What Do Middle School Special Ed Teachers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

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Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life

Middle School Special Ed Teachers

Middle School Special Ed Teachers teach middle 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.

Salary
$66300
Becoming One
Hard
Education
Master's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



Job Description

Job Description

Middle School Special Ed Teachers teach middle 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. They also establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.

Other tasks include:

  • Modify the general education curriculum for special-needs students based upon a variety of instructional techniques and instructional technology.
  • Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.
  • Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
  • 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.
  • Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students’ behavioral and academic problems.

We asked Middle School Special Ed Teachers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

Job satisfaction

73%

How meaningful is this job

73%


73% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 73% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.



Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Middle School Special Ed Teachers prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. They monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements.

A typical day for a Middle School Special Education Teacher will also include:

  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
  • Collaborate with other teachers that provide instruction to special education students to ensure that the students receive appropriate support.
  • Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
  • Observe and evaluate students’ performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
  • Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.

We asked some Middle School Special Ed Teachers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? 7% said yes
How important is it to work in a team in this job? 88% said very important
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? 75% said yes
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? 39% said yes
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? 20% said yes
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? 52% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Middle 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, Middle School Special Ed Teachers Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students. They might also Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.

In addition, they Meet with parents and guardians to provide guidance in using community resources and to teach skills for dealing with students’ impairments.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Organize and label materials and display students’ work.

To some Middle School Special Ed Teachers, it is also their responsibility to Administer standardized ability and achievement tests and interpret results to determine students’ strengths and areas of need.


Working life

Working hours

More than 40 hours per week

Working schedule

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Middle School Special Education Teacher, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Do Middle School Special Ed Teachers work in an office-style work environment?

Every day
86%


Never
14%


Do Middle School Special Ed Teachers work outdoors?

Never
57%


Once a month
20%



Is this right for me

Best personality for this career

The Helpers and The Artists

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

You can read more about these career personality types here.



Learn more about Middle School Special Ed Teachers

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Related to Middle School Special Education Teachers Job Description

Middle School Special Education Teachers job description, what do Middle School Special Education Teachers do, typical day for Middle School Special Education Teachers, what is it like to work as a Middle School Special Education Teacher, how many hours do Middle School Special Education Teachers work, day to day work of a Middle School Special Education Teacher

Additional resources

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/education-training-and-library/special-education-teachers.htm
http://www.cec.sped.org/
http://www.naset.org/
http://www.aft.org/


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