Is becoming a special education teacher right for me?
The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You don’t want to waste your time doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re new here, you should read about:
Still unsure if becoming a special education teacher is the right career path? Take the free CareerExplorer career test to find out if this career is right for you. Perhaps you are well-suited to become a special education teacher or another similar career!
Described by our users as being “shockingly accurate”, you might discover careers you haven’t thought of before.
How to become a Special Education Teacher
A special education teacher program is an natural choice for people who have a passion for teaching and working with children with special needs. This special breed of educator must be motivating, patient, understand children’s special needs, and be able to adapt teaching to each individual student. They must be able to handle stress and have excellent communication and teamwork skills, as well as be creative and adaptable.
It takes a lot of patience, caring, and understanding to be a good special education teacher. Working with special needs students can be a challenge, and many days will be a challenge, but there are many more days that will bring triumph and a great sense of accomplishment. Becoming a special education teacher is not that different from becoming any other type of teacher. There are different types of courses, but the process is still similar.
The road to becoming a special education teacher begins with receiving a bachelor's degree. Many students choose to get a degree in education, and there are several universities that offer a four-year degree in special education. A general education degree is not necessary as it is possible to take the education classes later on while obtaining your teaching certificate.
There are more specialized classes to take when preparing to become a special education teacher. Courses like educational psychology, legal issues in special education, and strategy courses for teachers of children with disabilities are all common. Students should take a lot of courses specializing in children with special needs.
After graduating from a bachelor's degree program, most states and provinces require that students return to school for a credential in special education before being allowed to teach. Some states and provinces allow students to teach while finishing a credential program, and a few don't require the extra year at all. After graduating from this program, students can finish up their teacher certification needed to become special education teachers.
All prospective teachers are required to take teacher competency exams before beginning their teaching careers. These assessment tests are designed to test students on their knowledge of teaching practices and, in this case, issues in special education. Some states require future teachers to take these tests before student teaching, but almost everyone interested in a teaching career has to take them eventually.
The last step to becoming a special education teacher is to apply for certification. After meeting all of the other requirements, this step is easy. There is usually a fee to be handed in with the paperwork, and then, upon approval, a teacher can begin his or her first year officially on the job. It is important to be aware of the fact that different places have different certification requirements.