Give each individual student the tools and guidance needed and help them achieve their highest potential and strive to progress beyond their limitations.
Responsibilities
- Teaching full-time special needs children in a classroom environment
- Organize specialized educational learning resources
- Contributing to the advancement of the Special Education department and related programs
- Working with staff to identify individual student needs and fostering a safe, stimulating and supportive learning environment
- Liaising with outside professionals as necessary
- Adapting conventional teaching methods to meet the needs of individual students in a manner that helps develop and foster the appropriate skills and social abilities to enable the optimum development of children, according to age, ability and aptitude
- Meet requirements for the assessment and recording of pupils development
Special Education and Inclusive
"Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom…." - Bahá’u’lláh
We take our inspiration for our Special and Inclusive Education program from this quote from the Baha'i Writings. We see the vast potential in every human being and the goal of our programs is to uncover and develop this in each student.
Our Special Education program, which we call The Life Lab, delivers tailor-made, individualized learning programs to students with autism, Down’s syndrome, or other mental or physical challenges. Currently, with four or five teachers serving eight students, we are able to provide an enriching and loving atmosphere. Our program includes personalized academic instruction, life skills, community access, and targeted inclusion along with speech therapy where applicable.
We follow the Inclusive model of education and closely support over twenty-five K-12 students who have special educational needs, such as dyslexia and challenges with memory or attention. Four resource teachers use a range of methods to ensure that our inclusive students can follow the mainstream learning lessons.
Working Hours & Schedule
Teachers have 36 working hours per week, which is comprised of up to twenty 45-minute teaching periods, various responsibilities, and some planning time.
There are about 30 days of Macau and school holidays throughout the year which includes both Winter and Chinese Spring Festival breaks, plus about 50 days of summer holidays. Monthly working Saturdays—which often foster community engagement and extension activities—allow us to lengthen our holidays while still meeting contact day requirements.
Compensation & Benefits
The annual base salary, including housing allowance, is approximately US$44,000, after tax, and is slightly increased based on years of experience. This does not include the annual travel allowance, new year’s bonus, pension contributions, and a yearly re-enlistment bonus equivalent to one month’s salary. Furthermore, the government of Macau generously provides a teacher’s professional development subsidy of at least US$600 per month. Taken together, the after-tax total compensation that teachers receive is around US$58,000.
Benefits include local healthcare coverage, reduced tuition for up to two dependents to enroll in the school, internal professional development, and assistance in finding an apartment including a one-week hotel stay.
Requirements
- A bachelor's degree or equivalent in special education OR be qualified as a teacher of early childhood, elementary, or secondary education and have completed a special education teacher training program recognized by the Education Department of Macau (DSEDJ).
- Fluency in English, which is the medium of instruction.