Hands-on
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Explore a possible path
Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.
How does this connect to your interests? →A look at the work
- Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
- Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and instructional technology.
- Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.
Interests involved in this work
These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.
2.3 / 7
Investigative
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Creative
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Helping people
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Enterprising
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Organizing
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Skills to explore
Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
2026-08
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
2026-08
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2026-08
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
2026-08
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
2026-08
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
2026-08
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
2026-08
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
2026-08
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
2026-08
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
2026-08
Plan a small next step
Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.
Source preparation category: Job Zone 4 of 5 · 2026-08. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.
Related study fields
Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.
Special Education and Teaching, General →
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness →
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances →
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities →
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities →
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic and Other Physical Health Impairments →
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness →
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities →
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments →
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism →
Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed →
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries →
Explore all related study fields →Source & methodology
O*NET-SOC code 25-2057.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.
How interest exploration matching works →Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.