The job posting I found is for a teacher position in the Special Education Center Program for early

childhood education teaching students ages 3-4 in an integrated environment with typically developing
peers. The job description lists communication with parents or guardian, teachers, counselors, and
administrators to resolve students behavioral and academic problems as part of the job description. The
role of the teacher is to teach in a self-contained classroom for students whose educational needs center
on the development of functional academics and adaptive behavior skills. It is also to emphasize skill
development in basic skills, concepts, recreation, and leisure, community, vocational and domestic by
infusing motor, communication and social skills. The infusing of communication skills require
communication skills of the teacher to teach the students. The teacher must also assess and develop
inclusive settings to support educational, behavioral, social-emotional, physical, daily living needs of
students in school and community. In addition the teacher is required to monitors, supervise, coordinate
and enforce rules of conduct and behavior for assigned students, and reinforce positive student behaviors
in accordance with school and District policy. The teacher observes, evaluates, reports and records
students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. The teacher must share these
observations, evaluations, and reports with colleagues and parents or guardians. Collaboration with
peers, administrators, occupational therapists, speech therapists, behavior interventionists, and school
psychologists to make plans to support students would be an integral part of this position.
If I were applying for this position I would talk about my flexibility and openness to others thoughts and
ideas. I would discuss my collaboration with peers in the past in planning, developing communication to
share with parents, evaluating students, and making decisions about student movement. I would talk
about my experience as a parent of a child who struggled in early childhood and later was diagnosed with
non-verbal learning disability. I would discuss my ability to empathize with parents who are learning their
child may have different needs in the school setting for the first time. I would say that my biggest
weakness in communication is in public speaking which is uncomfortable for me but which I strive to
overcome each time I do it. I try and use my written skills and technology like smartboard presentations to
augment my lack of confidence in public speaking.