Nicole Connors
November, 1999
English 111-17
Special Education Teachers: Low Pay, Though Very Rewarding
My future career is to become a special education teacher. This as been a dream of mine since the third grade. I believe it takes a very special person to meet the demands that a special ed. teacher encounters every school day. Just to begin, you must have a bachelor’s degree, completion of an approved teacher preparation program, and a license. Some states may also ask for a master’s degree as well. Some courses taken by a person pursuing this degree may include educational psychology, legal issues of special education, child growth and development, and knowledge and skills needed for teaching students with disabilities. Students may also choose a generalized degree in several specialized areas. The last year of college, before you graduate, you will teach in a classroom with a certified teacher supervising you.
Special education teachers are always needed. They held about 407,000 jobs in 1996. These jobs are in such high demand at times, they have designed alternative and emergency licensure. This was designed to help college graduates get a fast start on their career. The requirements are not as strict for this situation. Employment for special education teachers will increase through the year 2006. Many school districts believe that there will be a shortage of teachers with these qualifications around that time. Special ed. teachers average rate of pay is substantially low for the amount of work they do, it reaches anywhere from $37,000 to $38,600. There is a union that over half of public school teachers belong to. It is called the American Federation of Teachers or the National Education Association. These unions are designed to discuss with school boards about their wages, hours, and the terms and conditions of employment.
The duties that come along with this rewarding career can be very stressful at times. Teachers must assess students to see if they are in need of being in these special ed. classes. The assessment includes tests that the "average" student would pass with flying colors. This is where communication comes in their job. It is the teacher's job to notify school principles and the students parents about the assessment. Finding out your child is being put in a special education class is a hard thing to accept. The teachers job is to make the parents understand that this is the best thing for their child, which can be a difficult task at times. After everyone involved is comfortable about the situation, the teacher has another big job: they must develop an IEP for the student. An IEP stands for Individual Education Program. These are precisely aimed at their specific needs. It tells of the students learning style and ability. It lists the requirements the child may need, has a certain lesson plan to fit the child’s needs, and sets personalized goals for the student. It also includes a transition plan that explains certain steps on to how to get this child prepared for middle or high school. Another tremendous duty of a special education teacher is to make the student comfortable with his or her surroundings and situations. Special education teachers have a big job to accomplish everyday, but always go home rewarded.
There are not a whole lot of advancement opportunities. They can become administrators or head of their department. They can earn higher degrees and teach others in the college level how to become a special ed. teacher, but that is about it.
As for written and oral communications, it is a must, as in every other job. They must be able to communicate with the child in a way for them to understand, yet not make them uncomfortable. Teachers must be able to communicate with these children’s parents and the school's principal. Written communication is extremely important, Kay Beard, a special ed. teacher at Grafton Bethel Elementary, states. This is her first year of teaching. She has just moved her from Minnesota. Mrs. Beard loves her job dearly. The hardest part of her job is setting IEP’s for her students. Another hard thing is telling the parents that their children may need special ed. classes. As mentioned before, teachers must create an Individual Education Program, (IEP). This takes a lot of thought and a lot of critiquing. Technology is playing a greater role in every job today. But in this case, teachers may need to use special equipment, such as audiotapes, synthesized speech, or interactive educational software. Her job includes a lot of communication, written and oral. Her audience includes her students, parents, other teachers, and administrators. Written communication would be forms she has to fill out, her lesson plans, and the letters she sends to the parents to let then know how their child is doing and how they are coming along with their IEP's. She uses her computing skills in many ways. She uses e-mail, and she also looks up new games, worksheets, and ideas on how to make her classroom more fun to be in. She loves her job but still has a lot to learn since this is her first year of teaching. She hopes to become the head of her department, and still sees herself still teaching in ten to twenty years.
In ten to twenty years, I will have established a home. I will have a job and be very good at it. I will have my own classroom, and may have of taught a few student teachers how to bring joy to these children's lives. I will hopefully be well known throughout the community for being such a caring teacher. I hope my students look forward to coming to school everyday. My ultimate dream is to have a beautiful classroom with beautiful students anxiously waiting to learn from their favorite teacher, ME!!!!
Works Cited
Beard, Kay. Personal Interview. 7 October 1999.
Department of Labor. Special Education Teachers. Accessed on 8 Nov. 1999 <www.bls.gov/oco/ocos070.htm>.
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