Hello Good Morning, I have a career exploration research paper due 12/6/21. I have the outline and the rubric needed for the paper, as well as sources. APA Format Please. Below are the attached f

Elizabeth Liranzo

IBA 135

OUTLINE: Career Exploration Research Paper - Career Choice = Special Education Teacher

Part 3 - What might you anticipate if you accepted the position?

1. Working Conditions

   1. Describe a typical day and any variations

      1. Everyday I set up the classroom along with making sure everything is all set for the lesson plans for the day. When students arrive, I make sure they get ready to learn, take necessary things out of their backpacks (ipads, lunchbox, etc) and check in to their schedule. Before each class starts, the students will check in and go to their individual schedules to mark they are present in that class. Each day I teach my students their core classes, Social Studies, ELA, Science, and Math. For every class I make sure to have a powerpoint, videos, and worksheets for the students to complete. Over the course of the day, I monitor the students’ behavior and progress in their academic goals. Variations can occur when there are students absent, if students don’t bring in their devices, if a student is off baseline and enacts in a behavior, if the internet does not cooperate that day, or if they are pulled out for a related service.

2. Work Schedule

   1. Describe a typical day and any variations

      1. Everyday I come in about 7:30 AM. I prepare what is needed for the day. At 8:00 AM we have our daily meeting with all staff and students arrive shortly after for breakfast and the first period. I teach my students every other period and will take my AIS, lunch, or prep periods the times I’m not in the classroom. A variation in the day would be talking to related services, holding student clubs, providing coverage for when a teacher is absent, and partaking in school event/setting up for the event. The students will start bussing around 2:20/2:30 and work officially ends at 2:50. I typically will stay until about 3:30 to finish/wrap up any loose ends from the day.

3. Salary & Benefits

   1. Average salary/what are the benefits generally associated with the job

      1. Average starting salary with your bachelor’s degree is around $57,000. If you have your master’s degree, then you starting salary is $63,000. Depending on your degrees and credits you have the ability to increase your salary based on how much education you received. Also, your pay increases each year. Being a part of the NYC DOE, you follow a salary step and can view how much you get paid by looking at the chart. Depending on your education and how many years of services affects how much you get paid. Benefits there are two options. One option is provided by the UFT (NYC teacher union) and the other you can pay for that is separate. You have access to dental, eye, health insurance, prescription drug, and hearing aid. We also have a pension!

4. Training Available

   1. Certifications and other credentials

      1. I have a master’s degree in special education students with disabilities grades 1-6 with an annotation in severe and multiple disabilities including deafblind. I also have a certification in childhood education grades 1-6.

5. Opportunities for Advancement

   1. How do you move along the career pathway?

      1. There are different options you can move along in this career. You are able to go back to school to receive other certifications in different (Bilingual teacher, 7-12 grade teacher, etc) I can also go back to school and partake in a program to become administration or principal one day. It depends on the areas you want become certified and if you would like to become part of administration one day.

Sources: Alexa Bourous ( Special Education Teacher)

Salary: https://www.uft.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Teachers%20Salary%20Schedule%20-%202018%20to%202021.pdf

Benefits: https://www.uft.org/your-benefits/health-benefits/service-benefits

Pension: https://www.uft.org/your-benefits/pension

Part 4 - What are some current issues and projected changes?

1. Current Issues

   1. Pandemic impacts?

      1. Some of the students this year haven’t been in school for almost two years which effects their education and behaviors. Students are using iPads and devices instead of writing things down and completing worksheets. Students have a hard time going on the iPads and watching YouTube videos instead of completing classwork. Students must maintain personal space, masks, and be apart from the other students. So, socialization has become an issue as well as their overall academic status.

   2. Diversity concerns?

      1. We have a wide range of students from different cultural backgrounds. The issue is the curriculum predominately focuses on white culture, instead of a variety of cultures which allows for a disconnect between the students and the curriculum. For example, when teaching social studies one year, I had a student ask me “why were all the leaders we were learning about are only white men. He asked how come there are no leaders that were women and no leaders that are Black, Chinese, Mexican, etc.”

2. Projected Changes

   1. What does the future look like for this field?

      1. Due to the vaccination mandate, there were teachers that decided to not get the vaccine and not come back to work this year. Working through the pandemic, people realized how much teachers do and how much they are needed. We saw how negatively teaching remotely and being home affected our students compared to being in person at school. The different areas of socialization, friendships, leadership, academics, etc were greatly affected. I believe teachers will always be in demand and that hopefully the curriculum is more accessible for students with disabilities and becomes more inclusive for all learners.

Sources: Alexa Bourous (Special Education Teacher)