teacher, I walk around and assist all students at their desks. This may be redirecting or rephrasing or giving mini-lessons. It could also include pulling some students to a center for accommodations or remediation.
I also do more intense intervention in my room which is referred to as the resource room. As implied, it’s a resource and students don’t stay in the room all day. My goal is to expose them to the grade-level curriculum and also address their individual foundational needs. My assistants and I may work in three small groups. I use research-based programs and research-based methods to bridge the academic gaps. If students in the general education classroom are working on double-digit multiplication, one center may focus on multiplication fluency. Another center may focus on word problems at their current ability level, and I will lead the center from the curriculum that reads Tier-3 Intervention which focuses on double digit multiplication with hands-on material and possibly a video to explain differently.
Many people especially those who attended school before No Child Left Behind have a different image of special education. They imagine a special education teacher at her desk eating while students color all day or watch movies. This is far from the truth. We aim to have all students perform in the average range with accommodations and/or modifications.
In addition to teaching, there is paperwork galore. As a special education teacher, I often have to do paperwork that includes data collection, IEPs, and reports. It takes me about one and a half hours to write an IEP. Please keep in mind that we have a 45 minute planning. It takes me longer to complete because we have to collaborate with others, synthesize and analyze data, and complete the many sessions of the IEP.
Whenever I have a substitute, they often comment on the pinging about in the building. They don’t have to wear as many hats as I do since I plan their lessons. As a special education teacher, I feel mostly like a teacher, data processor, and a paralegal. Special education teacher “The Swiss Army Knife of Education” that sums it up. Since I like being resourceful and prepared, it’s the right fit for me.
My typical day
I start with checking emails and then go to duty. As a special education teacher, you always wear many hats. This year, I helped in the cafeteria. Afterward, I’m helping in the general education classroom and teaching in my classroom with my co-teachers. The student-to-teacher ratio is not overwhelming.
I’m a very animated person so I get to be silly in the classroom. Everyone else may think that I’m as exciting as a plain potato chip but my students and co-teachers know better. During my break, I work on paperwork of some sort. It may be a progress report, an IEP ( individual education plan), collection of data, or an educational performance report.
At the end of the day, I’ll end doing car duty.
Pros
Suitable for people who like to help and teach others.
Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
Very good salary.
Cons
Not suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.
It is hard to get into this career. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week).
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Secondary School Special Ed Teachers with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $41,270 to $49,940 per year or $* to $* per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $101,050 | $* |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $80,210 | $* |
| Median | $62,320 | $* |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $49,940 | $* |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $41,270 | $* |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Secondary School Special Ed Teachers based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $66790 | $* |
| State Government | $66750 | $* |
| Other Residential Care Facilities | $63810 | $* |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $62290 | $* |
| Local Government | $59090 | $* |
| Individual and Family Services | $57240 | $* |
| Educational Support Services | $52360 | $* |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $50910 | $* |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Secondary School Special Ed Teachers work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Secondary School Special Ed Teachers including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 136960 | $66790 | $* |
| Educational Support Services | 1990 | $52360 | $* |
| State Government | 1270 | $66750 | $* |
| Local Government | 650 | $59090 | $* |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | 420 | $50910 | $* |
| Individual and Family Services | 210 | $57240 | $* |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | 100 | $62290 | $* |
| Other Residential Care Facilities | $63810 | $* |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries
Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic and Other Physical Health Impairments
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness
Special Education and Teaching
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.
They also like working with ideas and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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