5 Must Read Blog Posts for New Special Education Teachers

CONGRATS! You must have clicked on this post because you are a new special education teacher! I am so happy you have chosen such a rewarding field to be in and truly hope you love the work as much as I do. The MOST asked question in my inbox is always this: ” Hi! I’m a new teacher, Do you have any information for classroom setup or what I should do to prepare?”. I get this multiple times a day- and it’s my favorite question! I love helping new teachers get some good reading in and show them a peek inside my old classroom. I decided to put all the blog post links in one post here to make them super easy to find for you!

1. A Guide to the First Year in Self Contained– Chances are you found me because you are interested in teaching self- contained or substantially separate special ed. If that’s right- you are in the right space! This is my passion and who I target everything in my resources and blog posts towards. This post walks you through the 5 major steps once you have accepted a position and invites you to my new teacher community!

2. First Year Teacher Shopping List: Most of us start out with an empty classroom, unless you are fortunate to be inheriting things from a retiring teacher! This blog posts walks you through budget friendly ways to get all the must haves and also how to fund some things too!

3. Simply Special Classroom Tour: The number one thing new teachers do is look up classroom designs on pinterest! How are you going to setup this empty space? If you follow me on instagram or read the blog often, you know I’m currently home with my baby and not in the classroom, but this blog post gives you a walk through my last classroom, how it’s setup, and how to organize!

4. The First 10 Days: The HARDEST part of the school year is the first ten days. You have to establish expectations, routine, get to know the kids and staff, and the list goes on. Being as structured as possible during those first ten days and focusing on routines will be a LIFESAVER for a new teacher. If there is one resource you buy it’s this one. Check out my plans for the First 10 Days in this blog post.

5. How to Plan for IEPS: and finally, one of the most important parts of the job. IEPS are legal documents! As a new teacher you want to be prepared for this part of the journey- the best way to feel prepared is to be organized and plan ahead. All my tips are in this blog post.

Whether you are a NEW or veteran teacher, make sure you join my Simply Special Community on Facebook! Tons of teachers are available to answer all your questions and share tips and tricks! Good Luck!

Learn more about Simple Self-Contained Setup 101®: the bingeable online course made specifically for self-contained special educators! Reduce overwhelm and anxiety during back-to-school season with the proven methods I teach you in this course! Click here to learn more and join the waitlist now!