Special Education Elementary Teachers

Key Responsibilities

• Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to maintain or improve professional competence.
• Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
• Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, or social development.
• Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
• Interpret the results of standardized tests to determine students' strengths and areas of need.
• Guide or counsel students with adjustment problems, academic problems, or special academic interests.
• Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
• Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
• Organize and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their perceptual skills.
• Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
• Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
• Prepare objectives, outlines, or other materials for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or school or state requirements.
• Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.
• Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, or self-advocacy.
• Collaborate with other teachers or administrators to develop, evaluate, or revise elementary school programs.
• Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, or food preparation.
• Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, or social development.
• Confer with other staff members to plan or schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
• Monitor teachers or teacher assistants to ensure adherence to special education program requirements.
• Plan or conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
• Meet with parents or guardians to discuss their children's progress, advise them on using community resources, or teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.
• Administer standardized ability and achievement tests to elementary students with special needs.
• Prepare, administer, or grade tests or assignments to evaluate students' progress.
• Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment or materials to prevent injuries and damage.
• Establish and communicate clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects to students.
• Encourage students to explore learning opportunities or persevere with challenging tasks to prepare them for later grades.
• Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations.
• 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.
• Plan or supervise experiential learning activities, such as class projects, field trips, demonstrations, or visits by guest speakers.
• Modify the general elementary education curriculum for students with disabilities.