Self Contained – Special Education Teacher
Self Contained – Special Education Teacher
Special Education Teacher – Life Skills/ELS Program
Gurnee, IL
Pay: Up to $60/hour
Schedule: 7:40 AM – 3:15 PM, school calendar year
Grade Levels: 6th–8th Grade
Caseload: 5 students currently enrolled (classroom capacity up to 10)
About the Program
This is a self-contained classroom for students who are more cognitively impacted by their disabilities. Students mainstream into general education for specials (art, music, etc.) and are integrated into the general education program as appropriate. The program uses a modified curriculum aligned to Illinois Learning Standards with a strong Life Skills focus, and gives students opportunities to practice skills in real community settings.
Instruction and related therapies (speech/language, OT, PT, social work) are delivered in both small and large group settings based on individual student needs.
Core Focus Areas
- Functional curriculum with a Life Skills emphasis
- Whole body listening / fully attending to the speaker
- Expected vs. unexpected behaviors
- Emotional, behavioral, and sensory regulation
- Matching the size of the problem to the size of the reaction
- Flexible vs. rigid thinking
- Conversational skills and perspective-taking
- Reading social cues and body language
- Asking for help
- Winning, losing, and compromising
- Making mistakes / trying new things
- Problem-solving and coping skills
- Executive functioning: organization, time management, task completion
Responsibilities
- Deliver individualized instruction based on each student's IEP goals
- Collaborate with related service providers (speech, OT, PT, social work) to deliver integrated small/large group instruction
- Facilitate community-based instruction to practice functional life skills
- Manage classroom behavior using structured, individualized strategies
- Track and document student progress toward IEP goals
- Communicate regularly with parents/guardians and multidisciplinary team
- Supervise and direct paraprofessional support staff in the classroom
Requirements
- Valid Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with LBS1 endorsement
- Experience with students with moderate-to-severe cognitive disabilities preferred
- Experience with functional/life skills curriculum preferred
- Strong behavior management and de-escalation skills
- Ability to collaborate with a multidisciplinary related-services team