I am applying for a Masters program in Special Education, I have no practical experience teaching.

Question

What skills do you think I should emphasis in my application. I have a B.F.A. and my experience is in retail management and Interior design?

Answer 1

A desire to help in the special education fields. Talk about management because it shows that you can work with others and that you can be in charge and work on your own.  

Answer 2

The arts are VERY important in special education.  I would show that you can demonstrate how you can weave creativity into any curriculum (there are many articles about this via google).  Management shows that you can plan projects and "delegate" (get the kids to do their work).  I would think school districts would LOVE your background, as long as you can translate it into what they need.  BUT the creativity should be a big factor.  Don't forget SPED also includes behavioral problems (!) so articulate how this creativity will help kids focus, become engaged, and generally do better.  Thanks for going into this field--we need it!

Answer 3

I changed careers and became a Special Education teacher 4 years ago.  I had not spent time in classrooms or at a school since I was in high school prior to that.  I have found that the skills learned in the business world have been extremely helpful in special education.  One of the most important roles of a special education teacher is that of evaluator.  You will be assessing and writing IEPs for students.  As a resource teacher this takes a big chunk of your time.  As a classroom teacher you will need to do this and manage your classroom at the same time.  Therefore, I find emphasis on administration, organizational design, knowledge of the law, flexibility and collaboration to be key.  Additionally, the ability to meet the needs of many students and professionals alike (differentiation) is a priority skill needed to be a successful special education teacher.  I would focus on these areas.