Special Education Teacher Resume—Examples and 25+ Tips

Teaching special ed students is a thankless job. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get. You have to prove your whole brain teaching skills.

But how can you do that it one skimpy piece of paper? Don’t worry. If you show the right special education moments, you’ll have a Temple-Grandin level special education teacher resume in minutes.

In this guide:

• A special education teacher resume sample better than most.
• How to write a special education teacher resume that passes the assessment.
• How to target your special education teacher job description for resumes.
• Why you can’t just list special education teacher skills (and what to do instead).

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Got other teaching talents? See these guides:

• Teacher Resume Examples
• Art Teacher Resume Examples
• Elementary Teacher Resume Examples
• Instructional Designer Resume Examples
• Substitute Teacher Resume Examples
• School Counselor Resume Examples
• Preschool Teacher Resume Examples
• Student Teacher Resume Examples
• ESL Teacher Resume Examples
• Math Teacher Resume Examples
• Mentor Resume Examples
• High School Teacher Resume Examples
• Supervisor Resume Examples
• Psychology Resume Examples
• Assistant Principal Resume Examples

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Examples.

 

Sample Special Education Teacher Resume You Can Copy and Use

Here’s how to write a special education teacher resume you can adapt to any job:

1. Choose a Respected Special Education Teacher Resume Format

Research from Leadership IQ says 46% of new employees fail. Bad hires waste time and money for the school. The principal’s first clue is resumes with poor formatting.

Show you can reach one mind at a time with the reverse-chronological resume format. Use these tips:

Special Education Teacher Resume Format

• Write resume sections for Heading, Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills.
• Present your last job first.
• Use white space to make your words inviting.
• For easy reading, set 1-inch margins.
• Pick a professional resume font like 10–12pt Didot or Georgia.
• Make your resume length one page for special ed jobs.
• To look the part on all platforms send a PDF resume.

Expert Hint: A study in the Journal of Special Education found that 50% of special ed programs rigorously evaluate teacher performance. If you’ve received high scores in past assessments, show that in your elementary special education teacher resume.

2. Write a Special Education Teacher Resume Objective or Summary

The principal has a stack of special education resumes on her desk. She gets to yours, but misses your best moments. She moves on to the next, and you don’t get the job. That’s a waking nightmare. But—

You can avoid it with a quick summary of your talents near the top. It’s called a resume summary statement or resume objective statement.

Write it with:

1. An adjective (caring, dedicated)
2. “Special education teacher”
3. Years of experience (2+, 3+)
4. Who you’ll help and how (raise student scores...)
5. Best special education teacher moments (managed classrooms of 10–20 students...)

See these special education teacher resume examples:

Special Education Teacher Resume Summary—Example

Efficient special education teacher with 7 years of experience and skills in lesson plans and mentoring. Seeking to raise student scores at Grant-Fayette Elementary School. At Independence Elementary, managed classrooms of 10+ students and received JKO Education Award for excellence in teaching assistance.

Special education teacher skilled in mentoring and research. Adept at raising student scores, performing assessments, and classroom management. A highly competent special education teacher with strong interpersonal skills.

It’s one thing to say, “I’m a great teacher.” It’s quite another to say, “I won an award, managed 20+ students, and have 7 years of experience.” The first of our special education teacher resume samples does it oh so well.

The same magic works in a special ed resume with no experience. See this sample entry-level resume for special education teacher jobs:

Entry-Level Special Education Teacher Resume Objective

Enthusiastic special education teacher, skilled in grading and classroom management. As teacher’s aide at the Susan B. Anthony Elementary School proctored classrooms of 30+ and graded 130+ tests and quizzes. Assisted with 90+ parent meetings.

Entry-level special education teacher, skilled in proctoring, grading tests, grading quizzes, and assisting with parent meetings. An expert at classroom management. Can start immediately and will work hard to learn fast on the job. 

The second of those special education teacher assistant resume samples doesn’t make the grade. It’s the difference between saying you can teach special needs and showing proof.

