Oakland Special Education Jobs Overview
Are you looking to positively impact students' lives and help them reach their highest potential? If the answer is yes, you should start applying for special education jobs. As a special education teacher, you'll work with children of all ages with various behavioral, learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities to help improve their quality of life.
While many begin their careers working as a teacher or teacher's assistant in special education classrooms, you can pursue opportunities in roles such as a behavior analyst, recreational therapist, speech and language pathologist, or school psychologist as well. However, these will usually require an advanced degree or certification.
In a teaching role, you'll work with counselors, administrators, general teachers, and parents to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for each student according to their needs. An IEP outlines the performance and requirements of the student and provides measurable learning and behavioral goals.
Your responsibilities will vary depending on your work setting, specialty, and the students' disabilities. However, you'll typically do the following:
- evaluate the students’ skills and determine their educational needs
- meet with parents to discuss their children's progress
- schedule activities specific to each student's abilities
- teach and mentor students in classrooms, small groups, and one-on-one
- update IEPs throughout the year to reflect students' development
You can expand your search for education jobs by checking out these similar positions:
About Working in Oakland, California
If you're considering applying for Oakland jobs, three things you might hear about when you move here are sea monsters, gnomes, and secret staircases. The Oak-ness Monster in Lake Merritt, the only natural saltwater lake located in a city, has remained elusive since its first spotting in the 1940s. Oakland's gnomes are a little easier to find. An anonymous resident has painted and hidden thousands of gnomes all over the city since 2012. While you're looking for a gnome, you might stumble across a secret staircase. Hundreds of shortcut staircases were built a century ago to help streetcar and bus passengers commute from their Oakland jobs to their neighborhoods without having to walk along the city's winding roads.
If you're not in the mood for a scavenger hunt, you can spend a day exploring the banks of Lake Merritt, which includes miles of walking paths, greenspace, and a wildlife refuge. Or you could spend one of Oakland's 260 sunny days a year hiking in Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park just outside downtown Oakland. Ready to explore the Oakland area? You can also try expanding your job search to the suburbs of San Leandro, Alameda, and Berkeley.
Update Your Oakland Special Education Resume
When it comes to your job search, resume writing can be a challenging subject to conquer. That's why we're here to help. When you craft your resume, highlight your teaching skills, such as communication style and teaching methods, with solid examples of how you've put them into action. If you want an A+ job, check out our sample teacher resume for ideas and inspiration to get your resume noticed.
Also, don't forget to include that all-important cover letter that briefly describes your professional background and passion for the job. For more help, refer to our sample teacher cover letter and library of practical cover letter tips.
How Much Do Special Education Jobs Pay in Oakland, California?
Got money on your mind? You should! Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. Our Salary Tools can help you understand what you can expect to make in special education jobs in Oakland, California, as well as the skills that can boost your value and what the next steps in your career might be. Right now, the median special education teacher pay in Oakland is $26.49 per hour, which is 23% higher than the national average.
Find Your Next Oakland Special Education Job. Monster Can Help Get You Started
Are you prepared for a career in special education? If so, set up your profile on Monster for free and begin clicking on those special education jobs. When you sign up with us, you’ll receive custom job alerts and expert advice on how to negotiate your salary in Oakland, how to nail your job interview, and more.