Special Education Teachers, Middle School

• Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
• Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
• Modify the general education curriculum for special-needs students based upon a variety of instructional techniques and instructional technology.
• Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
• Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
• Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
• Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
• Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
• Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans designed to promote students' educational, physical, and social development.
• Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
• Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
• Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
• Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems, or special academic interests.
• Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
• Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.
• Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
• Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
• Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.
• Teach students personal development skills such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy.
• Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.
• Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
• Monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements.
• Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
• Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.
• Administer standardized ability and achievement tests and interpret results to determine students' strengths and areas of need.
• Organize and label materials and display students' work.
• Meet with parents and guardians to provide guidance in using community resources and to teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.
• Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
• Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
• Perform administrative duties such as assisting in school libraries, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
• Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
• Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.
• Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Special Education Teachers, Middle School.

• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Special Education Teachers, Middle School.