Prepare for the school year by organizing your curriculum for your self-contained special education classroom.
Student data tracking is becoming a more important part of the classroom. Use this free collection of binder pages to make data easier to manage.
Progress monitoring is such a powerful tool for your classroom and small groups! We use progress monitoring to gauge student performance in response to instruction. Progress monitoring should drive our instruction decisions. On our recent
Special ed teachers collect data for IEPs. Learn how to collect data using daily data sheets in your special education classroom.
Curriculum maps give your pacing for the year ensuring standards mastery. This post walks through curriculum mapping with a video tutorial on using Excel.
Learn how to use data notebooks in the classroom, set up student-teach conferences, and goal set with your elementary students.
Okay, so last week during one of my sleepless nights due to worrying about the unknowns of this upcoming year (What the heck is wrong w...
Principals and coaches need simple, easy-to-access tools that organize all of the PLC coaching documents. This K-12 PLC Dashboard is an editable sheet that helps you organize and track: Leadership Team Meetings, Staff Meetings, Leadership Coaching, PLC Agendas, PLC Trends, Upcoming PD days, Curriculum Maps/Pacing Guides, Assessment Dates, and Data Roster. Add or edit PLC items to the columns; share this resource as a district leadership team, or simply share with your coaches or teacher leaders. Additional editable links included: Curriculum Map Warehouse, Secondary PLC Planning Document, Sample PLC Agenda
Curriculum maps give your pacing for the year ensuring standards mastery. This post walks through curriculum mapping with a video tutorial on using Excel.
Three must-have visuals for the special education classroom! Set your students up for success by teaching them the major life skill!
I LOVE it when things are organized and colorful! Student portfolios and assessments can create PILES of paperwork and student work sample pages. Managing all the papers can be so stressful!
Take the stress out of crafting effective curriculums with the editable “I can” statements and third grade pacing guide bundle! Complete with everything you need in one easy to use pack, you'll be able to craft the perfect classroom curriculum to ensure your third grade students are receiving the best possible education. This bundle contains editable “I can” statements and pacing guides based on national standards and designed to help you accurately and easily track your third grade students' skills. Its straightforward design and easy-to-use templates make creating and customizing the ultimate curriculum simple and stress-free. And its data charts let you quickly and accurately track student progress so you can adapt and adjust your teaching plans accordingly. Whether you're a veteran teacher or a first-timer, the editable “I can” statements and third grade pacing guide bundle takes the guesswork out of setting up a successful classroom curriculum. With everything you need to get started, you can be sure your students are receiving only the best in grade-appropriate instruction. So don't wait - start getting organized today with the editable “I can” statements and third grade pacing guide bundle.
Are you a teacher or support staff looking for help with student behavior data tracking? Have you been told by administration that you need behavior DATA? Well, I have created a guide that covers everything you need to know to successfully implement a data tracking system in your classroom. Sounds easy… right? From understanding the ... Read More about Easy and Time Saving Guide to Student Behavior Tracking
I never would have thought I would be tracking data digitally, I am really not that savvy when it comes to tech, however, when someone pointed out how easy it was, I had to try it. You guys, its sooo much easier than my typical paper and pencil tracking system. I had data sheets EVERYWHERE!! […]
So I found this photo on Pinterest: It lead me nowhere :{ (Dislike when that happens) Well I made my own- I don't have mad tech skills like the creator because I never could get the top box to fill lol Get yours HERE Some day I will learn how to embed a link into the photo- Today is not that day lol Maybe it is the day- I think it worked lol
Are you struggling to keep track of your student’s data? Here are effective tips for tracking data digitally!
We take so much data in our classrooms...but do you analyze data? Do you summarize it and use it for educational decisions? That's what we need to be doing to be effective.
Replacement Behavior for Hitting- tips to change behavior for students with Autism and in LIFE Skills. Includes FREE Printable guide.
These Kindergarten "I Can" Checklists are designed to easily track standards taught in the classroom.
Special education teachers -learn about different types of data collection and get the link to Especially Education's FREE Special Education Data Sheets
by Elizabeth Cossick, M. Ed. Comment on this post and be entered to win a $20 School Box gift card. Just for sharing a lil’ ol’ comment. In this series, we’ve compiled our favorite classroo…
sped curriculum, sped scope and sequence, special education scope, special education curriculum map,
Discover the keys to effective data tracking in your intervention setting! Learn the top three mistakes to avoid and how to streamline your tracking process. Get your FREE data-tracking system and literacy goal banks for effortless monitoring.
