Exceptional Children Teacher

FUNCTIONAL PURPOSE

The purpose of this position is to organize and implement an instructional program for exceptional children in the regular classroom or special education classroom setting and meeting the duties of teaching as outlined in laws and policies.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Complete all required IEP documentation as required by NC Policies Governing Services to Students with Disabilities within applicable timelines and compliance standards. 
• Confer with parents, administrators, related services, and other IEP team members to develop individual educational programs (IEP) designed to promote student’s educational, physical, and social development.
• Serve as the case manager for an assigned group of students, organizing and maintaining the EC folder, coordinating all IEP meetings and facilitating progress monitoring and reporting on all IEP goals. 
• Plan and deliver specialized, individualized instruction to address skills and strategies that students with disabilities need to access the core curriculum and function successfully within a variety of contexts, to achieve mastery of curricular standards and to achieve individualized goals and objectives.
• Assess, collaboratively analyze, interpret, and communicate students’ progress toward measurable outcomes, using technology as appropriate, to inform both short- and long-term planning, and make ongoing adjustments to instruction.
• Collaborate with District EC leadership and support staff to provide services to students with disabilities.
• Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive behavioral interventions and supports.
• Employ specially designed strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory and perceptual motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
• Plan and conduct activities for a balance program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question and investigate.
• Teach personal development skills such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy.
• Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks and by holding IEP meetings at transition points (e.g., Elementary to middle school).
• Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and technologies.
• Collaborate with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students’ behavioral and academic issues.
• Coordinate the inclusion of students with special needs into general education settings as appropriate and specified in the IEP.
• Monitor teacher assistants and volunteers to ensure that they adhere to IEP requirements including accommodations, modifications and least restrictive environment placement.
• Prepare, administer, and grade tests/assignments to evaluate students’ progress.
• Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation.
• Act as a resource to the general education staff, teacher assistants, administration and parents as needed.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of North Carolina Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities and required record keeping.
• Ability to plan and deliver specially designed instruction using evidence-based practices.
• Ability to coordinate/facilitate meetings with staff, parents, and students.
• Ability to communicate clearly in written and electronic formats; as well as; in-person. 
• Ability to demonstrate patience and compassion when dealing with students and/or parents and their personal and educational needs. 
• Skill in identifying student learning and personal needs and collaborating with district and school staff to provide needed resources or interventions.
• Skill in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, as well as Google Drive.
• Ability to use IEP development, progress monitoring and instructional software and technology. 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum:  Bachelor’s Degree in Education and/or Special Education
• Desirable:  Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and two years’ work experience.

CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS:

• Valid NC Teacher’s License in Exceptional Children.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
 

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of equipment including computers, copiers, calculators, cellular phones, etc. Must be physically able to operate a motor vehicle. Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Light Work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or composite characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments, or directions to subordinates or assistants.

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports,

forms, charts, strategic plans, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, appraisals, charts, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control, and confidence.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in Standard English.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; and to apply the principles of algebra, descriptive statistics, statistical inference, and statistical theory.

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width, and shape.

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment and hand tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Color Discrimination: Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.

Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear.) Must be able to communicate via telephone.

DISCLAIMER
 

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to this job.