Special Education Teacher Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Special Education Teacher resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Special education teachers are responsible for planning and delivering lessons that cater to the unique needs of students with disabilities. This can mean working one-on-one with students to help them build skills in areas like reading, writing, math, or social skills—or it can mean facilitating group lessons that address various special needs, like physical disabilities or behavioral issues.
Special education teachers have unique skills that set them apart from other educators. They’re compassionate and patient individuals who understand the challenges that students face. They’re also highly organized and detail-oriented, with the capacity to juggle multiple tasks at once.
If you’re ready to make a difference in the lives of children with special needs, here are some tips and a resume example to help you write an effective special education teacher resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write a Special Education Teacher Resume
Here’s how to write a special education teacher resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
When you’re writing your bullet points, it can be tempting to simply list your responsibilities. But that’s not going to make a strong impression on recruiters. Instead, you should focus on the results of your work.
For example, rather than saying you “taught students with special needs,” you could say that you “increased reading comprehension rates for students with special needs by 20% in six months.”
The second bullet point is much stronger because it provides specific numbers and details about the project. It also includes a quantifiable result (20% increase in reading comprehension).
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a special education teaching job, your resume is likely to go through an applicant tracking system (ATS). This program will search for certain keywords related to the position in order to determine whether your skills and experience are a match. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
When writing your resume, it’s important to include keywords that are commonly found on special education teacher resumes. Here are some examples:
- Special Education
- Teaching
- Curriculum Development
- Educational Leadership
- Lesson Planning
- Classroom Management
- Staff Development
- Differentiated Instruction
- Education
- Literacy
- Elementary Education
- Teaching Reading
- K-12 Education
- Special Education Teachers
- Community Outreach
- Instructional Design
- Learning Management Systems
- Educational Technology
- Coaching
- Behavior Management
- Differentiated Instruction Training
- Interim
- Instructional Coaching
- Elementary School
- Literacy Coaching
- Classroom Instruction
- Special Education Collaborative Training
- Special Education Administration
- School Administration
- Transition
Showcase Your Technical Skills
Special education teachers are responsible for working with students who have special needs. They rely on a variety of programs and systems to help them meet the needs of their students. Some of the programs and systems that special education teachers are typically expected to be proficient in include: student information systems, individualized education programs (IEPs), special education software, and assistive technology software.