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!! […]
Take a peek inside 7 special education sample schedules to get some schedule ideas for your own special education classroom!
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!! […]
Find out how to organize your classroom to easily work on different levels of IEP goals while maintaining data collection on a regular basis.
Being a new special education teacher can be overwhelming and stressful. Check out The FIRST thing to do as a new special ed teacher.
Special Education teachers are the masters of data collection! At times, collecting data can be overwhelming, especially when you sometimes have to outsource the collecting to other teachers, specialists, or teaching assistants. Tracking accommodations is necessary to make sure an IEP is being followed and can be helpful in determining which accommodations should be added to or removed from the IEP. Believe it or not, collecting data on accommodations and modifications does not have to consume your life! Share Information Be sure to share vital information with all teachers and assistants that work with your students. I have an accommodations organizer that I organize all of the information of my class. The information is in one place which is helpful for sharing information with assistants, special area teachers, and substitutes. When I first began teaching, I did not bother sharing such information with special area teachers until it was brought to my attention that a student of mine did not complete a test in physical education class. That student had trouble reading and was supposed to have his tests read. The PE teacher was unaware of his accommodations and therefore did not deliver them. I use a special form that reminds me of who needs to be informed of accommodations and modifications at the beginning of the school year and after an IEP annual review. Train Your Team If you have paraprofessionals in your classroom working with students, it is important to train them in how to deliver and how to track accommodations and modifications. Some interventions are more detailed than others. Observe your team while they are working with students and provide feedback as needed. The time you put in to properly train your team to record data the same way you would is so well spent! Use Checklists When I first started teaching, I used to write notes on a post-it that included which accommodations and modifications were used on assignments along with their effectiveness. It was very time consuming and often times, I forgot to add some things. Finally, I came up with a few checklists and forms to help the process. Level of Support One of the forms I use tracks the level of support a student needs from an adult. I use this one to determine the need for a 1:1 teaching assistant. It is useful before adding a TA and to collect data to see if continuing the intervention is a necessity. The adult that works with the student at that time fills it out while working with the student. Accommodations and Modifications Tracker I use this form two ways, depending on what I am collecting data for. As an IEP meeting approaches, I like to review the need for the interventions on the IEP. I can track the types of interventions are needed for different types of assignments and activities. More importantly, I can track the effectiveness of such interventions. I can also cut this tracker apart to staple it onto work samples. The work samples can be to show the Committee on Special Education the student's growth or regression. I also like to send work home with students with the form filled out from time to time so parents can see what kind of help the student needs in order to complete assignments at school. Frequency Tracker Another way I like to track the use of accommodations and modifications needed in school is with a frequency tracker I created. This gives me a quick visual of which interventions are being used and which are not. I focus on this during the weeks before a meeting so I can determine which accommodations and modifications need to remain, be added, or be removed from an IEP. Data collection is so important but it doesn't have to take over your entire life. Once you create a few checklists that fit your classroom or purchase one of the many checklists and charts from my TpT store, you will save yourself a ton of time and will have more data than you've ever had before!
Para classroom jobs and expectations to manage and work with your classroom support staff, while building positive rapport. Learn More at Mrs. D's Corner.
An IEP Handbook can help other teachers better understand a student's IEP and how to implement it. Here are the top 10 things to include in an IEP handbook.
What is a paraprofessional? What is a paraeducator? How special education paraprofessionals and special education instructional assistants support students.
Use the special ed inclusion documentation forms to keep track of service times, lesson plans, and more. Streamline it all quickly and effectively!
Starting a task box center and system in your special education classroom is a way to increase student independence and free up staff.
Special education classrooms need decor and organization tweaks to fit the program needs. Read the tips on how to make the best decor choices for your sped classroom.
Special Educators Resource Room - Find the tools and support you need to feel calm, collected, and totally together as a special educator.
Back to school time is a great time to get organized in your classroom. In this post, I collected all of my favorite organization and storage tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your classroom space. Enjoy! Shoebox Plastic Bins with Lids It is unreal how many of these shoebox bins
Supporting kids with special needs works best when both regular education and special education staff work together. That's why it is helpful for all teachers to understand how they can modify and accommodate for students in their classrooms. For newer teachers, learning that you need to modify work
Inclusion is more than simply having a child in the classroom. Here's what needs to happen to make the general ed classroom more inclusive so all children succeed!
