SUMMARY

Provide special education students with learning activities and experiences designed to help them fulfill their potential for intellectual, emotional, physical, and social growth.  Develop or modify curricula and prepare lessons and other instructional materials to student ability levels.  Work in self-contained, team, departmental, or itinerant capacity as assigned.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

• Plans curriculum and prepares individual educational plans (IEP’s) and other instructional materials to meet individual needs of students, considering state and school requirements, and physical, emotional, and academics levels of development.

• Confers with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and others to develop individual educational program for students.

• Instructs students in all academic subjects as specified by IEP.

• Creates learning materials geared to each student’s ability and interest.

• Maintains an inventory of special education equipment.

• Instructs students to improve sensory-motor and perceptual-motor development, perception, memory, language, cognition, and social and emotional development.

• Develops and implements plans for curriculum program which provides for effective teaching strategies.

• Works with students to increase motivation, provide consistent reinforcement to learning, continuous assessment of level of functioning, and continuous feedback to students for all learning activities.

• Works with parents to accept and develop skills in dealing with student’s learning impairment.

• Instructs students with observable orthopedic impairments, as well as those with an internal impairment, such as heart condition.

• Arranges and adjusts tools. Work aids, and equipment utilized by students in classroom such as specially equipped worktables, computers, typewriters, and mechanized page turners.

• Devises special teaching tools, techniques, and equipment.

• Instructs students in academic subjects and other activities designed to provide learning experiences.

• Confers with other members of staff to develop programs to implement IEP’s

• Assists members of medical staff in rehabilitation programs for students.

• Develops, selects, and modifies instructional plans and materials to meet the needs of all students.

• Presents subject matter according to guidelines established by Texas Education Agency, Board of Trustees policies, and administrative regulations.

• Maintains appropriate records and follows required procedures and practices for IEP’s and other requirements.

• Employs a variety of instructional techniques and media consistent with the needs and capabilities of the student groups involved.

• Plans and implements a program of instruction that adheres to the district’s philosophy, goals, and objectives as outlined in the adopted course of study.

• Plans and supervises purposeful assignments for teacher’s aide(s) and/or other volunteer(s).

• Maintains regular, on-time attendance.

• Keeps current in subject matter knowledge and learning theory and is willing to share this knowledge for the continual improvement of the school’s curriculum.

• Encourages student enthusiasm for the learning process and the development of good study habits.

• Provides progress and interim reports, as required.

• Presents for students a positive role model that supports the mission of the school and district.

• Provides an atmosphere and environment conducive to the intellectual, physical, social, and the emotional development of children.

• Uses criterion-referenced tests to develop draft version of student IEP’s, and presents these draft IEP’s at ARD meetings.

• Updates IEP’s periodically.

• Participates in ARD meetings in a professional manner.

• Develops, in accordance with district and building guidelines, reasonable rules of classroom behavior and appropriate discipline techniques which are consistently applied.

• Takes all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect students, equipment, materials, and facilities.

• Assists in the selection of books, equipment, and other instructional materials.

• Communicates and interacts with students, parents, staff and the community.

• Maintains a professional relationship with all colleagues, students, parents, and community members.

• Uses acceptable communication skills to present information accurately and clearly.

• Participates in the district’s professional development program.

• Strives to maintain and improve professional competence through attendance at workshops, seminars, conferences, and/or advanced course work at institutions of higher learning.

• Demonstrates behavior that is professional, ethical, and responsible.

• Keeps informed of and complies with federal, state, district, and school regulations and policies for classroom teachers.

• Compiles, maintains, and files all reports, records, and other documents required.

• Attends staff, department, and committee meetings as required.

• Prepares and administers a variety of teaching techniques, such as hands-on, student interaction, lectures, group work, etc., to present subject matter to the class.

• Demonstrates and utilizes technology and audiovisual teaching aids to present subject matter to class.

• Prepares, administers, and corrects test, and records results.

• Assigns lessons, corrects papers, and hear oral presentations.

• Teaches rules of conduct and social skills.

• Counsels pupils with adjustment and academic problems.

• Discusses pupil’s academic and behavioral attitudes and achievements with parents.

• Keeps attendance and grade records as required by school.

• Coordinates class field trips, if appropriate for the class.

• Maintains order and discipline in classroom.

• Protects the confidentiality of information about special education students.

• Assists students with their physical needs (diapers, catheter, tube feeding, etc.).

• Observes special education students in various educational settings at school, including the general education classroom(s), in order to provide evaluations of instructional placement, recommend instructional strategies and modifications, provide curriculum coordination between general and special education, and evaluate the appropriateness of IEPs.

• Performs other duties within the limits of special education regulations as assigned by the Principal, Assistant Principal, or Director and/or Coordinator for Special Education.
  

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervises one or more teacher’s aide(s) and/or volunteer(s).  Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.  Responsibilities include training employees/volunteers: planning, assigning, and directing work; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  There may be alternatives to the below qualifications as the Board of Trustees may find appropriate.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s Degree and a valid Texas teaching certificate with a special education endorsement and content area.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret educational periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, educational correspondence, and procedure manuals.  Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from administrators, staff, parents, students, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.  Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

REASONING ABILITIES

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.  Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.  Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Valid Texas teaching certificate with a special education endorsement.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; prolonged standing; frequent kneeling/squatting, bending/stooping, pushing/pulling,and twisting.  May require heavy lifting (50 pounds or more) and positioning of students with physical disabilities, control behavior through physical restraint, assist nonambulatory students, and  lift and move adaptive and other classroom equipment; may work prolonged or irregular hours.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those and employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to travel to multiple campuses, as assigned and is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  Employee may also be required to occasionally travel out-of-district for school functions and/or activities.