A master’s degree with a special needs specialty is possible with online courses
Aspiring teachers often have preferences on which age group they want to teach. Whether you want to work with elementary or college students, your studies often reflect this passion. Some teachers aspire to work with special needs students. Working with exceptional students usually requires some training. An advanced degree with specializations in special education can be helpful as well. A general bachelor’s degree may not cover the techniques needed to adequately serve this unique teaching niche. Pursuing a Master of Education in Special Education through an online program may be a perfect way to refine your special education teaching skills. There are even specializations within M.Ed. in Special Education programs to help tailor your education to your career goals and dreams.
Specialize in the autism spectrum
Autism is a distinct specialty within special needs programs because it has such a large range of students. While some students may have focusing issues, others display erratic behavior and difficulty speaking. An M.Ed. in Special Education teaches you how to survey each student and create a curriculum that works just for him or her. Learning is different for each child. Online master’s degree programs explain different teaching methods and tools to make every subject understandable for every student.
Concentration in general special education
Some special needs students do not fall under a specific category. They may have a slow learning pattern and other cognitive issues. Along with teaching to each student’s strengths, teachers also build understanding of all the tools necessary for each learner. Certain students may have computers to communicate because speaking and writing are too difficult, for example. An online M.Ed. in Special Education can help teachers understand all teaching angles that can encourage students to progress up to a particular education level by the end of the semester or school year.
Gifted and talented as an alternative concentration
One area that is often overlooked as a special needs concentration is gifted and talented students. When students learn quickly, they become bored with the standard classroom culture as other students catch up with the information at a more typical pace. Use the skills learned from your M.Ed. in Special Education to form alternative lesson plans. Engaging the gifted mind is just as strategic as working with other special needs students. Online courses make it possible to use your newly found skills with students soon after you learn them.
Online programs benefit you and exceptional learners
Graduate students can take online classes at night and try the concepts out the next day. There is no other way to truly solidify an idea in the mind than to use it in a real-life situation. Even if you do not have a special needs class yet, volunteer to work with a class after school. Administrators will see your passion and possibly consider you the next time there is an opening in the specialty field after you’ve completed your degree.
A clever way to test out the teaching waters to find your perfect niche is through volunteering or internships. Work with gifted students one week while switching to an autistic classroom the next week. Discover which group inspires you more. Passion and education must combine to create success with an M.Ed. in Special Education.
Sources:
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/special-education-teachers.htm
http://www.wnyc.org/story/295147-special-needs-students-teach-others-about-assistive-technologies/
