Special education high school teachers work with young people who have disabilities, which may include severe cognitive, emotional or physical disabilities. In addition to life skills and basic literacy, special education high school teachers need to modifying the general education curriculum to meet a child's individual needs. When interviewing for high school teaching position, make sure to highlight your personal strengths and accomplishments.

Highlight Your Education
All states in the United States require special education teachers -- high school teachers included -- to be licensed by the state board of education or a licensure advisory committee. In addition, you also need to have at least a bachelor's degree, though some states may require you to have a master's degree as well. Accordingly, be prepared to talk about your qualifications, but go further. Highlight the aspects of your education that make you prepared to work with students with disabilities. For example, offer examples of coursework at your college or university that demonstrate your knowledge and how you can apply this knowledge to specific situations.

Show Practical Knowledge
In addition to the theoretical knowledge you received at your university or college, show practical knowledge. Tell the interviewer you know how to apply theoretical knowledge in the classroom. If you have relevant work experience, do not hesitate to put it forward. Provide examples of how you can apply the knowledge you have to classroom teaching of special needs students -- or special needs students learning in an inclusive classroom with nonspecial needs adolescents..For example, you may know some psychiatric devices that may help you maintain discipline in the classroom or make children learn the study material faster.

Show Emotional Intelligence
When dealing with children with special needs, knowledge alone may not be enough, as teachers have to deal with unexpected difficulties on a regular basis. For example, a student can start making strange sounds in a classroom that disturb his peers and distract the lesson. Accordingly, you need to radiate confidence and show an ability to have the situation under control at all times, staying cool and rational even when others may be getting out of temper.

Sympathy for Special Needs Students
As special needs students do have special needs that can make them feel like second-class people, you as an educator need to be able to provide support, understanding and motivation for such students. Furthermore, you need to show you are genuinely interested to help such people and are prepared to go the extra mile to deal with their emotional state. For example, you may need to be sensitive when evaluating work of a disabled adolescence, taking into account that his abilities may not be as high as those of his same-age peers. Also, be compassionate. We are all people, after all.