NES SPECIAL EDUCATION ALL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Competency 10 - ✔✔Addresses ways in which special education teachers can
continuously add to their knowledge regarding the most effective ways to meet their
professional responsibilities.
Requires an understanding of the role of special educators as the professionals
responsible for the education of students with disabilities.
✔✔Communicating with students - ✔✔Establishing rapport and communicating with
students involves demonstrating genuine interest in individual students, providing
explicit feedback about their work or behavior, and treating them as active participants
in their own learning.
✔✔Develop authentic relationships - ✔✔Teachers should treat students respectfully
✔✔Create a safe and appropriately private location - ✔✔Do not ask students with
disabilities to discuss their needs in front of other people.
✔✔Be an active listener - ✔✔Teachers should make every effort to understand
students' attempts to communicate. Facial expressions and body language can be used
to show interest and encourage communication.
✔✔Emphasize abilities, not disabilities - ✔✔For example, "uses a wheel chair" is more
appropriate or more positive than "confined to a wheel chair."
✔✔Ask students with disabilities for suggestions about ways in which they might best
participate and learn in the classroom - ✔✔Older students with disabilities are likely to
have already found that certain strategies are effective for them.
✔✔Use positive communication postures - ✔✔For example, teachers should not make
promises that they can't keep. Limits should be reasonable and enforceable.
, ✔✔Ask a student to repeat himself or herself if the student's speech is difficult to
understand. - ✔✔Teachers should not pretend to understand or guess what the student
is saying.
✔✔Be patient - ✔✔Teachers should not interrupt or finish the students' sentences or
thoughts.
✔✔Teach students to indicate when they do not comprehend material - ✔✔Teach
students how to use phrases such as "I don't use," "Slowly, please," or "Please repeat,"
Praise and promote the use of these phrases.
✔✔Effective communication requires attention to the students' special needs. - ✔✔To
communicate effectively with a student who is deaf or hard of hearing, a teacher can
maintain eye contact with the student and avoid communication with moving, refrain
from obstructing the student's view of the teacher's mouth, and avoid standing in front of
a strong light source to reduce glare. When communicating with a students who has
autism spectrum disorder, a teacher can use social stories or other visuals.
✔✔special education teachers also must be skilled at initiating a positive working
relationship with parents/guardians. - ✔✔This is especially important for special
education teachers because parents/guardians play such a large role in the
individualized education that their children receive.
✔✔General strategies for interacting with parents'/guardians' include: - ✔✔Determining
parents'/guardians' preferred communication mode. Sending out introductory letters to
establish rapport early. Providing frequent feedback on student progress.
✔✔Providing project checklists to give parents/guardians guidance on how to support
their children with large projects. - ✔✔Inform parents/guardians of long-range projects in
advance.
✔✔Providing resources through emails, websites, or letters - ✔✔Activities
parents/guardians can do with their children at home or over breaks. Parent/guardian
support group information and other community or web-based resources. Advocacy and
educational information regarding particular student needs (e.g., the development of
new assistive technology)
✔✔More specific strategies for effective communication with parents/guardians include:
- ✔✔Setting a positive tone by treating parents/guardians with respect and focusing on
solutions that build upon student strengths. Indicating respect for parents/guardians
knowledge and understanding of their child.
✔✔Balancing the communication of "good" and "bad" news - ✔✔Often a positive
communication at the beginning of the year paves the way for more difficult
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Competency 10 - ✔✔Addresses ways in which special education teachers can
continuously add to their knowledge regarding the most effective ways to meet their
professional responsibilities.
Requires an understanding of the role of special educators as the professionals
responsible for the education of students with disabilities.
✔✔Communicating with students - ✔✔Establishing rapport and communicating with
students involves demonstrating genuine interest in individual students, providing
explicit feedback about their work or behavior, and treating them as active participants
in their own learning.
✔✔Develop authentic relationships - ✔✔Teachers should treat students respectfully
✔✔Create a safe and appropriately private location - ✔✔Do not ask students with
disabilities to discuss their needs in front of other people.
✔✔Be an active listener - ✔✔Teachers should make every effort to understand
students' attempts to communicate. Facial expressions and body language can be used
to show interest and encourage communication.
✔✔Emphasize abilities, not disabilities - ✔✔For example, "uses a wheel chair" is more
appropriate or more positive than "confined to a wheel chair."
✔✔Ask students with disabilities for suggestions about ways in which they might best
participate and learn in the classroom - ✔✔Older students with disabilities are likely to
have already found that certain strategies are effective for them.
✔✔Use positive communication postures - ✔✔For example, teachers should not make
promises that they can't keep. Limits should be reasonable and enforceable.
, ✔✔Ask a student to repeat himself or herself if the student's speech is difficult to
understand. - ✔✔Teachers should not pretend to understand or guess what the student
is saying.
✔✔Be patient - ✔✔Teachers should not interrupt or finish the students' sentences or
thoughts.
✔✔Teach students to indicate when they do not comprehend material - ✔✔Teach
students how to use phrases such as "I don't use," "Slowly, please," or "Please repeat,"
Praise and promote the use of these phrases.
✔✔Effective communication requires attention to the students' special needs. - ✔✔To
communicate effectively with a student who is deaf or hard of hearing, a teacher can
maintain eye contact with the student and avoid communication with moving, refrain
from obstructing the student's view of the teacher's mouth, and avoid standing in front of
a strong light source to reduce glare. When communicating with a students who has
autism spectrum disorder, a teacher can use social stories or other visuals.
✔✔special education teachers also must be skilled at initiating a positive working
relationship with parents/guardians. - ✔✔This is especially important for special
education teachers because parents/guardians play such a large role in the
individualized education that their children receive.
✔✔General strategies for interacting with parents'/guardians' include: - ✔✔Determining
parents'/guardians' preferred communication mode. Sending out introductory letters to
establish rapport early. Providing frequent feedback on student progress.
✔✔Providing project checklists to give parents/guardians guidance on how to support
their children with large projects. - ✔✔Inform parents/guardians of long-range projects in
advance.
✔✔Providing resources through emails, websites, or letters - ✔✔Activities
parents/guardians can do with their children at home or over breaks. Parent/guardian
support group information and other community or web-based resources. Advocacy and
educational information regarding particular student needs (e.g., the development of
new assistive technology)
✔✔More specific strategies for effective communication with parents/guardians include:
- ✔✔Setting a positive tone by treating parents/guardians with respect and focusing on
solutions that build upon student strengths. Indicating respect for parents/guardians
knowledge and understanding of their child.
✔✔Balancing the communication of "good" and "bad" news - ✔✔Often a positive
communication at the beginning of the year paves the way for more difficult
