i want to teach special education.?

Jimmie Doerfler: First of all, let me say it is wonderful to see interest in the field from high school students, but let me caution you: do not go into Special Education if you only want the guarantee of a job. It requires much more in terms of dedication, empathy, and patience and it is not a career that you can leave at the school at dismissal time.I tell you this because in the past 5 years or so, we have hired a great number of new teachers, including many who were "career-switchers" in Special Education. About 75% of those hires either quit or were asked to leave for poor performance; they simply did not expect the vast amount of paperwork, collaboration and training that is required once you sign a contract. That being said, you will need to attend a fully accredited college or university to obtain a Bachelors degree in Special Education. You will need to receive teacher certification in the specific state in which you will teach; many also require that you pass ! the Praxis test as well.For the most part, special ed teachers are paid on the same salary schedule as general education teachers. You will receive a higher salary with a Master's degree in special education. Sign language is not required unless you want to become a teacher of the deaf; however, basic sign language is often used as a supplemental communication system for some children with disabilities.I would strongly suggest that you speak with your school guidance counselor and see if you could arrange to observe in several specialeducation classes and speak with the teachers. This will really give you a valuable insight into the field and help you make your decisions about colleges and the types of children you would most like to teach,The very, very best of luck to you!!...Show more

Hunter Beech: Be sure to check the certification requirements for the state where you want to teach or go to a university that can certify you in all 50 states. A BS in special ed.! takes 4 or 5 years. Some states require a masters degree. No! rthern Illinois University had one of the first exemplary special ed.programs in the nation. You might check into their curriculum. Cost depends on the school. A state school in your state of residence is going to be the cheapest way to go. The pay scale is the same for all teachers and depends upon the state and local subsidies. Sign language is only for teachers of the deaf. It's available in that curriculum....Show more

Truman Biby: You'll need to learn sign language to teach deaf children.I strongly suggest:http://abclearnlanguage.com/url/signlanguageIt's a super affordable program ($49), and what I used to learn american sign language. Despite all the marketing hype on the first page, it's a really solid program.Otherwise I suggest #2, #4, #5, #10, and #16:http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&loc......Show more