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...
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...
What to do with Wiggly Students
I feel like the topic of wiggly students is something that's not addressed nearly enough. Or maybe it's addressed in conversations sprinkled with developmentally appropriate research ("children need to move!") and theory ("kinesthetic learners learn when their bodies are in movement"). But HOW exactly do you address wiggly students in the learning environment? I know it can't be just me. Or maybe it is. Either way, I've definitely had classes where the entire group feels the need ... continue reading...
Picture Schedule
This Picture Schedule combines my two favorite things: visuals and schedules. The result is one sturdy and portable tool. I tried quite a few formats before finding this one and best of all...anyone can set it up immediately. You can download everything you need to get started on this DIY Picture Schedule project, however, if you like visuals, too... :) Front Cover - Insert Back Cover - Insert Inside the Binder Inside the Picture Schedule, I like to add a ... continue reading...
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? How does a special educator introduce himself or herself to new students? The first day of school is always ... continue reading...
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...
Early Math Activities in Special Education
If you're working with young mathematicians, these tips for early math activities are for you! As a special educator, there are two MAIN pieces of criteria I use when choosing a set of math activities, or tasks, for my students. Now please note - these are UNofficial - I chose these solely on my own classroom experience and definitely not on the hours and hours of math PD we attend! What are the two most important components of math tasks for the special education resource room ... continue reading...
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 ... continue reading...
Mix and Fix Word Work
Mix and Fix CVC Word Work is a student AND special education teacher favorite. Please Note: CVC words refer to consonant - short vowel - consonant spelling patterns, like cat, dog, and fun. What does Mix and Fix mean? The "mix" refers to scrambled letters and the "fix" refers to students unscrambling to spell the correct word. This can be done "hands on" with individual letter cards - scrabble letter tiles work really well, too! I also have these digital task cards ... continue reading...
Geometry Ideas for Math Intervention
A quick question before jumping into sharing how we tackled geometry in our math intervention groups: How do YOU feel about geometry? Most people answer with either an enthusiastic "LOVE it!" or just "eh." I admit I'm a bit in the latter category, or at least I used to be... As a special educator, we often did NOT write IEP goals and objectives for geometry. Most of the goals my students were working on targeted building up number sense. After that, we often moved to basic ... continue reading...
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