Career in Special Education

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In the profession of a special education teacher, a person commits to helping children achieve their best and to help “students overcome their obstacles” while finding a way that the child can effectively learn (Hollingsworth). My mom’s career as special education teacher for twenty-two years, allows me insight and experience into the tougher aspects of this career, but also the rewards to the job. My mom helps me understand that a special education teacher guides a child to expand their strengths, develop strategies to overcome weakness, and to make best use of all available resources. Through helping her, and learning from her experiences, she taught me that a career in special education can not only challenge me, but may also become a mission.

Special education teachers’ duties include a variety of expectations that they need to do throughout the day and school year. One of the duties of a special education teacher includes creating IEP’s and other necessary paper work. An IEP consists of an individual plan designed for each child that should guide and drive their educational and emotional needs, outlining strategies and accommodations to support them and their individual needs (“Preschool and Elementary”). The special education teacher must consult with parents, teachers, administrators, and other professionals in order to develop the best possible plan of action ("Special Education Instructor").

Individual Education Plans drive each child’s educational and behavioral services on a daily basis. The demands of this paperwork can become quite time consuming and the special education teacher is the leader of the education team. The IEP looks at a student’s strengths, weaknesses, and present levels of performance. From this ...

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