Teacher’s role in children with SEN

A Special Education Needs (SEN) teacher usually works with pupils who have learning difficulties, behavioral problems or physical or sensory disabilities.

The qualifications for a SEN teacher depend on the particular needs of the pupils they wish to teach.

To become a SEN teacher it’s important to remember that he or she must: have the commitment to work with pupils with special educational needs, have the ability to build up good relationships with a range of people - pupils, parents, careers, teachers, teaching assistants, educational psychologists and social workers, be able to get on well with pupils from different backgrounds with different abilities, be very well organized, be able to manage classes and deal with challenging behavior, be able to communicate well in the most appropriate ways for the pupils.

SEN pupils have varying needs. Teachers can choose whether to assist pupils with specific disabilities or a range of needs. Typically, SEN teacher’s work with pupils with dyslexia or dyscalculia, autism, severe epilepsy, moderate, severe or profound learning difficulties, visual or hearing impairments, mobility problems, behavioral challenges or psychiatric problems.

What does a Special Education Needs (SEN) teacher do?

The tasks which a SEN teacher carries out can include:

•          Preparing materials, equipment and lessons
•          Assessing the individual learning needs of pupils
•          Evaluating and reporting pupils’ progress to teachers, careers, healthcare    professionals and anybody else who helps them
•         Assisting with the personal care needs of pupils
•         Coping with challenging behavior and dealing with difficult situations
•         Liaising with parents, careers and other professionals who work with the pupil
•         Supervising activities such as trips locally or abroad.

It is important to have in mind that Very few careers provide the opportunity to help and support those who need it the most. SEN teachers play a vital part in helping to shape the future of a child’s life and the satisfaction of this work is unlikely to be found in many other jobs.

Being a SEN teacher requires a lot of patience, the ability to cope with stress and work well under pressure. Working with children in general can be unpredictable and challenging at times, and this is certainly the case with children with special needs.

The majority of people think that to be a teacher is an easy work, and it is wrong, because work with children, covering all their needs and providing help for them is a very hard work, but, it is not a problem for teachers because they work very hard every day because they love their works and they try to give support not only children, but families too. This is the reason why teacher are so important in society.

Source: http://www.eteach.com/CMS/1/SENcontent.aspx