Special Education Teacher; Emotional Support; High School

Special Education Teacher (K-12)

The Special Education Teacher (K-12) works with students who have learning, cognitive, social/emotional, and/or physical disabilities, and adapts general education lessons and subjects to guide and encourage students to develop and fulfill their academic potential. Work is performed under the supervision of the Principal and/or Special Education Supervisor.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following: (Other appropriate duties may be assigned.)

• Creates a classroom and/or instructional environment that is attractive, safe, supportive, and conducive to learning and appropriate to the maturity, interest, and abilities of students.
• Creates a classroom and/or instructional environment that have materials in good condition and accessible to students.
• Use relevant technology to support and differentiate instruction.
• Provide research-based specialized instruction to address the instructional goals and objectives contained within each student's IEP.
• Teaches District approved curriculum.
• Guides the learning process toward the achievement of established District curriculum goals and establishes and communicates clear objectives to the students for all lessons, units, and projects.
• Encourage and monitor the progress of individual students and use information to adjust teaching strategies.
• Assess student progress and determines the need for additional reinforcement or adjustments to instructional techniques.
• Develops lesson plans and instructional materials and employs a variety of instructional techniques and teaching strategies to meet different aptitudes, interests and abilities of students, including current technology and whole-group/small-group learning.
• Reflect on practice and student work to determine what went well and what changes could improve instruction and uses reflection to inform future instruction.
• Assess students' academic and social growth on a regular basis, keeps appropriate records and prepares progress reports as required, and communicates with parents as deemed necessary or when directed by the principal.
• Maintains accurate, complete, and correct records as required by the District Policy, Administrative Policy, and Pennsylvania law.
• Closely monitors student learning in order to understand how students are progressing toward the learning objectives and provides age-appropriate communication with students on instructional expectation and keeps them informed of their progress in meeting those standards.
• Seeks the support of district specialists when concern regarding student progress arises.
• Cooperates with other professional staff members in assessing and developing strategies to help students solve health, attitude, and learning problems.
• Follows the District multi-tiered system of supports and develops strategies for individual education plans.
• Develops a code of conduct for the classroom which is consistent with established Administrative Policies and develops rules of classroom behavior which are enforced in a fair and just manner.
• Provides clear behavior expectations for students and monitors student behavior throughout the class and school.
• Communicates regularly with parents/guardians during and outside normal classroom day to create partnership around student learning by means of newsletters, notes, phone calls, conferences, and other means to discuss student's progress and the school program.
• Develop and implement annual Individualized Educational Program (IEP) plans for students to include: present levels of educational performance, special education needs, instructional goals and objectives, and the special education and related services required to meet those goals.
• Facilitates and attends IEP, or other related meetings necessary for student assessment and/or compliance with federal and/or state law.
• Schedule team meetings and work cooperatively with child study team members and others in developing instructional goals and strategies.
• Coordinate the delivery of special education services in each student's IEP.
• Responsible for implementing IEP, complying with all legal documents, and ensuring that individual student needs are being met.
• Attends…