Use these catchy number formation rhymes to teach children how to write numbers!
Use the special ed inclusion documentation forms to keep track of service times, lesson plans, and more. Streamline it all quickly and effectively!
My days are super busy. Like - don't pee until 5 PM but I've had about 8 cups of coffee to keep going - BUSY! I don't have time to be unorganized. It is not an option! Throughout my short {4 year} teaching career, I've created several forms here and there that have helped me
Listen to this Special Ed Podcast with 15 great ideas for Functional Centers for students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism in High School. Read more and subscribe today!
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The first two weeks in a special ed classroom are more than academics. Ideas on what to teach, what to practice, and what you should be doing.
Teaching in special education classrooms can be tricky! We often teach students in a variety of grades and with a variety of needs. We have to figure out how to teach SO MANY standards and IEP goals & differentiate based on each student's needs. Something that has helped me with this SO much over the years is creating scope & sequences for content areas (math, reading, morning meeting, science, social studies, etc). Scope & sequences are also great because they remove the question "What am I going to teach next week?" and ensure that you cover all of the standards/ IEP goals required. What are scope & sequences and how are they helpful? Scope & sequences are also often called curriculum maps. A scope & sequence lays out the content that will be taught (the standards, IEP goals, etc.), the order that the content will be taught & often also includes materials and activities for lessons. They help you plan how you will teach different standards/ skills across lessons and units. If you have boxed curriculum in your classroom, it likely includes a scope and sequence. However, many special education teachers don't have boxed curricula that meets the needs of all of our students... So creating a scope & sequence based on your state standards and your students' needs is a great alternative! Steps for creating a Scope & Sequence: Start by creating chart or document with all of the standards for each grade you teach. I start with one content area at a time. I make charts in a Word Doc for Math, Reading, Science and Social Studies. This year I only have 4th-5th grade, but I also did this when I taught K-5. These charts will help you look at all of the grade level standards at one time. Now it's time to start grouping standards that have similar outcomes/ tasks. Here is an example of how I did this for 4th and 5th grade math standards > I color-coding standards that aligned with each other (i.g. there are multiple 4th and 5th grade standards that relate to money). After I grouped all of the standards with similar outcomes, I identified 13 broad math units. I picked 13 because that would allow me to do 3 week math units, but you can pick whatever number of units that works for your classroom and standards. I know this is harder when you're planning out more than a two grade levels, but it's doable with creativity! Now you're going to create another chart (sorry!) for each unit. I put each grade level side by side for each unit. For each unit, you can include: The standards you're targeting IEP goals you will target Materials you will use or activities to do How you'll differentiate Any other important information or reminders! (I left some of this information off of the scope & sequences I'm sharing due to confidentiality) Creating scope & sequences can definitely take a few hours for each content area (depending on how in depth you make them and how much info you add), but they will save you time in the long run! I pretty much use them as my "lesson plans" and guide for the entire school year, so it saves me a lot of planning time during the school year! If you're looking for math units to use with your scope & sequence, check out this bundle of math units! Each unit includes differentiated worksheets, hands-on centers & digital Google Slides!
One of the best feelings about starting a new school year is getting organized. Even if it is just for 0.2 seconds. That feeling that everything is one place and your paperwork is nice and neat. Yes, I know, that is a perfect world, but a girl can dream. Being a special education teacher, brings ... Read More about Summer Plan: Get Organized! Special Education Teacher Must Have Binder
How can I best help my dyslexic child? Experts agree that best practice for teaching dyslexic learners is to teach them via all their senses (multisensory teaching). This means using visuals, body movement, hands-on, and auditory elements in their learning.
Want the best methods for teaching a nonverbal autistic student? Here are 15 neurodiversity-affirming strategies for non-speaking kids.
25 Fun problem-solving activities and games for kids + 10 Tips to teach kids problem-solving skills + 10 problem-solving strategies
Informal math assessments for special education for K-8. Assessments are aligned with Common Core Standards. Find your students average level/abilities.
It's hard to talk to students without making it a lecture. Empower students while you teach them about respect using hands on activities
Start your year of right with these activity ideas for the first week of school for secondary special education classrooms.
Classroom hacks that actually work in a special education classroom setting. Tried and true methods from actual teachers. Read to learn more.
When trying to differentiate instruction for our students, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Here are 6 Easy Ways to Differentiate Instruction
Special education classroom supply list. Ten must have items for setting up your new special education classroom. Links to free resources for new teachers.
