Special Education Resume Examples
Empathy and the ability to work with challenging students are difficult to articulate on a resume. Our special education resume examples show you how to prove you are the right educator for the role.
Our Recommended Example
Special Education Teacher
Popular Templates in the Special Education Space
Special Education Paraprofessional
Adapted Physical Education Teacher
Paraprofessional Educator
Behaviour Specialist
Table of Contents
Special Education Resume
Special Education Cover Letter
Get Expert Writing Recommendations for Your Special Education Resume
Writing resumes is easier when you have a model that utilizes professionally written, industry-specific phrases. Written by our certified resume writers, LiveCareer’s special education resume examples offer guidance for putting together your own page.
For more direct help in creating a resume, use our Resume Builder, which offers pre-written content suggestions for every section of your resume. The following examples reflect the types of recommendations that may be offered by our builder for your special education resume:
- Taught students anger management techniques, relaxation skills, impulse control, social skills, emotional coping skills and functional living skills
- Diversified teaching techniques and learning tools to help students with differing ability levels and varied learning modalities
- Communicated nonverbally with children to provide comfort, encouragement and positive reinforcement
- Proficient in disability assessment testing
- Specialized training in adolescent counseling
6 Dos and Don’ts for Writing a Special Education Resume
Do
- Do give exact details. A hiring manager wants to see precisely how you’d perform your duties when working with special-needs students. Use specific examples, such as a curriculum you designed, the types of students you have experience with or accommodations you helped implement, to demonstrate abilities and accomplishments.
- Do emphasize your experience working with varying abilities. As a teacher, being able to work effectively with children of different levels of abilities is important, and this is especially true in special education. Use the professional summary, skills and work experience sections to showcase these qualifications.
- Do list job-specific skills. Do not simply mention every talent you possess. List particular soft and hard skills, such as patience, screen-reader software or the ability to teach to varying learning styles or create curriculums, that clearly relate to a position in special education.
Don’t
- Don’t forget the numbers. Facts and figures are powerful when used on a resume because they give employers precise measurements of your past successes. Include improved grade averages or attendance records, the size of classes you taught and other useful information.
- Don’t leave out certifications. A special education teacher position often requires specific state licensing, so make sure to put this on your resume. Also list any additional professional certifications that help you stand out over the competition.
- Don’t be modest. Competition can be fierce for special education positions, so include all awards and accolades you have from over the years, and list accomplishments such as teacher of the year.
Beat the ATS with These Special Education Resume Skills
Most hiring managers in the special education field use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to help come up with the most qualified applicants. This software searches for career-related words and phrases and discards resumes that do not have them.
If you are wondering what language to use, look for key phrases in the job description. In addition, LiveCareer’s Resume Builder helps job seekers identify key category-friendly phrases such as the following:
- Instructing students with speech impairments, autism and physical disabilities
- Life skills and functional curriculum
- National Board Teaching Certification
- Multi-sensory lesson design
- Educational technology integration
Special Education Resumes for Every Professional Level
Entry-Level Special Education Resume Example: Special Education Assistant
This resume for an entry-level position wisely uses a functional format, as the applicant lacks extensive experience in the exact role they’re seeking. This kind of format emphasizes one’s transferable skills over their work history, though that’s also included above the education section at the bottom of the page.
Above, the skills listed by the job seeker are broken down and given context by lists of relevant, previous job responsibilities.
Build My ResumeMid-Career Special Education Resume Example: Resource Teacher
For this resume, the job seeker uses a combination format to place equal emphasis on skills and experience. Rather than including a small skills section at the bottom of the page, they include a summary of qualifications section and skills section, both centered in the right-hand column.
These multiple sections demonstrate to the employer the impressive number of credentials the job seeker has, while still allowing room for a traditional and chronological work timeline.
Build My ResumeExecutive-Level Special Education Resume Example: Intervention Specialist
When an applicant has many years of experience, a chronological resume like this example places the most focus on work history. The professional summary recaps the highlights of the job seeker’s experience, their most relevant qualifications and their ability to work with special needs children. Next, they let the sizable work history take up most of the page, laying out many specific past duties that leave them well-equipped for a new special education role.
Build My ResumeRecommended Special Education Cover Letter
Resume Success Stories
Statistics and Facts About Special Education Jobs
Median Annual Pay by Job Title (June 2020)
Special Education Assistant | $26737 |
---|---|
Special Education Teacher | $56544 |
Special Education Professor | $95965 | 010K20K30K40K50K60K70K80K90K100K |
Source: Salary.com
Job Outlook (2018 to 2028)
Special Education Teachers, Preschool | 7-10% growth |
---|---|
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School | 2-3% growth |
Special Education Teachers, Middle School | 2-3% growth |
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | 2-3% growth | 012345678910 |
Source: O*Net
Popular Titles
- Special education teacher
- Early intervention specialist
- Art therapist
- Adapted physical education teacher
- Educational audiologist
Source: Personnel Improvement Center
Education Statistics
Kindergarten and Elementary Special Education Teachers and College Education
Bachelor’s Degree | 66% |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 22% |
Post-Master’s Certificate | 6% | 0102030405060708090100 |
High School Special Education Teachers and college education
Bachelor’s Degree | 65% |
---|---|
post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 18% |
Master’s Degree | 16% | 0102030405060708090100 |
Source: O*Net
Gender Composition
Female
86.8%
Male
13.2%
Average Age
Female
42.7
Male
42.3
Average Salary
Female
$45,462
Male
$53,855
Source: DataUSA
Racial and Ethnic Diversity (2018)
White | 82.46% |
---|---|
Black | 9.15% |
Asian | 2.67% |
Other | 2.76% |
Two or More Races | 2.51% |
Native American | 0.438% | 0102030405060708090100 |