How to become a special education teacher

How to become a special education teacher Anyone who takes on the role of teacher is already pretty special- educating students of all ages is not for everyone, and it can be one of the most challenging and rewarding careers out there. And if you’re thinking of becoming a special education teacher, working with students with an even greater range of learning styles, academic needs, and levels of ability, the ups and downs of teaching can be even more intense. If you think this might be the teaching career for you, we have the info you need to get started on that path. What do special education teachers do?Special education teachers are educators who work specifically with students who have physical, academic, or emotional differences. Many special ed teachers focus on a particular age group (like elementary school or high school), but the range of student ages can vary, depending on how the school’s special education programs are set up. Special education teachers may work with students who have a variety of sp ecial needs conditions, including:Learning disabilitiesBehavior disordersAutism spectrum disordersPhysical disabilities (blindness, deafness, etc.)Students may range from having mild learning disabilities to severe mental and physical challenges. Special education teachers may choose to specialize in one of these areas and focus their master’s degree studies accordingly. As school employees, special education teachers typically have the same full-time work day and school year as other kinds of teachers, with summers off (unless a particular school or district offers summer courses as part of its special education curriculum). Although the school week typically involves a standard number of working hours, there may be additional time spent in the mornings, evenings, and off-hours to prepare for school and help students in extracurricular programs or other activities.These teachers have many of the same job responsibilities as other types of teachers, including:Lesson and curri culum planningManaging classroom lessons and activitiesTracking student progressMeeting with parentsAssisting students with everyday living tasksTeaching a variety of subjects (like reading, math, or science)Teaching communication skillsSpecial education teachers can be found in most types of schools: public, private, elementary, secondary, or magnet.What skills do special education teachers have?Special education teachers often need to have an extra dose of people skills, given that they’re dealing with students who may have a variety of physical, emotional, and educational needs.Teaching Skills:  This is the most important skill for any teacher, really, but special education teachers have to be especially good at teaching basic concepts to students who have different abilities to learn and understand the material.Flexibility:  Classrooms are unpredictable, and this can be even more true when a class has students with a variety of needs and abilities. The teacher should bring a certain amount of flexibility to lessons and classroom activities to help account for different students who learn in different ways. The special education classroom is rarely a one-size-fits-all educational experience, so a little flexibility in teaching can be very helpful.Patience:  This is a very important skill for a special education teacher to have. Many special needs students may require extra time or resources to learn the skills and concepts that other students may â€Å"get† faster. For the teacher, it’s crucial to understand that extra help or patience may be the best way to reach those students and help them learn.Creativity:  Again, because of the learning differences that special education students may have, standard lessons may not be the way to go. Finding ways to teach material in ways that students can relate to and understand, even if it’s a little unorthodox, can really help special education teachers in their day-to-day classroo ms.Organizational Skills:  Like in any classroom, organization can mean all the difference between chaos and success. Organization is extra important for a special needs classroom, where students have additional challenges and may need even more structure throughout the school day. There may be students with wildly different needs as well, so keeping the classroom and the students organized is essential to making sure everyone’s staying on track.What do you need to become a special education teacher?Becoming a special education teacher requires a four-year degree in education, ideally with a focus on special education. Many teachers also go on to complete a master’s degree in special education as well. Certification is typically required for special education teachers, particularly ones in public schools. Each state has its own certification requirements, so be sure to check with your state to see what’s expected.How much do special education teachers get paid ?According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for kindergarten teachers is $57,910. This can vary depending on the teacher’s experience and the type of school, as well as the types of students the teacher is working with.  What is the outlook for special education teachers?The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that this field will grow about 8% by 2026, which is about as fast as average for all careers. Education is a rather perennial field (especially as the population continues to grow), and the demand for teachers who have the skills to work with special needs students will likely be one of the education specialties that sees the most growth within the industry.If you have the patience and skills to work with special students who have needs that go beyond many other students’, this can be an incredibly rewarding and satisfying career path. You’ll be helping students overcome their issues and learn and grow their potential . Good luck!

Theater and Improv Games for the Classroom and Beyond

Theater and Improv Games for the Classroom and Beyond Improv games are a great way to loosen up during drama practice or to break the ice at a party. Improvisational acting teaches you to think quickly and to read other people as you perform. Youll also sharpen your wit as you learn how to react to your audience. Best of all, you dont need any special props or equipment, just your imagination and the courage to step outside yourself.   Captains Coming Improv games like this one are terrific warmups that promote  teamwork and good humor. In this game, which is similar to Simon Says, one person plays the role of a ships captain. The rest of the group are sailors who must quickly follow the captains orders or be dismissed from the game. Orders can be simple or elaborate: Captains coming: Sailors line up in a row and salute the captain.Starboard: Everyone runs to the right side of the stage or room.Port:  Everyone runs to the left side of the stage or room.Man overboard: Sailors team up and pose as though theyre searching for the lost man.Mermaid: Stand on one foot, wave one hand, and say, Hi, sailor!Seasick: Run to port or starboard and pretend to be ill.  Swab the deck: Sailors pretend to mop and clean the floor.Walk the plank: Sailors stand single-file, their right arms extended and hands resting on the shoulder of the person in front. The great thing about Captains Coming is that theres no limit to the orders a captain can give. For added challenges, think of poses that require two or more people or divide the sailors into two groups and have them compete against one another. Yoo-hoo! Yoo-hoo! is another effective game for learning how to take cues and focus movement. It works best with groups that have room to move around. As with Captains Coming, this game requires a leader to call the cues and a group to follow whatever command the leader dreams up. As an added challenge, the group must repeat the action word six times in a whisper as they perform. After the sixth time, everyone calls out freeze! and holds still. Leader:  Yoo-hoo!  Group:  Yoo-hoo who?Leader:  You who  jump with ropes.Group:  Ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, freeze! The leader then cues the next movement and the process repeats itself. If a person loses composure or breaks the freeze before the leader calls Yoo-Hoo again, that person is out. The last person remaining is the winner. Location, Location, Location The Location game can be done with as few or as many people as you like. Use it as a way to exercise your imagination as a solo performer and for learning how to act with others. Begin by having one or more actors develop a scene in a place that anyone can relate to, such as a bus stop, the mall, or Disneyland- without mentioning the name of the location. Have other players try to guess the place. Then move on to less familiar situations. Here are some to get you started: An atticA Ferris wheelA karaoke barAn orchestra pitUndergroundA high school yearbook clubA zeppelin The true challenge of this game is to think past clichà ©s and to avoid using language that gives away the action being performed. This improv exercise can also be played like charades, where teams must guess the activity. More Improv Games Once youve tried simple theater games, your troupe will be ready for more challenges. Here are a few more improv exercises: Tongue twisters:  It doesnt do students any good to be creatively warmed up if the audience has no idea what they are saying. Enunciation exercises  like tongue twisters provide a fun way to alleviate the dreaded mumbling, mush-mouth syndrome.Guess whos coming to dinner: This team exercise gives everyone a role to play. One person plays host, and the others are dinner guests. The only catch? The host doesnt know he or she is having company!The Harold: Developed  by theater director/teacher Del Close, this long-form improvisational activity allows more time to develop believable characters and organic storylines. Students riff off a suggested word, phrase, or idea through a mix of exercises. One improv piece can last from 10 to 45 minutes or more.Be an animal:  One of the best ways to develop out-of-the-box thinking is to have actors imagine themselves not just as other people but as an animal or even as an inanimate object. These drama activities offer proven ways to help participants get to know one another in a friendly, low-key fashion. They can also be used regularly as warm-ups  for your actors before you have them delve into more difficult improvisation exercises. Break a leg!