As the ONLY special education teacher in my building, I ALWAYS wanted to get a peek inside other classrooms. Get a peek inside 10 classroom tours!
There is something about the structure and routine of Michaela's Especially Education task boxes students are drawn to. They take immense pride in showing off their finished work, keeping all the materials together, and putting the tasks away into their rightful places.
In this article, I outline survival tips for first-year special education teachers. My survival guide includes advice about planning, IEPs, networking, prioritizing, and more with lots of resources.
Visual schedules promote independence by allowing students to know the sequence of the day’s events. Here are 5 types of visual schedules commonly found in a special education classroom.
Classroom hacks that actually work in a special education classroom setting. Tried and true methods from actual teachers. Read to learn more.
As Special Education teachers and service providers, we know how huge of a role data plays in our professions. Here's how to go digital and make your life easier!
This blog post shares five tips on navigating the challenges and effectively running circle time in a limited verbal classroom.
A color coded classroom isn’t just for the looks, it helps make a classroom extremely functional! Not only does it help staff locate things quickly, but it also allows students take ownership of their own supplies! Color coding is a win-win for all. Below, I’ve compiled a list of ideas of our favorite ways to
Guys... I love all of the adorable teacher planners that I see out there. However, they always feel like a ton of extra work. If you read my last two blog posts about my scope and sequence, you know that I am fairly organized and I like to outline my themes and topics for the entire year but for whatever reason the planners that I have come across never seem to meet my needs. So I decided to make my own! Click HERE to pick up the template for free! In case you missed my Scope and Sequence blog posts (with a few other freebies!), here are the links: Thematic Literacy Planning for the Year in the Special Ed. Classroom Planning Math Concepts for the Year in the Special Ed. Classroom
I absolutely love teaching Special Education. I have found the place where I am meant to be and have built a community in my classroom. I am currently thriving in SPED, but it hasn’t always been that way. Early in my career I was struggling to keep my head above water and breathe.Entering the Special ... Read More about 25 Ways to Survive and Thrive in SPED
IEPs and RTI. Progress monitoring and data collection. This simple system has worked for me for years. Sharing a FREE, simple, easy, and effective way to save you time... and your sanity. Learn more now!
IEP goal bins will help you keep your students' goals and materials organized so you can focus on what's important: the students.
Visual schedules are a great way to help students manage their school day and see what is coming next. Free flip schedule template only at Mrs. D's Corner.
As the ONLY special education teacher in my building, I ALWAYS wanted to get a peek inside other classrooms. Get a peek inside 10 classroom tours!
IEP goal bins will help you keep your students' goals and materials organized so you can focus on what's important: the students.
IEP goal bins will help you keep your students' goals and materials organized so you can focus on what's important: the students.
I teach a 1st through 4th self-contained, mod/severe, special day class. I am going to highlight some of the key elements in my classroom.
These printable cheat sheets can be used to help special educators with planning, organization, and classroom management. Save time and effort by taking advantage of these free resources today!
Stop laminating? In my special education classroom? I know, I know. But trust me. Save time, money and the Earth with 3 additions to your supply cabinet.
By the end of this year, after changing our math rotations around about a bazillion times, I FINALLY feel like I figured out the perfect combo of stations to help my students learn, practice, and master skills. My favorite part of this system is that it worked seamlessly without me killing myself over prep
Massive list of classroom jobs for elementary students in preschool, kindergarten, first grade, or second grade - such great ideas for classroom jobs!
Special education teachers -learn about different types of data collection and get the link to Especially Education's FREE Special Education Data Sheets
Structure is a crucial component to your SPED classroom setup. This is something I learned quickly in my first year of teaching and something that worked well once structure was increased. Below I’ve listed five easy ways to increase structure in your classroom. Individual Schedules Whether it’s visual schedules, checklists, object schedules, or agendas, they
My students use morning binders during our morning meeting and throughout our academic portion of the morning. I love using binders because I can personalize and individualize each binder according to my students needs.
Are you in the middle of #dataoverwhelm? Data collection is hard. How do special education teachers juggle it all and still keep their students engaged?
