Sources: Occupational Information Network, O*Net Online,

http://online.onetcenter.org.** U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational

Outlook Handbook, http://stats.bls.gov/ocoeHow.com

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The type of work• Assess students’ skills to determine their

needs

• Adapt general lessons to meet the needs of students

• Develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for each student

• Plan, organize, and assign activities that are specifi c to each student’s abilities

• Teach and mentor students as a class, in small groups, and one-on-one

• Implement IEPs, assess students’ perfor-mance, and track their progress

• Update IEPs throughout the school year to refl ect students’ progress and goals

• Discuss students’ progress with parents, other teachers, counselors, and administrators

All states require special education teachers in public schools to have at least a bachelor’s degree. Some require teachers to earn a degree specifi -cally in special education. Others allow them to major in elementary education or a content area, such as math or science, and pursue a minor in special education.

Licenses, Certifi cations, and Registrations: All states require teachers in public schools to be licensed in the specifi c grade level that they teach. A license frequently is referred to as a certi-fi cation. Those who teach in private schools typically do not need to be licensed.

Requirements for certifi cation or licensure can vary by state but generally involve the fol-lowing:

• A bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade point average

• Completion of a teacher preparation program and supervised experience in teaching, which is typically gained through student teaching.

• Passing a background check

• Passing a general teaching certifi cation test, as well as a test that demonstrates knowledge of the subject the candidate will teach.

More Facts

Elyria City School DistrictEnsuring that

each childreaches hisor her fullpotential

THETHEFUTURE FUTURE OUTLOOKOUTLOOK

SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

Career Profile

EARNINGS POTENTIALAnnual Salary for 2017Location Low Median High

United States ........... $39,990 ......$59,510 ....... $95,680

Ohio ......................... $37,410 ......$59,530 ....... $83,000

Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH PMSA .... $41,480 ......$65,200 ....... $90,500

O*Net Online, http://online.onetcenter.org

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amHow did you become interested in your particular

fi eld?For as long as I remember, I wanted to become a teacher. My

uncle was the principal at Southview High School when I was growing up and I saw the impact that he had on the commu-nity. I knew I wanted to have a similar impact. Many of my family members were also in the education fi eld and it just felt like it was predestined for me to become an educator. I also love coaching and being able to make an impact in kids’ lives.

How did you get to where you are today? After I graduated from Southview High School in Lorain, I

attended Bowling Green State University. As a freshman, I decided to major in Physical Education because I always loved playing sports and I wanted to become a coach. During my se-nior year I was trying to obtain my adaptive P.E. license; which allows a P.E. teacher to teach students with special needs. As I was doing volunteer work with a special needs group, I fell in love working with them. I was too far in my fi eld at the time to change my major to special education, but I knew one day I would become an Intervention Specialist. I worked three years as a Physical Education teacher in Cleveland Public Schools and the most fun I had was working with special needs students. That’s when I decided to go back to school to obtain my mas-ter’s degree in Special Education to be able to teach in a fi eld I loved. I enrolled at Cleveland State University and took classes while I taught in Cleveland and obtained my Master’s degree. It was a diffi cult time because my wife and I just had our daughter and I was gone most of the day and night working and taking classes. I could not have done it without my amaz-ing, supportive wife. After getting through the classes, my student teaching experience was at a summer camp for mod-erate to intensive special needs students. The camp is called Lake Shore Day Camp in Westlake. I loved that experience so much, I have worked there for the past 7 summers. I was then able to work as an Intervention Specialist tutor in Lorain for a few years before I was hired at Clearview as an Intervention Specialist. I have been teaching in Clearview for the past 6 years and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of such a wonder-ful school district.

What skills or certifi cations do you think are need-ed to be successful in this fi eld?

There are many skills and certifi cations needed to become a teacher now a days, but I have always felt that one feature that makes someone a great teacher is that they care about the kids they are working with.

What is the best part of your job?The best part of my job by far is interacting with the children.

I love the day to day work with them. It is an amazing feeling when a child fi nally understands something that they have been struggling with for a while, and to know that you played a part in helping them is an amazing feeling. I also love when I am at a high school football game or out in the community and I see former students and players. I really enjoy catching up with them and making sure that everything is going well in their lives. The lifelong connections are what makes this job so rewarding.

Education is an important part of life. The amount and type of education that individuals receive is a major infl uence on both the types of jobs they are able to hold and their earnings. Lifelong learning is important in acquiring new knowl-edge and upgrading one’s skills, particularly in this age of rapid technological and economic chang-es. The educational services industry includes a variety of institutions that offer academic education, career and technical instruction, and other education and training to millions of students each year.

The employment growth of special education teachers will vary by type of institution. However,

overall demand will be driven by school enroll-ment and the need for special education ser-vices. Nationwide, there were 439,300 Special

Education Teachers preschool through high school. Those specializing in middle

schools were 89,300 nationwide with approximately 4,440 in

the state of Ohio.

A weekly series providing information on career exploration

Mark Majoras5th Grade Intervention Specialist, Varsity Softball Coach, Middle School Football & Basketball CoachClearview Local Schools, Lorain, Ohio

What Employers look for in individuals: • Education and Training - principles and

methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the mea-surement of training effects.

• English Language - structure and con-tent of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Psychology - human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological

research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affec-tive disorders.

• Clerical - administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing fi les and records, stenography and transcription, design-ing forms, and other offi ce procedures and terminology.

• Mathematics - arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Pathways to success:

Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with mild and moderate disabilities.

Overall employment of special education teachers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2017 to 2027, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

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