Special Education Teacher (Self-Contained Classroom) - Elementary

The Journeys program is a self-contained classroom for students with moderate and severe cognitive disabilities. Students in the program exhibit a variety of behavioral, sensory, physical, cognitive, and academic challenges.

EDUCATION/LICENSE/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's Degree in Special Education
• Valid State of Indiana Teachers' License in Special Education
• Must possess strong leadership and communication skills
• Additional qualifications as the Board or the State of Indiana require
• Strong written and oral communication and presentation skills
• Must have the ability to:
• Work with diverse populations
• Work independently without direct supervision
• Initiate and balance multiple work projects
• Work both independently and collaboratively with a team

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Other duties may be assigned.

Teaching/Learning and Effective Instruction

The special education teacher in the Journeys classroom will:

• Assess students' skills to determine their needs and to develop teaching plans.
• Adapt lessons to meet the needs of students.
• Develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for each student
• Implement behavior plans as needed.
• Plan, organize, and assign activities that are specific to each student's abilities
• Teach and mentor students as a class, in small groups, and one-on-one
• Implement IEPs, assess students' performance, and track their progress
• Collaborates and consults with educational professionals and community service providers (i.e., social services, public health, medical providers etc.) regarding the needs of students.
• Update IEPs throughout the school year to reflect students' progress and goals
• Discuss student's progress with parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators
• Supervise and mentor instructional assistants who work with students with disabilities.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general counseling periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to work with mathematical concepts appropriate to the duties assigned. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES:

Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory to instructional program; ability to plan and implement lessons based on division and school objectives and the needs and abilities of students to whom assigned. Ability to use appropriate language and accompanying techniques with adolescents on one-to-one basis as well as in groups.

Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with students, peers and parents; skill in oral and written communication.

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 continuously required to sit and talk or hear. Occasionally the employee will repeat the same hand, arm or finger motion many times. The employee must sometimes lift and/or move up to 20-30 pounds. The employee must be able to attend meetings in the evening and at other locations. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as ability to read handwritten or typed material, and the ability to adjust focus. The position requires the individual to meet multiple demands from several people and interact with the public and other staff.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an 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.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties may be assigned to this position.