Very few people who have terminal illnesses want a subpar professional taking their case. They will seek far and wide to find the most skilled, experienced, and profound specialist and offer everything short of their soul for a place on their caseload. Why are our children different?
When a student has difficulty learning, parents and schools should desire to have the most skilled, experienced, and profound teachers who specialize in instructional strategies to move students beyond their disability and are capable of closing achievement gaps. Special education teachers are the advocates, agency, and professionals in education who provide a way when, for many families, it feels like their educational journey is a terminal one with no light at the end of the tunnel. Receiving a master’s in special education is the avenue to one of the most rewarding professions in education.
What is a Master’s Degree in Special Education?
While each university creates its own programs, there are specific courses that are common to most academic repertoires in preparing post-graduate students for the classroom.
Intro to Special Education
In Intro to Special Education, learners explore the vast field, gathering a small taste of all the profession has to offer. Many courses will introduce the IEP, the range of disabilities from mild to moderate, and emotional behavioral disorders.
Behavioral Disorders in Children
In this course, teachers learn specifically about behavioral disabilities and strategies to address students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. The major objectives in this course allows you to learn how to conduct and write a Function of Behavior Analysis (FBA), write a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), and learn to manage student behavior safely.
Special Education Law
Arguably one of the most beneficial courses you will take as an educator, students survey the professional ethical principles, best practices, and regulations that support teachers are making the best decisions for their students.
Specific Learning Methods Courses
One of the most daunting tasks as a special educator is knowing specific strategies to teach tasks to mastery for students who have a learning disability. Through your program, you should seek a university that provides a foundation in teaching reading and math to students with disabilities. These instructional best practices will help you to be an effective teacher in your career, regardless of who is sitting in your classroom.
Child Psychology
How humans develop during their childhood has been long studied. When we suffer certain traumas in our lives, our brains and bodies react in certain ways. Surveying student behaviors through different psychological lenses allows us the perspective to make decisions based on the history of the student and how to build their thinking. By completing this coursework, you understand the developmental appropriateness of learning and how students learn at different ages in life.
Overview
The myriad of knowledge and instructional strategies you gain through a master’s in special education program allows any educator to think about learning differently. As a result, you become an instructional strategies specialist. Learning is a complex task and when you can break it down for students with special needs, those same strategies work for any student that comes through your doors.
Reasons to Earn a Master’s in Special Education
High Demand
While one may, reasonably, argue there is a shortage of special education teachers due to the lack of individuals pursuing the career, the data shows there is an increase in the number of students who qualify for services. With the lower student to teacher ratio, more teachers with special education training are required to meet the surge in cases. As a result, there are many school districts across the nation looking for quality special education teachers.
Increase in Salary
In the United States, the majority of teachers are compensated based on two criteria: education and years of experience. Obtaining a master’s degree in any form allows for a pay raise. Since special education is a specialty, and sometimes a really tasking position, many school districts offer enhanced compensation for special education teachers.
Career Opportunities
Unlike regular education, special education offers a variety of opportunities for jobs. Special education teachers can co-teach with another teacher, provide individualized instruction in a resource room, create and maintain an emotional behavior disorder unit, and more. If administration is your calling, there are districts who hire ARC chairs who oversee all of the ARC meetings and IEPs across all schools or a group of schools for larger districts, instructional coaches, and assessment managers. At a higher level of certification, teachers with a master’s in special education can obtain Director of Special Education, who is the leader for special education within a district.
Outside of the school day, with this degree, consulting and advocacy are options that could supplement or provide income for a special education teacher. The glass ceiling is high for those who want to pursue knowledge regarding students with disabilities.
Professional Learning Opportunities
Specialists in any field require training that is beyond the baseline; however, with special education, the options are endless. From programing to IEP writing, from law to student advocacy, the catalog of topics is vast. While being offered the same options as regular education teachers, special education teachers have the capacity to focus on a specific skill or area and dig really deep or choose to become a generalist, gaining knowledge across a great scope of practices. The choice is yours and allows you to decide which markets you would like to pursue.
Allows Flexibility in Scheduling
A classroom teacher knows their place and location. Within four cinder block walls is where they can be found most of the time. For some, that would appear constricting. Special education teachers have a rapidly changing position. Teachers have the flexibility to work with different students, deciphering their needs and measuring their progress; however, no two days are the same. Different subjects, grade levels, skill groups, and behaviors are intriguing and challenging, producing a fast paced, highly skilled position.
Teaching students with disabilities is not for the faint of heart. There are hard days, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges. Being a principal, I seek out educators who have a passion for learning and compassion for the student. Special education teachers, far more than any others in my building, need to be able to communicate with students, families, colleagues, and administrators. They are master organizers that are not afraid to jump in with both feet and push students beyond the barriers society places upon them. Special education teachers are gems – shine bright!
Ready to start your next educational journey with special needs students? Explore our available special education master’s programs and enroll today!
