Special Education Teacher Resume [Example and Writing Tips]

Special Education Teacher Resume

As a special education teacher, you need to show principals that you can guide students with a range of disabilities. Our special education resume example and writing tips will help you put together a resume that's sure to impress any school.

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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.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Woodlawn Community School, Chicago, IL
Special Education Teacher, September 2015 – 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

Gibraltar School District, Woodhaven, MI
Network Engineer, June 2010 – August 2015

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

Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
Bachelor of Science in Special Education-Emotional Impairment, May 2011

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

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

How to write a special education teacher resume

Learning how to put together a resume for the specific job(s) you want will help you land more interviews.

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 teacher resume 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.

Don’t forget to add any certifications you’ve attained for special education in this section too.

Here is a diverse list of the top skills included in special education teacher resumes:

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. Emphasize your soft skills

Soft skills are the skills that cannot necessarily be taught and reflect how you interact with others and respond to difficult situations.

As a special educator, schools will want to see you have the patience and empathy to deal with students with behavioral difficulties, and keep parents informed about their child’s progress.

While you shouldn’t overload your skills section with soft skills, it’s important that you emphasize a few key credentials specific to special education teaching, such as:

Adaptability and problem-solving skills
Interpersonal skills (empathy, patience)
Organizational skills (time management)

3. Tailor your special education teacher 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.

4. Highlight your education section

Special education teachers are typically required to hold certain degrees or certifications to be eligible for teaching jobs.

You don’t need a long resume 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.