Special Education Teacher Resume Examples & Writing Guide

Our special education teacher resume examples are developed using real job posting insights, highlighting the instructional strategies, classroom management skills, and student support experience schools value most.

For a stronger application, pair your resume with a tailored special education cover letter that demonstrates your dedication to student growth and your expertise in individualized instruction.

August 25, 2025

A special education teacher resume example

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Special education resumes by experience level

Entry Level An entry-level special education teacher resume example.

Experienced A special education teacher resume example

Experienced Special Education Teacher (3+ Years of Experience)Download

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Table of Contents

Special education teacher resume template

The template below uses a professional resume format that quickly communicates teaching experience and classroom management skills to the employer.

[Your Name]

[Your Address] [City, State]
[Your Email Address] | [Your Phone Number]
[LinkedIn Profile] (optional)

Professional Summary

Special Education Teacher with 9+ years of experience in teaching diverse student populations in emotionally impaired and general education classroom settings. Skilled in delivering effective educational programs for special students with serious emotional, mental, and learning disabilities. Adept at creating lesson plans that capture the diverse learning styles, interests, imagination, and abilities of all students.

Skills

Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
Bilingual in Spanish and English

Professional Experience

Special Education Teacher

Woodlawn Community School, Chicago, IL

May 20XX – Present

Develop interactive lesson plans to deliver high-quality special education instructions in an emotionally impaired classroom consisting of 20 students
Work with general education teachers to plan and implement instructions while ensuring 100% compliance with IEP standards
Manage students’ behavior while developing and teaching behavioral strategies to support students’ self-control
Formulate and implement rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining a well-disciplined learning environment
Assess students’ skills to determine their needs and develop effective teaching plans particular to each student’s abilities

Network Engineer

Gibraltar School District, Woodhaven, MI

August 20XX – April 20XX

Created individualized education programs for each special education student in an emotional impairment classroom
Facilitated presentations and recommended readings while providing interventions and methods on behavior management
Employed diverse techniques to promote active learning such as individualized instruction and problem-solving assignments
Conducted evaluation of 30+ students’ performance, behavior, social development, and physical health on regular basis
Ensured the delivery of Fountas & Pinnell (F&P) reading level 2 times a year and North West Evaluation Association (NWEA) measure of academic progress 2-3 times a year

Education

Resume Genius University
Bachelor of Science in Special Education-Emotional Impairment
Graduation Date: May 20XX

How to write a special education teacher resume

Writing your resume for special education teaching isn’t always easy. As a special educator, you know your skills are diverse and your daily responsibilities vary widely. It’s difficult to simplify all that you do in a one-page resume.

Use these tips to help you put together a great special education teacher resume that will make a good impression on any principal:

1. Highlight your special education skills

Addressing the needs of students with disabilities is a difficult task. To make sure you’re capable of handling the job, school administrators and hiring managers will be looking to see that you have the specific skills needed to help these students excel.

Show them you can be trusted to lead a classroom by highlighting important hard and soft skills in the skills section of your resume.

Here is a list of the top skills schools look for in special education teachers:

State certification in special education
Functional and Life Skills curriculum
Differentiated instruction
Working with students with physical disabilities, speech or hearing impairment
Working with autistic children, children with mental disabilities
Faculty collaboration
First-aid certified or basic medical care skills
Problem-solving skills
Behavior redirection
Student needs assessment
Classroom management
Basic computer skills
Empathy
Stress management

2. Tailor your resume to the job post

One of the best ways to show principals that you’re perfect for a special education teacher role is to describe your experience and skills in a way that addresses the needs of the specific position or school.

Not all special education teaching jobs are the same and neither are schools. What about the role or the school is unique? Is there anything about the job or mission statement that matches specifically your background or career goals?

Tailoring your resume to the job post will help you think through which skills are most relevant to include. Additionally, take note of any resume keywords and desired skills from the listing so you can highlight your best skills and omit those that are less relevant.

3. Emphasize your education

You don’t need a long education section to get an interview. However, there are certain items you should include, such as:

Institutions you have attended
Dates attended and degree awarded
Special education teaching certification
First aid certification or other relevant certificates

Additionally, any certifications for teaching students with disabilities should be mentioned in your education section. And then expand on these certifications (for example, how you got them) in your special education teacher cover letter.

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Average special education teacher salaries in the US

After you’ve written your resume, make sure you use it to apply for jobs within a fair salary range.

The following table includes information from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report for 2025. Here are the ten states with the highest salaries for special education teachers, as well as the national average for your reference when applying for work.

Top 10 states by average special education teacher salary

State	Salary / Year
New York	$105,820
California	$89,200
New Mexico	$87,940
Oregon	$85,910
District of Columbia	$80,790
Massachusetts	$75,910
New Jersey	$75,880
Washington	$74,680
Rhode Island	$74,540
Delaware	$74,110
National Average	$74,180

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Written by

Lauren Mastroni

Lauren Mastroni is a Digital Content Writer dedicated to creating engaging content and providing actionable advice that empowers people in their job searches. An enthusiastic contributor to the Resume Genius team, Lauren has a passion for developing valuable resources for job seekers. Lauren holds an M.S. in Psychology from University of Derby and currently lives in Taipei, Taiwan. She enjoys learning all she can about the career space, and is committed to helping job seekers of all experience levels navigate the job hunt and advance their careers. She has been cited in HuffPost, Newsweek, Forbes, and more. You can reach Lauren at lauren@resumegenius.com.