Life As a Special Education Preschool Teacher
Occupation Description Teach preschool school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students. Includes teachers who specialize and work with audibly and visually handicapped students and those who teach basic academic and life processes skills to the mentally impaired.
List of Special Education Preschool Teacher Job Duties
- Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to maintain or improve professional competence.
- Organize and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their perceptual skills.
- Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, or social skills, to preschool students with special needs.
- Prepare assignments for teacher assistants or volunteers.
- Establish and communicate clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects to students, parents, or guardians.
- Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, or social development.
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Special Education Preschool Teacher Skills
Special Education Preschool Teachers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Types of Special Education Preschool Teacher
- Cross-Categorical Special Education Teacher
- Handicapped Teacher
- Mentally Impaired Teacher
- Early Childhood Special Education Teacher (EC Special Education Teacher)
- Learning Disabled Teacher
Is There Job Demand for Special Education Preschool Teachers?
In the United States, there were 29,200 jobs for Special Education Preschool Teacher in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 11.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,300 new jobs for Special Education Preschool Teacher by 2026. There will be an estimated 2,500 positions for Special Education Preschool Teacher per year.

The states with the most job growth for Special Education Preschool Teacher are Colorado, New Jersey, and Arkansas. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Vermont, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Special Education Preschool Teacher Salary
Special Education Preschool Teachers make between $34,300 and $100,160 a year.

Special Education Preschool Teachers who work in Oregon, Rhode Island, or New York, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Special Education Preschool Teachers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $46,580 |
Alaska | $65,500 |
Arizona | $42,830 |
Arkansas | $46,870 |
California | $47,870 |
Colorado | $56,830 |
Connecticut | $68,130 |
Florida | $50,120 |
Georgia | $52,360 |
Illinois | $57,280 |
Indiana | $50,140 |
Iowa | $49,330 |
Kansas | $55,700 |
Kentucky | $53,420 |
Louisiana | $49,480 |
Maine | $36,070 |
Maryland | $61,210 |
Massachusetts | $64,370 |
Michigan | $64,300 |
Minnesota | $62,810 |
Mississippi | $46,590 |
Missouri | $37,510 |
Nebraska | $55,900 |
New Jersey | $66,890 |
New Mexico | $48,710 |
New York | $83,010 |
North Carolina | $50,490 |
North Dakota | $56,640 |
Ohio | $64,790 |
Oklahoma | $41,390 |
Oregon | $75,600 |
Pennsylvania | $54,160 |
Rhode Island | $70,590 |
South Carolina | $48,110 |
South Dakota | $39,910 |
Tennessee | $48,000 |
Texas | $51,010 |
Utah | $48,260 |
Vermont | $62,520 |
Virginia | $66,470 |
Washington | $63,400 |
Wisconsin | $45,780 |
Wyoming | $64,120 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Special Education Preschool Teachers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Special Education Preschool Teachers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Children’s educational software
- Screen reader software
- Screen magnification software
- Drawing software
- American Sign Language Browser
How to Become a Special Education Preschool Teacher
Are there Special Education Preschool Teachers education requirements?

What work experience do I need to become a Special Education Preschool Teacher?

Where Special Education Preschool Teachers Are Employed

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

References:
Image Credit: woodleywonderworks via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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