Special education teacher job description

This post includes 3 parts: duties list, job qualification and job description writing tips for Special education teacher in details. A complete job description concludes Special education teacher key duties/responsibilities, Special education teacher job qualifications (knowledge, education, skills, abilities, experience…KSA model) and other ones such as daily tasks, key activities, key/core competencies, job functions/purpose…

I. List of Special education teacher duties:

1. Working with special education students to include those students on the Autism Spectrum

2. Facilitating IEP Meetings and writing IEP goals and objectives

3. Conducting diagnostic assessments for driving instruction

4. Experience required working in Resource Room model or Co-teaching in a full room inclusion type model

5. Conducting a functional behavioral assessment and writing/implementing a behavior improvement plan.

6. Valid State certification as a Special Educator is required.

7.   To provide students with a first class learning experience that maximizes their intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development, including the development of their ability to apply their intellect to solving problems and contribute to their communities as enlightened and responsible citizens.
8. Work as a part of a team, maintaining a commitment to excellence
9.  All teaching staff are highly qualified

II. List of Special education teacher qualifications

1. Bachelor Degree in Education or related discipline (i.e., social science, humanities).

2. Must have appropriate credentials such as valid teaching certification and be highly qualified as designated by the State DOE

3. Must demonstrate competency in all areas of content responsibility and be computer literate

4. Must have experience with standardized testing and interpreting data

III. Tips to write job description

1. Too-long job description:

Looking at a too-long job description can frighten the candidates off and drive the away. A job description, no matter how important the job is, should not be included in more than 3 pages. If one focuses on too many things at a time, he shall definitely lose focus on the main items and get overwhelmed by the remaining; So, keep it concisely.

2. Too-short job description:

While too-long can be a problem, too-short is more a problem. It will ruin the meaning of the job description. A too-short one means it lacks necessary details and therefore, the candidate will not be able to understand while reading it.

3. Listing unnecessary functions or job duties:

Just classifying these into the “others” category will save you a lot of effort and space. On the other hand, the job description will become more dilute and easy to be neglected.

4. Key functions

Not listing key functions as required for the job can be a fatal mistake to a job description.

5. Grammar and spelling

Poor grammar and having spelling errors can ruin the job description, too. Never think that as you are the employer, you may have the right to make grammar or spelling errors while requires other not to. A job description with such errors is easily to be mistaken as a fake or ghost ads; as a result, the candidate will turn away from it.

6. Not specific enough:

Be specific and concise; if you don’t address the specific, then what the job description is for. It is for the candidate to understand just exactly what he needs to do or needs to have. Lacking details can confuse the candidates very well.

7. Not having the job description reviewed by others:

This is also a common mistake. One may be subject to bias, but more than one, especially with the help of those external advisor, the job description can be more perfect.

8. Using buzzwords or abbreviations:

In fact, it is not necessary at all to use such in a job description.

9. Using slang or legal words:

Just use common wording to communicate with others and don’t do anything extraordinarily.

10. Not updating the job description:

The same job may require different duties and responsibilities in different times, so, you cannot use the same job description for 2 different times.