Modify on the Fly – Tips for Modifying Without Preparation
I would like to begin this post by stating the obvious; teachers are superheroes. We take on more than anyone outside of education can even attempt to understand, and we do a lot of it with little to no preparation. The reality of being a special education teacher and...
Focus on Five: Mentoring a Student Teacher
While a career in teaching can be challenging, I have found that mentoring a student teacher is great for remembering why I am so passionate about being an educator. Having the opportunity to talk to another person who is excited to start teaching energizes my...
The Dos and Don’ts of Independent Work
Two weeks ago, I shared with readers some simple ways to keep your classroom running when you’re short staffed. This week we are talking all about independent work! Not only are independent work blocks an easy way to help students work on skills like organization,...
Dollar Tree Must-Haves: Workbox Edition
It’s no secret that many of us use our own hard-earned money to purchase items for our classrooms. Whether you are purchasing items to stay organized in the classroom, reinforcers, sensory items, classroom supplies, workbox items, etc., the bill can add up quickly. ...
Keeping Your Classroom Going When You’re a Man Down
Help! Your Classroom is a Man Down! I’m sure we’d all love to say that classrooms have become short-staffed solely because of COVID-19, but let’s be real, classrooms were short-staffed long before the pandemic. Now, let’s add the impact of a pandemic – and well,...
Focus on Five: Reading Small Groups
Small group instruction is essential to our students with diverse learning needs, especially when teaching a fundamental academic and life skill such as reading. It is important to group students in a way that is beneficial to each group member, use a consistent...
Morning Group Structure with TAH Resources
I love structure and routine and my morning group would not defer from that. Not only do structure and routines help our students, but the adults benefit from it too. One area of the day that needs to have structure, routine, and clear expectations is the morning...
How to Navigate Emergency Drills
Let's talk about how to successfully navigate emergency drills with your special education students! I am not sure if there are any special education teachers and support staff who look forward to emergency drills. Anyone? I didn't think so. Emergency drills...
Get Ready for 2022!
As a serial goal setter, New Years is one of my favorite holidays. Whether it’s reviewing my Top Songs of 2021 on Spotify, or color coordinating my 2022 desk calendar – this time of year excites me! Seriously – if it involves a new planner or a package of Paper Mate...
Focus on Five: Preparing for Standardized Testing
It is hard to imagine that we are nearly halfway through the school year and this is the time we start to think about standardized testing. I wrote a post about standardized testing in May, but starting to prepare now ensures success for the spring. Here are five...
Making All of The Classroom Space Meaningful- Part 2
Once we have centers set up and decided as a team, the next step would be implementation. Meeting with the team to come up with a plan helps with buy-in. When an idea is voiced and listened to, you take ownership and pride. Following Jen’s suggestion about not going...
Focus on Five: Grading
While I have been teaching for many years, recently have reevaluated how I am grading my students. We just had parent teacher conferences at my school for the first quarter and I always like to use this time of the year to reflect on how the procedures and practices...
Making All Of The Classroom Space Meaningful- Part 1
Center based learning is so much more than having different options. When using the evidence-based center-based learning in the classroom, all centers are meaningful. Each one has an intentional teaching strategy that focuses on the acquisition or maintenance of each...
Focus on Five: ELA Choice Menus
While choice menus are not new in special education, using choice menus for learning activities has become more common. Our school has been doing personalized learning for a few years and we have been working on implementing choice menus for academic activities. This...
How to Use a Coil Book Binding Machine
One of my favorite splurges for material prep is a coil book binding machine. I spent years using the comb binding system but was frustrated when the binding was continuously pulled out. The coil binding is a game changer and I use it for everything. It's great for...
Scheduling A Core Word of The Week
Using language paired with visuals is a key component to our classroom. When working with learners who have difficulty understanding spoken language and/or difficulty in speaking to communicate their wants and needs, research shows a high success rate in using vocal...
How To Create A Year-Long Plan
I will be honest. There are never enough minutes in a day, but that's probably no surprise! In times of increasing anxiety, I remember to list the must haves of the week. Keeping track of everything is a lot; being a teacher is A LOT! I am big on organization and if...
Who Needs a Picture Schedule?
The question in the title of this post is kind of a trick question. You can use pictures schedules anywhere and everywhere! Depending on the needs of your learners as individuals, they can be all around the classroom. Implementing picture schedules should not be a one...
Setting Up a New Classroom Part Two
Setting up my new classroom This summer I'm taking you along while I set up my new classroom. In part one of classroom set up, we talked about how to think through layout. I started thinking about the things I can't change (doors, windows, etc). I took into account...
Planning For the Extended School Year And Beyond
The extended school year is a wonderful time to practice the maintenance of skills that our learners gained throughout the school year. This is an important time for teachers and families to work together to incorporate generalization opportunities. When planning for...