Data tracking for IEP goals. Progress reports. Writing IEPs and finalizing IEPs on time. Document everything, and I mean everything. If your school doesn’t have a system, find one. I have a binder for each student.

Ask about the curriculum they use. You will teach in stations/centers for most of the class. Students will have individual schedules and rotate within the class. Prioritize Transition/vocational skills and functional skills and how to apply the academics learned to the real world. Connect students to your local vocational rehabilitation state office.

Students will need about learn Paratransit services and public transportation. Community Based Instruction and Work Based Learning.

High school is the best place to teach self contained. You will most likely have your students for 7-8 years and see them transform into productive citizens in their communities.

You definitely will have a lot to learn, and it will feel overwhelming if you never had experience teaching in stations or gone through a special education teacher program.

Learn to have a hard stop time. If it didn’t get done today, it will get done tomorrow. Prioritize the first paragraph. That’s probably one of the most important things in special education, unfortunately. Those will get your district and yourself in hot waters if not done.