Special education is a branch of education that focuses on helping students with mental, behavioral, and learning disabilities to develop the skills they need to grow into the best versions of themselves. If you specialize in special education, you’ll be working with students who learn differently than the usual public school classroom.
Special education teachers are certified by the state, just like other teachers. If you want to teach special education in public schools, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license. Most states require that you have a major or minor in special education from an accredited university.
This can be done part-time or full-time, depending on your schedule and how much time you want to devote to this certification process. You will also be required to take continuing education courses throughout your career, but most states allow these courses to be taken online or at night so that they don’t interfere with your schedule too much.
One way to become a special education teacher is to earn a special education teaching certification by completing the steps described below. To earn a typical teaching certification, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree and complete an approved teacher preparation program. However, when you are earning a special education teaching certification, there is more than one way to meet the requirements.
One way is to enroll in a special education program while you are earning your bachelor’s degree, and then complete a student-teaching internship. Another option is to take advantage of the alternate route to licensing programs offered by many states. These programs may require that you already hold a bachelor’s degree in another subject before enrolling or that you pursue your special education certification after graduating with an unrelated bachelor’s degree.
Special education teachers are trained to work in schools or other settings with children and youth who have a variety of disabilities. This can include physical, mental, emotional, and developmental disabilities.
To become certified as a special education teacher in the United States, you’ll need to complete a bachelor’s degree program in special education (or undergraduate coursework) followed by a master’s degree program or post-baccalaureate program in special education. You’ll also need to meet your state’s certification requirements, which can vary by state but typically include passing an exam and completing student teaching or practicum experience.
In most cases, earning a certification in special education will require you to choose between two tracks: generalist (for students with mild disabilities) or specialist (for students with moderate-to-severe disabilities). In some states, you may also be able to earn a dual certification that allows you to teach both general and special education courses.
A Special Education Teaching Certificate is a teaching credential that allows the holder to teach students who have been identified as having special needs. Many states have their own certification requirements, but there are some general guidelines that apply in most cases.
Special education teachers are certified by the state they plan to teach in; each state has its own rules and regulations regarding certification. If a teacher plans to work in more than one state, she may need to achieve additional certifications, depending on the rules of each state. In many cases, a teacher who plans to move from one state to another will need to earn another certification if the new state does not recognize her current credentials.
In most cases, earning a bachelor’s degree is required for certification as a special education teacher. Many states will also require that candidates have completed coursework or training related to special education instruction before being certified. Some also require ongoing professional development or continuing education after an initial certification has been awarded, so that teachers can keep up with changing practices or new information about teaching special needs students. In order to become a Special Education teacher, you must first obtain a degree in teaching and then earn your teaching certification from your state board of education. To obtain your certification, you will need to meet certain educational requirements and take an exam. If you already have your teaching certification, you may be able to earn your additional credentials through an endorsement program.