Hi Reader! After all the talk about what students love during Valentine's Day activities, I always found a natural next step in my thematic units was to focus on feelings and emotions. Some of my favorite activities to teach about emotions include: talking about emotions, what causes them, and coping strategies for what we call BIG emotions (The Way I Feel by Janan Cain is a GREAT resource for this!) making silly emoji faces ๐๐๐๐๐คจ๐ฑ cooking activities with different faces such as waffles, rice...
about 1 month agoย โขย 1 min read
Hi Reader! Ever have one of those days where you feel more like a detective than a teacher? ๐ต๏ธโ๏ธ Weโve all been thereโtrying to figure out why a student is suddenly eloping or why a usually calm afternoon turned into a series of "mystery" behaviors. When weโre in the thick of it, itโs easy to feel overwhelmed. But the secret to shifting from "extinguishing fires" to "teaching skills" lies in one thing: the function. Iโve been reflecting on a 5-Step System that has been a total game-changer in...
about 1 month agoย โขย 1 min read
Hi Reader! Each year for Valentine's Day, my class did activity rotations with the other special education classrooms in the building. The year I got married my fiance surprised me with a singing telegram made up of a quartet of ladies singing old-timey love songs... right in the middle of our rotations. I was MORTIFIED! ๐ณ Back then I was terrified of being the center of attention... which was ironic as a teacher! Eleven years later and it is a favorite Valentine's Day memory. Another...
about 2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
Hi Reader! It's no secret that I love seasonal, thematic content. โ๏ธ๐
๐โ๏ธ๐ท๐๐ But what about those topics that you can use any time of year to fill in between holidays, supplement your district curriculum themes, or have ready to go in the event you need quick sub plans? Don't worry because I have you covered! Over the years in my classroom, I have created several evergreen product lines, meaning they can be used any time throughout the school year! Find what you need below: Ocean Animals...
about 2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
Hi Reader! Animals are a common special interest in my classroom so I have taken full advantage over the years of using animals to teach a variety of skills. I have created over 70 different activities for reading, math, cooking, science, communication, games, writing, and more! For my TPT store, I divided all of my animal activities into thematic units by narrowing down the topic because I know not everyone can cover all 70 activities each year. I created units for Animals & Habitats, Animal...
2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
Hi Reader! The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is one of my absolute favorite picture books. I love it so much that when I was pregnant I insisted my husband stop by Kohl's to grab a little stuffed Peter doll for our baby boy. It was his very first doll! I love the pictures, the sequence of the story, the mystery of the missing snowball, and all of the great vocabulary I can teach my students as we read. This was actually the very first Communication and Comprehension set I made for my TPT...
2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
Hi Reader! Do you cook in your classroom? I do!๐ Cooking time each week is one of my students' absolute favorite ๐ฅฐactivities! I loved the real-world functional application of math skills and manners. And the kids loved the yummy treats! ๐ช To learn more about what cooking looks like in my classroom, check out my blog post: Cooking in the Special Education Classroom Unsure where to start? I have a classroom cookbook with Visual Recipes for the Entire Year that is full of seasonal cooking...
2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
Hi Reader! I admit it. Winter is my LEAST favorite season. I hate cold weather and driving in snow and ice. But it is actually one of my favorite seasons to teach in the classroom! I love giving my students the chance to explore the snow and we read some of my favorite picture books each year. To learn more about what Winter looks like in my classroom, check out my blog post: What to Teach in January in the Special Education Classroom Are you excited to teach about Winter in your classroom...
3 months agoย โขย 1 min read
Hi Reader! Do your students struggle to apply sensory strategies in order to calm down in the moment? Have you discovered there are certain times of day when everyone seems a bit dysregulated? Do you have students who struggle with engagement because they are overwhelmed? In my blog post featured below, I highlight several resources that I used to help students proactively learn and practice strategies so they were more successful calming in the moment and give ideas for class-wide and...
3 months agoย โขย 1 min read