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Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten

Teach academic, social, and life skills to kindergarten students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Detailed Work Activities

Administer tests to assess educational needs or progress.
Attend training sessions or professional meetings to develop or maintain professional knowledge.
Collaborate with other teaching professionals to develop educational programs.
Discuss problems or issues with supervisors.
Discuss student progress with parents or guardians.
Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
Distribute instructional or library materials.
Develop strategies or programs for students with special needs.
Establish rules or policies governing student behavior.
Monitor student performance.
Teach others to use technology or equipment.
Modify teaching methods or materials to accommodate student needs.
Maintain student records.
Direct activities of subordinates.
Monitor student behavior, social development, or health.
Evaluate student work.
Display student work.
Plan educational activities.
Supervise school or student activities.
Plan experiential learning activities.
Develop instructional materials.
Set up classroom materials or equipment.
Develop instructional objectives.
Prepare tests.
Create technology-based learning materials.
Assist students with special educational needs.
Teach life skills.
Tutor students who need extra assistance.

Tasks

Administer standardized ability and achievement tests to kindergarten students with special needs.
Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to maintain or improve professional competence.
Collaborate with other teachers or administrators to develop, evaluate, or revise kindergarten programs.
Confer with other staff members to plan, schedule, or conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, or social development.
Confer with parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, or administrators to resolve students' behavioral or academic problems.
Control the inventory or distribution of classroom equipment, materials, or supplies.
Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.
Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment or materials to prevent injuries and damage.
Instruct students with disabilities in academic subjects, using a variety of techniques, such as phonetics, multisensory learning, or repetition to reinforce learning and meet students' varying needs.
Interpret or transcribe classroom materials into Braille or sign language.
Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations.
Meet with parents or guardians to discuss their children's progress, advise them on using community resources, or teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.
Modify the general kindergarten education curriculum for students with disabilities.
Monitor teachers or teacher assistants to ensure adherence to special education program requirements.
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
Organize and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their perceptual skills.
Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, or social development.
Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
Plan or supervise experiential learning activities, such as class projects, field trips, demonstrations, or visits by guest speakers.
Prepare assignments for teacher assistants or volunteers.
Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
Prepare objectives, outlines, or other materials for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or school or state requirements.
Prepare, administer, or grade assignments to evaluate students' progress.
Present information in audio-visual or interactive formats, using computers, televisions, audio-visual aids, or other equipment, materials, or technologies.
Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
Visit schools to tutor students with sensory impairments or to consult with teachers regarding students' special needs.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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