Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a High School Special Education Teacher
What high school special education teachers actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a high school special education teacher?
Review credit status for seniors. From there, the day usually includes teach and co-teach classes, write IEPs with transition plans, and teach life and job skills. School-year schedule with some community visits.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a high school special education teacher working full time.
- Review credit status for seniors.
- Co-teach English.
- Teach a life skills class.
- Visit a student at a job site.
- Teach study skills.
- Hold a transition IEP meeting.
- Call vocational rehabilitation.
Where high school special education teachers work
Teachers work in high school classrooms, resource rooms and community job sites.
Hours and schedule
School-year schedule with some community visits.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Teach and co-teach classes
- Write IEPs with transition plans
- Teach life and job skills
- Coordinate work experiences
- Track credits toward graduation
- Connect families to adult services
- Adapt lessons and tests
Tools you’ll use every day
- IEP software
- Transition assessments
- Assistive technology
- Job coaching tools
- Student information systems
- Graphic organizers
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Help students launch adult lives
- Strong demand
- Varied work
- School calendar
What’s hard
- Heavy paperwork
- Graduation pressure
- Coordinating many agencies
- Behavior challenges
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I connect with teenagers
- I care about life after school
- I advocate for students
- I’m organized
- I like working with agencies
- I’m patient
Not sure? Take the free High School Special Education Teacher fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow behavior plans
- Check job site safety
- Protect student records
- Follow mandatory reporting laws