Blog - Positively Learning

Organization for Special Educators

Quick Special Education Organization Tips! Do you love the idea of a new teacher planner or crossing items off your to-do list? Maybe it's the idea of trying a new organization system because THIS is going to be "the one" - the system that's finally going to tackle those stacks of sticky notes and piles of paperwork. Wish or Plan? Why not both? For getting on top of those to do lists, I've been trying out Google Keep and I LOVE IT! Google Keep can be used as an i-phone app or on your ... continue reading...

By Jennifer 4 Comments

Better Data Collection

I'm so lucky to be in a position to talk with special educators every single week. These teachers have varied backgrounds, from multiple settings to a wide range of experience. One thing that they all have in common? They are looking for a better data collection system to capture student progress. Data Collection is the most common topic I'm asked about, so I chose to tackle it head on. I created an email series for my newsletter and boy, did it resonate! There was a lot of ... continue reading...

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Meet the Special Educator

I've seen so many clever ideas for meeting and greeting new students. Some include props, like treats or school supplies, and others feature an icebreaker activity. So many different ideas, but the one thing that is the same is that these "meet and greets" are especially appropriate for the general education classroom. What is "Meet the Special Educator" supposed to look like? The first day of school is always a busy day and hopefully there's many opportunities to meet students and ... continue reading...

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Baseline Assessments

Why Baseline Assessments are my favorite Back to School Activity Assessments? During the FIRST week of school? JUST SAY NO! Isn’t it time to think of WELCOMING our students, creating an inviting environment, and labeling all those supplies!?! YES, however, this special educator also NEEDS to learn more about all those first graders and the first two weeks is a perfect time to do it. I already start the year ... continue reading...

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What to Bring to an I.E.P. Meeting

Maybe it's your first I.E.P. meeting at a new school (or ever!) or maybe you just have SO many papers and you're wondering... What do I really need to bring to an I.E.P. meeting? As a proud attendee of literally hundreds of meetings, I've got this one! My experience and advice is coming from my role as a special educator and now instructional coach supporting special education teachers. Please refer to your school district guidelines to make sure any specific guidelines and ... continue reading...

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Positive Behavior Charts

Positive behavior charts can be such an effective classroom management tool, but even the best chart starts to lose its "fizzle." STAGE ONE - a target behavior has been identified and a behavior plan has been made. STAGE TWO - The "perfect" behavior chart has been chosen and implemented. Everyone's excited about the new plan! a.k.a. the "honeymoon" phase STAGE THREE - hold the phone, what's going on? The plan has been in place for about one or two weeks. ... continue reading...

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Present Levels in Special Education

What does Present Levels mean in special education? How are present levels written and how do they help students? Definition of Present Levels in Special Education Present Levels in special education can be referred to by many different names and acronyms. By the way, Special Education acronyms are a REAL thing and for fun AND they sometimes change slightly between states: PLAP - Present Levels of Academic Performance PLAAFP - Present Levels of Academics and Functional ... continue reading...

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Apple Week in the Special Education Classroom

Apple, apples, everywhere...including the special education classroom setting! This is a round-up post on how we celebrate "Apple Week," except... we don't actually celebrate for a week. Instead we sprinkle some fun and delicious apple learning into our everyday resource room activities. Apple Read Aloud Books All good classroom celebrations should include festive read alouds! Here are our apple favorites (the following books include affiliate links): Apple for Everyone ... continue reading...

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