Special Education Teachers need exceptional qualities for creating curriculum plans, working with administrators, instructing students, and interacting with parents. As a crucial part of any school, teachers in SEN careers work and educate students who often need extra classroom assistance due to their face emotional, mental, physical, or learning challenges.
SEN educators can positively impact the outcomes of their students by combining specialised coaching with the finest standard classroom instruction. While special educational needs teachers can develop these pertinent skills through training, some of them may possess such skill sets inherently.
7 Skill Sets of Special Education Teachers
There are 7 amazing special skills that SEN teachers need to have in order to succeed in contemporary classroom environments.
They include the following attributes:
The ability to adapt
Collaboration skills
Effective communication skills
Compassion
Assessment skills
Theoretical and practical knowledge
Excellent listening skills
Creative organisational skills
Let’s go through these skills in more depth. This is important as they are essential for teachers who are applying for special needs school jobs.
Skill No. 1: Collaboration Skills
According to Intervention in School and Clinic research, students achieve maximum benefits when a special education teacher works with a peer. Therefore, the collaboration between general and teachers in SEN careers is crucial in inclusive education models. Collaboration is important because it enables problems to be solved in a more streamlined manner and at a quicker pace. This is crucial when working with children who have complex learning needs.
Skill No. 2: Effective Communication Skills
Often, employers list communication skills as a crucial part of job descriptions for nearly all industries. But communication skills for special education teachers are far more complex. A SEN teacher should focus on exaggerated gestures and non-verbal communication to build connections and meet the students' requirements. Special education teachers' critical communication skills consist of reading, speaking, listening, and writing.
Skill No. 3: Compassion
Compassion takes several forms in our lives. But this concept can be exceptionally helpful for frustrated students due to their individualised education programmes. For example, compassionate educators can help their special education students realise that they might need more time than others to learn certain life lessons. In addition, compassion from a special education teacher may positively influence general students in the classrooms when they converse with such students.
Skill No. 4: Assessment Skills
Assessment tests such as intelligence quotient (IQ), behaviour rating scales, and achievement tests can help special education educators to understand their students better. These special education assessments may occur before, during, or even after the school year. They may help educators to modify or even improve their lessons to ensure that every student receives the maximum classroom instruction benefit throughout the year.
Skill No. 5: Theoretical and Practical Knowledge
Most educators know and understand that education is not a stable or ‘fixed’ environment in that it is ever-changing and ever-evolving. Special education teachers gain practical and theoretical knowledge as they spend more time in the field, meeting new students, learning about their needs and working with a wide range of pupils. Furthermore, as time passes, special ed. teachers will often become more aware of new theories and advancements in both general and special education. New advancements in technology and the field of education cause new teaching methods to spring forth and allow for the creation of insights and outlooks that might not have existed when the aspirants started their careers. This is especially true nowadays with the emergence of social media, increasing scholarly research and a higher level of focus on neuro-divergence and its impact on individuals and society as a whole.
Skill No. 6: Excellent Listening Skills
Listening skills are essential for SEN jobs. According to a publication by School and Clinic, a common challenge for special education students in school settings is listening. Unfortunately, this goes both ways - the teacher's ability to connect with their students is often based on their ability to identify the child's requirements and listen to their parents' concerns.
Skill No. 7: Creative Organisational Skills
Creative organisational skills are beneficial in every classroom environment, specifically in special education classrooms. According to research by the University of Wisconsin, physical organisation in special needs teacher's classrooms are crucial in order to create solidity in the school as a whole.
Wrapping Up
Finding a beneficial candidate for special educational needs jobs means finding someone who offers person-to-person training opportunities. In addition, highly beneficial special needs programs offer custom timelines, provide a program sanctioned by the government's education agency, and base their instructions on an entire-circle approach. So, with the hope that these tips benefit you guys, let's take a leave.
With thanks to Active SEN for this contribution.