Special Education Teacher

Compensation rate: $55 to $60 per hour

POSITION SUMMARY:

Provide students with appropriate learning activities and experiences in the core academic subject area assigned to help them fulfill their potential for intellectual, emotional, physical, and social growth. Enable students to develop competencies and skills to function successfully in society.   

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
• Instruct students in academic subjects using a variety of techniques such as phonetics, multi-sensory learning, and repetition to reinforce learning and to meet students' varying needs and interests.
• Teach socially acceptable behavior, as determined by the students' individualized education programs (IEPs} by employing techniques in an overall positive behavioral support system.
• Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities based upon a variety of instructional techniques and technologies.
• Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
• Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining an environment conducive to learning for all students.
• Meet with parents to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their individualized educational needs.
• Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and other professionals to develop individualized education programs (IEPs) designed to promote students' educational, physical, and social/emotional development.
• Maintain accurate and complete student records and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
• Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
• Develop plans for effective communication, monitoring, and follow-up of students in inclusive classroom settings.
• Provide crisis intervention, as needed, for students and those in inclusive classrooms.
• Assist in collection of data for providing appropriate classroom interventions. Serve as a member of a multidisciplinary team as appropriate.
• Assist in preparation of data for local, state, and federal reports. Maintain professional competence by participating in staff development activities, curriculum development meetings, and other professional opportunities.
• Perform related work as required.   
• This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Candidate must possess or be eligible for a Virginia teaching license with special education (SPED) endorsement in adapted curriculum (Students with disabilities who access the Adapted Curriculum)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Candidate must possess leadership and personal characteristics necessary for working effectively with students, parents, and staff.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to frequently stand; sit; walk; talk or hear; use hands to finger, handle, type, or feel; and stoop, kneel, or crouch.

OTHER DUTIES:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.