Special Education Teachers, Elementary School: Job Description
Teach academic, social, and life skills to elementary 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.
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The Daily Work of Special Education Teachers, Elementary School Take On?
The core tasks performed by special education teachers, elementary school include:
- Instruct students with disabilities in academic subjects, using a variety of techniques, such as phonetics, multisensory learning, or repetition to reinforce learning and meet students' varying needs.
- Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
- Modify the general elementary education curriculum for students with disabilities.
- Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations.
- Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
- Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful special education teachers, elementary school rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Special Education Teachers, Elementary School Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- APE Teacher (Adapted Physical Education Teacher)
- Academic Interventionist
- Behavior Interventionist
- Behavior Specialist
- Blind Teacher
- Braille Teacher
- Cross-Categorical SPED Teacher (Cross-Categorical Special Education Teacher)
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher (DHH Teacher)
Job Outlook
There are roughly 199,543 special education teachers, elementary school working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -0.2% over the projection horizon.
Special Education Teachers, Elementary School Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $50,045 |
| Hourly median | $24.06 |
| 10th percentile | $30,165 |
| 25th percentile | $40,105 |
| 75th percentile | $59,986 |
| 90th percentile | $69,926 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Software Special Education Teachers, Elementary School Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of special education teachers, elementary school is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Physical Proximity
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Education and Training
Most special education teachers, elementary school positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary (Supplemental)
- School Psychologists (Supplemental)
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (Supplemental)
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (Supplemental)
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education (Primary-Long)
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (Primary-Short)
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future special education teachers, elementary school often complete programs in:
Education
13 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 25-2056.00 (Special Education Teachers, Elementary School).
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