Because teachers with special education degrees often work with students with different abilities and disabilities, preparing lessons and classroom resources can be challenging. The lessons they assign and resources they put together should be appropriate for each student and his or her educational level as well as his or her disability. Special education teachers should take into consideration the unique characteristics of the student, the nature of the content or skill being taught, and the intersection of those characteristics and content. Special education teachers can base their lessons on information gained from academic, social, and behavioral assessments that determine a student's strengths and weaknesses as well as a student's IEP.
As part of lesson and resource preparation, special education teachers often need to break tasks into smaller steps and give directions both in writing and in spoken word formats to students. Sometimes, pictures or hands-on materials are appropriate for special education students with certain types of disabilities, and also must be prepared. Preparing lessons might also mean finding audio recordings of textbooks for students with reading problems so they better understand what is being taught. If tests are to be given, a special education teacher might have to prepare test modifications so that the student can successfully take the exam and show what they have learned.