Move away from taking classroom guidance requests with a school counseling curriculum plan! Check out this sample curriculum plan and get started!
Wow!!! I don't know about you, but the past few weeks have been CRAZY!!!!! I know we havn't blogged much, but you know how it is.....classr...
preschool prep series, preschool assessment,
EDITABLE | Printable + Google Form™ Digital • Every person involved with a child who has an IEP should be providing input on the IEP.
I am sure that as a teacher, you keep data on your kiddos. I thought I would share how I keep mine all together. In the state of Oklahoma, we have moved to the TLE Evaluation System (Teacher and Leader Effectiveness). Our district chose to do Marzano, where it is a big deal to have the kiddos track their learning. Some teachers are choosing to do graphs on the wall, while others are having a folder for each child. I went a different direction. I have two binders. Without them I would be lost. My first binder is my assessment binder that I put in front of the students. I print off all 12 pages of Assessment Sheets. I then put each of the pages in page protectors in the binder in order of the way I am going to assess. I assess, Math, Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, so that is how I load the binder. As we are going through the assessment, I will flip to the corresponding page in the Student’s Binder. The second binder is MY binder. I lovingly refer to it as my Data Bible. I know there are a lot of people who don’t like data. But I love data. It is what drives my instruction. So, I keep A LOT of data on my kids. In my binder I have enough tabs, one for each of my students. In each tab I have an assessment check sheet for that student along with their “This is how I write my name in August” page. When I am ready to start assessing, I flip to a student’s section. To the right of where the name goes, there are boxes labeled date. You will use this assessment sheet all year long. So, on your initial assessment pick a color, and write the date in the first box. Then I go in ROY G BIV color order per month. So August is red, September is orange, October is yellow, etc. I assess four areas, Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Math and Foundational Skills. These are all the skills that are included in my PreK Assessment ♥ Uppercase Letters ♥ Lowercase Letters ♥ Sounds ♥ Knows ABCs ♥ Reads Name ♥ Writes Name ♥ Distinguishes Letters from Words ♥ Reads Real CVC Words ♥ Reads Nonsense CVC Words ♥ Rhyme Recognition ♥ Rhyme Production ♥ Initial Sound ♥ Syllable Segmentation ♥ Syllable Blending ♥ Syllable Deletion ♥ Number Identification 0-9 and 0-20 ♥ One to One Correspondence to 10 and to 20 ♥ Shape Identification (Both 4 and 7 shapes, with both diamond and rhombus wording) ♥ Identifying and Extending Patterns ♥ Sorting and Classifying ♥ Color Identification
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!
Progress reports were due this past Friday. As a new special ed teacher, making data sheets and collecting data has been a HUGE struggle for me. It seemed SO SO overwhelming at the beginning, but after spending a few hours sitting down and organizing myself, I was able to create a data collection system that works for me and my students. Collecting data is a crucial part of my job. It is so important to record data so that I know how my students are doing. It's important to have all of my bases covered and to be extra prepared in case someone questions me or my observations. With that said, I have created a new product series: Keep Calm and Collect Data! My very first product in the series is Packet 1: Basic Academics. It covers basic academic skills, such as counting, community signs, and personal information. Not only are data collection sheets included for a variety of skills, but there are also flashcards and matching sheets to help assess and learn new skills. You can purchase my newest product here. Have a wonderful day! Until next time, Delightfully Dedicated
Two Points: This is MY method, and not necessarily right for you, your teaching or care philosophy, your set-up, or your students. ...
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How often should you be practicing IEP goals with your students? Here are some tips to help you decide when to practice IEP goals and how often.