3. Write a Job-Appropriate Special Education Teacher Job Description and Skills Section

What special education teacher skills on resumes will get you interviewed? Here’s a list:

Teacher Assistant Skills for Resumes

Hard Skills	Soft Skills
Working with Disabilities	Interpersonal Skills
Student Assessment	Collaboration
Creating Lesson Plans	Communication
Classroom Management	Organization
Computer Skills	Time Management
Conflict Resolution	Problem Solving
Instructional Equipment	Compassion
Basic Medical Care	Empathy
Microsoft Office	Stress Management
Student Progress Monitoring	Attention to Detail

But don’t force the entire set on a resume for special education teacher jobs. That’s a cookie-cutter strategy, and it won’t work. Write a customized resume to get the most response.

To write a targeted special education teacher job description for resumes:

1. Find resume keywords in the job posting. Those are the resume skills the principal wants.
2. In your resume bullets, show when you’ve used those skills.
3. Include a few metrics to impress the hiring team.

See these special education teacher resume samples:

Say the job wants these special education teacher skills: mentoring, classroom management, and creating educational materials.

Special Education Teacher Job Description for a Resume [Sample]

Experience

Special Education Teacher

Independence Elementary School

2016–2019

• Received JKO Education Award for special education teacher excellence. Singled out for skills in mentoring and research.
• Monitored and assisted with classroom management in classes of 30–40 students each with 95% effectiveness scores.
• Planned and created educational materials, including 50+ homework assignments and daily lesson plans.

Both of those examples pass. But only the first targets this special ed teacher job.

“Hey, hold on. I just got my degree. I can’t say all that!” Entry-level resumes can still adapt. Check out these special education teacher resume examples with no experience:

The job needs these special ed skills: positive discipline, research, and classroom activity creation.

Entry-Level Special Education Teacher Resume Job Description [Sample]

Teacher's Aide

Susan B. Anthony Elementary School

2018–2019

• Used positive discipline skills to raise homework completion 22%.
• Prepared 60+ research-based in-class assignments.
• Facilitated 90+ parent-teacher meetings.
• Assisted 5 teachers with creation of new classroom activities.

• Proctored and graded quizzes and tests.
• Used motivational talks to raise homework completion 22%.
• Prepared in-class assignments.
• Facilitated 90+ parent-teacher meetings.

That’s the same person in both examples, but the first of those entry-level special education teacher resume examples has numbers like 22% and 60+. It also has research and other skills the school demands.

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4. Include Details in Your Education Section

Are you qualified? Your resume education section will answer that. But—Add a couple school facts that prove your skills would make Jean Little proud. This special education teacher resume sample shows how:

Special Education Teacher Resume Example—Education

Education

AA Education, University at Buffalo

2010–2012

• Excelled in classroom management coursework.
• Pursued a passion for research and lesson plan creation.

That adds classroom management and lesson plan creation to your pitch.

5. List “Other” Items in Your Special Education Teacher Resume

The principal wants someone who can teach the unteachable. You can’t show your full potential with just past jobs and school.

So include one or two additional sections to show Rachel-Coleman-level skills. Select from this list:

• Associations (NASET, NEA)
• Certifications (special education, teacher certification, etc.)
• Awards or honors
• Publications
• Volunteer work
• Freelance work
• Foreign languages
• Hobbies
• Conferences
• Additional activities
• Sports & fitness

See these special education teachers resume examples:

Special Education Teacher Resume—Extra Sections

Additional Activities

• Using rowing machine.
• Riding my motorcycle.

Expert Hint: Know how to write a cover letter to complement your special education teacher resume. Show your passion for teaching special needs students and your top occupational moments.

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Key Points

Here’s how to write a special education teacher resume:

• Start with our special education teacher resume template up top. Inform it with the best moments from your special ed career.
• Add special ed teacher skills like student assessment. But use numbers to show you thrived.
• Write a special education teacher resume objective for the top. Put your most exceptional features in it.
• Write “other” resume sections that show you’re a gifted special ed teacher.

Got questions on how to write great resumes for special education teacher jobs? Not sure how to put special education teacher on a resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply! 

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