How do you teach monthly sight words and vocabulary? All of my students are functioning at anywhere from 9 months to 7 years old cognitively. ALL of my students can learn these monthly thematic vocabulary words in some capacity! Each unit contains file folders- matching picture to picture & matching word to picture (As seen below). Each unit also contains word wall cards and flashcards (word and picture and picture only). Each morning during morning meeting we say and ... continue reading...
Search Results for: morning meeting
Favorite Product Spotlight: Sand Timers
I have decided that from time to time I will highlight some of my favorite classroom products on my blog! Today I will post a LIFESAVING product that I couldn't live without. I have my hands on these babies more than anything else throughout the school day. Not only are these visually appealing to students, they get my kids to WORK. Each color is a different alotted time ranging from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. HOW I USE THEM: - timers for rewards - timers for countdowns, "minutes left till ... continue reading...
Weighted Blankets DIY
Happy Weekend! Today I wanted to feature one of my favorite homemade classroom supplies. A sensory blanket! Before school started I had been on the search for a quality weighted blanket for a new student who has difficulty sitting at morning meeting. I thought a weighted blanket would help stabilize her and give her the sensory output she needed (and IT WORKED)! I couldn't find a great product for a great price so I started researching how to make my own. My Nana ( master seamstress) and I ... continue reading...
5 Red Flags Your Student Needs a BIP
In special education, we see student behavior and how it impacts our whole classroom. It is what we get our degrees in - Learning & Behavior Specialists. However, we are so immersed in behavior, it often becomes our normal. What we may view as "normal" in our self-contained classrooms can differ from school to school and state to state. It is important we find interventions that work for students and put it in writing aka a BIP in the IEP. This is especially helpful if that student were to ... continue reading...
Elementary Resource Room Classroom: A day in the life
Welcome!! If you’ve ever wondered what a day in a resource room looks like, let me give you a little tour of how our schedule flows. My classroom is set up as a space where students come and go throughout the day for individualized support. Each child’s schedule looks a little different because their services are based on their IEP goals, but the meat and potatoes of our day is all about meeting students where they are. This looks different in each school and classroom you enter. It’s a bit ... continue reading...
First Week in Self-Contained Elementary
Starting your first week in a self-contained elementary classroom can feel both exhilarating and overwhelming. It is the beginning of an incredible journey with your students. Here's how those pivotal first five days might look to set the stage for a successful school year. Day 1: Setting the Foundation Your first week begins with the most crucial day of all. Focus on creating a welcoming environment and establishing your classroom community. Start with a calm morning routine: greeting ... continue reading...
Preschool Special Education Sample Schedule
Creating an effective daily schedule for preschool special education programs requires careful consideration of individual student needs, therapeutic goals, and developmental milestones. A well-structured schedule provides predictability while allowing flexibility for personalized learning experiences, ensuring that every moment of the day serves a purpose in each child's educational journey. In this blog post, I share a sample schedule for a special education half-day preschool program and key ... continue reading...
5 Things to Know About Working in a Therapeutic Day School
Special Education teachers are fortunate for many reasons. Of course, the number one reason is getting to work with amazing kids and helping them grow! Another reason is that there are a variety of settings where Special Education teachers can work. One of these settings is a therapeutic day school. First, it's important to know what a therapeutic day school is. According to an article from the Center for Families website, a therapeutic day school is a "comprehensive treatment setting in ... continue reading...
Daily Schedule for Kindergarten Autism Class
A daily classroom schedule for a Kindergarten Autism classroom is ESSENTIAL for students to have success in school. With a daily schedule in place, everyone will benefit including the teacher, staff, subs, and most importantly the students! Imagine if you had no schedule!? It would seem like udder chaos! Errands would be overlooked and appointments would most certainly be missed. I bet you would feel disorganized, anxious, lose track of time, and have no motivation. Well, the same goes for our ... continue reading...
A Day in the Life of a School-based OT
I love working as a school-based occupational therapist (OT)! I work as a district employee at a public school in Pennsylvania. I am the OT servicing five of our district's buildings: two secondary and three elementary schools. I love the variety because it really keeps me on my toes! No one day looks the same, but join me in a "day in the life" of a school-based OT: Check out this OT room tour blog to see one of my elementary classroom spaces [that also doubles as a sensory ... continue reading...
How To Utilize AAC All Day Long
Staff Training The classroom staff are the first people to get on board when utilizing AAC all day long. Whether it is low tech or high tech AAC the staff is one of the keys to success when implementing AAC. Some school districts have an AAC specialist, look into having them come to your school to train the staff. If your district doesn't have an AAC specialist, they do have a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). The SLP is able to conduct AAC trainings. Invite everyone! This includes teachers ... continue reading...
What I Wish I Knew my First Year as a Special Ed Teacher
As a first year special education teacher... I was stressed. I asked veteran special education teachers what they wish they knew when they first started... and they gave some MUST READ advice! "I wish someone would have told me that it is okay not to have it all figured out in year one. I spent my entire first year of teaching comparing myself to veteran teachers and beating myself up for not having a perfect classroom and structure. My best advice for first year teachers is to start by ... continue reading...
How To Start A Lunch Bunch
Is Your School In Need Of A Lunch Bunch? Most schools, if not all, would benefit from having a lunch bunch. A lunch bunch is a place for students who have difficulty making friends to eat and play games in a more structured setting than the playground. The goal of a lunch bunch is to facilitate friendships between students. Being able to mix students with Autism, special needs, and typically developing students can be really fun. Some students with Autism and special needs have very ... continue reading...
4 Tips to Make Pumping at School Easier
My pumping and breastfeeding journey is something I am really proud of. It was a hard and beautiful 15 months of my life. I started a new job when I found out I was pregnant and only 6 weeks of maternity leave. Notably, I remember feeling so overwhelmed looking at the pump and packing everything in my bag. Tears were shed in my car as a pulled up to my school parking lot. Subsequently, while still bleeding and sore, and lugging my breast pump bag/cooler, workbag, and lunchbox, I trudged into ... continue reading...
Tips and Tricks: Working with Support Staff
Let's chat about working with support staff. In my first year teaching, I had a SERIOUS case of imposter syndrome. How could I, a fresh out of grad school 23 year old, tell a woman who has been working at this school way longer than me what to do? So that year, I didn't interact much with my support staff. I put my head down and tried to plow through. I never really got to know this woman who was in my classroom for 10 whole months. This was the wrong way to work with support ... continue reading...
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