Special Education Teachers, Elementary School

Career Overview

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.

Also Known As

• Learning Support Teacher
• Resource Program Teacher
• SPED Resource Teacher (Special Education Resource Teacher)
• SPED Teacher (Special Education Teacher)

Alternate Job Titles

• Academic Interventionist
• APE Teacher (Adapted Physical Education Teacher)
• 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)
• Developmentally Delayed Special Education Teacher (DD Special Education Teacher)
• Early Childhood Special Educator
• Early Interventionist
• Elementary Classroom Instructor
• Elementary Classroom Teacher
• Elementary School SPED Teacher (Elementary School Special Education Teacher)
• Elementary SPED Teacher (Elementary Special Education Teacher)

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities 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.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Education and Training
• English Language
• Customer and Personal Service
• Computers and Electronics
• Mathematics
• Administration and Management
• Psychology

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Active Listening
2. Speaking
3. Instructing
4. Reading Comprehension
5. Learning Strategies
6. Social Perceptiveness
7. Critical Thinking
8. Writing
9. Monitoring
10. Service Orientation

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Expression
• Oral Comprehension
• Problem Sensitivity
• Speech Clarity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Written Comprehension
• Inductive Reasoning
• Fluency of Ideas
• Near Vision
• Category Flexibility

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Empathy
• Dependability
• Cooperation
• Sincerity
• Self-Control

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

• Adaptive paint brushes
• Adaptive scissors
• Alternative computer keyboards
• Braille label makers
• Braille note-taking systems
• Braille rulers
• Braille writers
• Compact digital cameras
• Compact disk CD players
• Computer data input scanners
• Computer laser printers
• Computer voice input devices
• Desktop computers
• Digital audio recorders
• Document cameras

Work Environment

• E-Mail
• Contact With Others
• Physical Proximity
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.