I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of what ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is. If you are reading this post there is an excellent chance you already know what it is because you are dealing with it in your classroom. I’m also going to go out on a limb and assume that […]
Curriculum mapping is an essential skill for educators. Curriculum Mapping ensures a teacher teaches all the standards for the grade level by mapping out what…
With World Down Syndrome Day and Autism Awareness Month right around the corner, this is the perfect time to think about hosting your own disability awareness day to help students throughout your school better understand different types of disabilities! Last year, I used this Disability Awareness Day Kit from The Bender Bunch to host a schoolwide awareness day for 3rd-5th graders. I was lucky enough to have a principal that let me get a sub for the day to run this wonderful event. I set aside about an hour and 15 minutes per session and did each grade level at their own time. For the event, I sent out parent volunteer forms and got parents to sign up for a time slot to help run a table! Traci from The Bender Bunch included so many great things for me to use during this event. There are some things that you need to grab ahead of time that you'll see in my pictures, but overall it was really just making copies, finding volunteers, and setting up the stations! For my event, I created my own questionnaire to send out to teachers about a week before the event to have their students fill out. This gave me a great idea what they knew about disabilities already, what questions they had, etc. They answered a very similar questionnaire after the event so I could see what they learned! I also spend about 15 minutes at the end of the the event talking to each grade level about ways they can be a good friend to someone with a disability, asking them questions about what they learned, and answering any lingering questions. Overall, it was a GREAT success! In the future, I'd love to do it again (with help!). I did this event last year all on my own and although it turned out amazing, I would love to do it again with a little less stress (and someone to help me answer questions, those kids had some awesome questions!). Each station was set up at a table like this with everything you needed to run the station smoothly! I grabbed a bunch of gloves from our school lost and found and had the students trying to pick up pennies, tie their shoes, etc. It was eye opening for them! Finger spelling word puzzles, these were awesome! One of our stations had Google Chromebooks set up with a couple different things. One was white noise where they had to listen to the white noise while doing the specified activity. I also had some set up to show them a video through the eyes of someone with Autism. They all loved this! I e-mailed the Autism video to classroom teachers in case someone didn't get a turn. You can see the video HERE. I loved this station. All of the kids were like "I can't see that!!!" and I'm like "that's the point ;-)" haha! Have you ever done something similar at your school? If not, I highly recommend doing it! This event was a huge eye opener and big hit!
Enhance classroom organization, teaching strategies, and student engagement with these innovative tips. Unlock the power of office supplies to create an inclusive and efficient learning environment.
Master cutting kids need to practice scissor skills a lot... so here are 20 fun ideas for cutting practice!
These "quiet critters" are amazingly effective!
Examples of things to emphasize in a teaching philosophy statement include: (1) A student-centered approach to education. (2) A focus on active learning. (3) High expectations for yourself and your students. Read on for more.
After watching a One Channel session on Explicit Teaching, I ordered this book and I am so glad I did. I have just finished reading it and it makes so much sense to me. This text offers a proven method for better teaching and better learning. It presents a step-by-step approach for implementing the
You head to Pinterest to find an anchor chart. It's super cute! It's colorful, nice and neat, and the graphics are amazing! Who has time for that!?!?
Get an outline for teaching all the reading and writing standards in your Middle School ELA class.
Teaching the scientific method to kids can be tough. Here are some modifcations to the classic steps of the scientific method for special eduacaiton students.
What is dyslexia? Learn the signs, causes, and how you can help. Dyslexia is a learning disabiltiy that makes it difficult to read and spell.
Being a new special education teacher can be overwhelming and stressful. Check out The FIRST thing to do as a new special ed teacher.
Teach kids about the northern European country with views of the Northern lights and endangered animals with these printable Sweden Coloring Pages.
Experts weigh in with advice for teachers working with blind or visually impaired students.
There are so many working parts in a self contained or Autism Unit. Read MORE on what you can do to survive and thrive in a self contained classroom!
Looking for visuals to help your kids make sense of math? Grab this free set of printable math manipulatives for all the hands on resources your kids need.
If there is one I have learned in my years of working with paraprofessionals, it is that paras are teachers too. My paraprofessional is my right hand and my left hand. She is the glue that keeps us together. I realize that sometimes it is our first instinct to give them passive work because their
FREE printable Sequencing worksheets for preschool and kindergarten kids. Includes 15 activities featuring seasonal themes, hygiene such as brushing teeth, washing hands, and fire safety. Great for language and literacy development!
Use the special ed inclusion documentation forms to keep track of service times, lesson plans, and more. Streamline it all quickly and effectively!
Back when I was a student, there is only one vocabulary activity I can ever remember doing in class or for homework. It was looking up the word in the dictionary, writing the definition, and using the word in a sentence. I can recall this assignment itself (probably because of the sheer number of times I had to do it), but ask me how many of those actual words I am able to remember. Couldn’t tell you a single one, to be honest!
How to teach the concept of Points Lines and Planes in Geometry. The undefined terms in Geometry. Points Lines and Planes Worksheets.
It is so fun to look at all the adorable themes for little learners on Pinterest. From apples and pumpkins to bugs and flowers, there are so many cute ideas for your students. But, how can these "cute" thematic unit activities teach students what they need to learn in the classroom? What is a Thematic
Beginning of year special education forms - As an inclusion intervention specialist, your first week of school can get hectic fast. You are playing the...