Love podcasts? Check out this post in the form of a podcast episode on The Classroom Commute Podcast :
NOTE: Hyperlinks can only be activated with finger gestures and not with the reMarkable pen. ✽ IT INCLUDES: • Hyperlinked Index Menu • Project overview • Action Steps • Timeline • Brainstorming • Notes • Report ✽ EASY TO IMPORT: https://support.remarkable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002660397-Importing-files ✽ INSTANT DOWNLOAD: The documents will be available for download within a few minutes of purchase. ✽ DIGITAL PLANNER: This Digital Planner is made for digital use and not produced for printing. This project planner serves as a comprehensive guide to planning and managing a project. It includes detailed information about project objectives, timelines, resources, budget, and milestones. This Digital Project Planner also contains templates for project plans, schedules, and other documents. The purpose of this project planner is to provide a clear and concise overview of the project plan, so that all team members are on the same page and can work together effectively. It can be used for a wide range of projects, from small-scale initiatives to large-scale projects involving multiple teams and departments. This project planner is particularly useful for projects that require a high level of organization and coordination, such as software development, construction, or event planning. In addition to providing a comprehensive overview of the project plan, this project planner can also serve as a reference document throughout the project lifecycle. Team members can refer back to the document to track progress, adjust timelines or budgets, and stay on track to meet project goals. It provides a clear roadmap for the project and helps ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives.
TOMATOSPHERE I am so excited to share about this amazing organization and the exciting opportunity they provide for students! First the Seed Foundation's program, Tomatosphere, brings the excitement to your classroom with packets of tomato seeds. The program sends you two packets of seeds. One packet contains space-farming seeds that went to the International Space Station and the other packet was Earth-bound, the "control seeds." Through the Tomatosphere program, students experiment and learn about conducting a scientific experiment by looking at the germination rates of the two groups of seeds. HOW TO GET STARTED After you read all about the Tomatosphere program, sign up! They will send the seeds to you with suggestions about how to plant them. You choose Fall or Spring. Some things I would consider are the holiday breaks, weather in you area and what you will do with them once they germinate. The packets come with approximately 30 seeds in each so I knew how many to plan for. I purchased these Jiffy Tomato Starter Greenhouses from Home Depot. Each kit came with 36 peat pellets so it was perfect. BUILDING HYPE FOR THE TOMATO SEEDS I began the lesson with this presentation. It is a huge file because of the video clips! I included clean clips from the movie The Martian so students could get the space farming concept. The discussion centered on how we will get 2 to 3 years' worth of food to Mars and why it is more practical to grow their own there. We wondered how outer space would affect the seeds and plants. Tomatosphere relies on a "blind test" so I explained that we would not know which of the two packets are "space seeds" and which are the Earth-bound seeds until after we submit our data. Our wondering then continued and we recorded some initial predictions on this data sheet in our interactive notebooks like which packets were the "space seeds." These questions came from the website that had a lot of activities and ideas. I condensed them to work for us. Finally, we talked about what germination is, what it looks like and what qualifies it for the Tomatosphere program. I gave them a call to action to make a contribution to assisting space exploration by taking this investigation of the germination rate and growth of the plant seriously with their data. PLANTING THE SEEDS Now the fun part! Follow the directions for the peat pellets to get them soaked in water and ready to plant the seeds. Each student was able to plant 1 seed from each packet. There is a video on the website (included in the presentation) that shows how to plant them. You have to really push the seeds down into the peat pellet to be sure it is covered with dirt. THEN WHAT?! Wait! The Tomatosphere Program suggests planting on a Wednesday or Thursday so they have the weekend to hopefully germinate, making the wait less torture for students the teacher! FINALLY! Once you have germination, start counting! The Tomatosphere program wants to know how many germinated and how many did not. Their requirement for germination is two leaves. You can find all kinds of resources here that will help you. Some of the things they don't suggest I couldn't help like fluorescent light and growing in the window sill. Ours still grew! SUBMIT YOUR DATA Once the germination is over, you submit your data on a quick form found on the website and through a link they send you. We had this poster up in the classroom to keep up with our numbers. Students checked the seeds daily and entered their data and observations in their notebooks. They were excited to find out which ones were the "space seeds!" We had a lot of students choose "M" because Mars and that wound up being the ones that went! THANK YOU I love being a curriculum coach and I especially love how my teachers open their classrooms up to me and are always up for anything crazy I want to try! Thank you to my 7th grade science teacher, Ms. Asbill! Follow her "teachergram" over on Instagram @science_is_my_jam. She has so many great ideas you will want to steal! Here are all the files linked in the post! First the Seed Tomatosphere Program Hype Presentation Data Sheet for Interactive Notebooks Classroom Growth Chart
This post shares my favorite (and very simple to complete and use ) form that I use to track data after any assessment I give.
