An Online Degree for Special Education Teachers

by Jane Smallman
jane.smallman@careerschoolguide.com
Career School Guide Columnist

The current shortage of special education teachers means that many school districts are having difficulty filling jobs. If you are interested in teaching children with special educational needs, you can prepare yourself for certification and improve your job prospects by earning an online degree.

Special Education Teachers Have a Special Job to Do

Teaching special education needs special skills. To do the job well you need patience, understanding, enthusiasm, and a real desire to help your students learn and improve. Every day in the United States over 5 million children with special educational needs go off to school, relying on the fact that there will be a specially trained teacher there to help them get the most out of their school day.

Training for Teaching Special Education

More than 700 colleges across the U.S. run programs of study for teaching in special education, most at bachelor’s level. If you already have a bachelor’s and want to earn a higher level qualification you can now prepare yourself for certification as a special education teacher by earning an online master’s degree in the subject.

Studying for an Online Degree

Just like a campus-based program, an online degree can give you a thorough preparation for employment as a special education teacher. The only major difference is that you won’t have to attend scheduled classes but can choose when and where you want to study (as long as you have access to the computer and the Internet).

A typical online program will cover essential subjects like:

• how disabilities can affect a child’s physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and cultural needs
• methods of assessment and diagnosis
• how to modify the teaching environment to suit different learning styles
• how to practice effective teaching strategies
• the law in relation to special needs children

A real-life teaching component of several months is included. By the time you finish your online degree you may be well-prepared for teaching students with special educational needs and ready to give them the special help they need.

Sources

National Dissemination Center For Children With Disabilities
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Grand Canyon University - (PDF)

About the Author

Jane Smallman combines freelance writing with running a mountain guiding business with her husband. She has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in the Social Sciences.