Special Education Teachers, Middle School
People classed as Special Education Teachers, Middle School teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. The skills rated most useful are learning strategies, instructing, and writing. One core duty is to develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students. Interest ratings put Social on top at 7.0 out of 7 and Artistic second, so the code is SAI and the day leans toward helping, teaching or caring for people. Getting in usually takes a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience, a level O*NET calls considerable preparation. If you want helping, teaching or caring for people, keep it on your list. If you need leading, persuading and making business decisions, it may feel thin.
What they do
Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.
Main tasks
- Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
Skills
- Learning Strategies
- Instructing
- Writing
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You want room to make something in your own way.
- You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
- You are comfortable relying on learning strategies and instructing.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to lead people or run the business side. Enterprising rates 1.8 out of 7 here.
- You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SAI takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- ED SPED Teacher (Emotional Disabilities Special Education Teacher)
- Interrelated SPED Teacher (Interrelated Special Education Teacher)
- Learning Disabilities Teacher (LD Teacher)
- Learning Support Teacher
- Middle School Resource Teacher
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.