Hi Reader! One year my class did a hayride π on a farm field trip and the guide ready The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything and acted it out with props. It was the BEST! π If you have never read this spooky story, then now is the time! It is about a little old lady's journey through the forest where she encounters different articles of clothing that make different sounds that all come together in the end for a spooky surprise! My kids have SO MUCH FUN with all the sound effects...
20 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! Can you believe it is already time to teach about Halloween? ππ»π§βοΈ I love getting my students ready for trick-or-treating during our social skills group. We even practice by visiting each of the staff members in our front office to trick-or-treat. It is so much fun! Want to see what else we do during this time of year in my classroom? Check out my blog post: Fall Activities in the Special Education Classroom Unsure where to start in your classroom? Grab my Halloween Thematic Unit!...
27 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! Have I mentioned that I π§‘LOVE𧑠October?! It is my favorite month for apple cider and pumpkin spice donuts π, sweater weather, and it's my birthday month! It is also one of my favorite times in the special education classroom. We have taken some great fall field trips, had spooky story time, and our annual Halloween party is always so much fun! Want to see what October looks like in my classroom? Check out my blog post: What to Teach in October in the Elementary Special Education...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! The leaves π will be changing before we know it... well in Ohio at least! And I am definitely ready! Fall is my absolute favorite season. I love the changing weather (as long as it's not too rainy!), beautiful scenery, weekend evenings by the fire pit, and cozy sweaters. What are your favorite things about fall? What about fall in your classroom? What makes it special for you? Do you make bird feeders? Collect leaves? Make scarecrows? Read your favorite fall stories? I love it all!...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! Data collection on IEP goals is one of the most important tasks a special education teacher takes on because it helps us plan for interventions and monitor student progress. But it is also one of the most tedious tasks we do! Over the years, I have created a system for organizing my IEP goal progress monitoring that has made it easier to set up, implement, and even delegate! Learn more about how I set up my IEP Progress Monitoring Binders in my blog post by clicking the button...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! I always found it easy to find opportunities for the daily practice of literacy skills in my classroom. Name sequencing, sight words, vocabulary, read-alouds... we regularly did it all! π But math was a different story. I found that I often compartmentalized math instruction to single bands (money, time, numeration, etc.) and it was usually during IEP or intervention time. So students were primarily working on skills at their level or related to their goals and did not get the same...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! For several years, I gathered all of my students on the carpet and had them help dictate while I wrote out our morning message during morning meeting. But, I finally realized that this was a waste of time for my classroom of mostly non-readers. Once I was finished with each daily message none of my kids could re-read what I had written and it really was not meaningful at all! Plus, many of them lost focus because they did not understand what I was writing or even what I was asking....
2 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! Can you believe the back to school season is upon us? This was the fastest summer EVER! But I am excited for another year ahead. Some of my favorite activities this time of year include: reading No, David! by David Shannon with my students (they giggle the whole time!) π creating a classroom mission statement with my students π teaching essential school vocabulary with games such as scavenger hunts, vocabulary fishing, BINGO, and board games π To learn more about what Back to...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Hi Reader! In my role as an autism and low-incidence coach, I support hundreds of teachers each year. And a common concern I hear again and again is teachers feeling ill-prepared to manage their paraprofessionals in the classroom. I get it! So much of our undergraduate training focuses on working with our students (obviously!) but very little if any helps us work with our paraprofessionals! π΅π«π΅π« During my time in the classroom, I developed a variety of tools to train my paraprofessionals and...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min read