Who doesn't love a good seasonal craft?! As a school-based occupational therapist (OT), I LOVE a good craft. Simply Special Ed has so many adorable, easy-to-use and super engaging visual crafts that I love to use. They are especially engaging and motivating for my students in self-contained classrooms. I love how easy they are to adapt/differentiate based on student's strengths and needs. This blog is designed to help you work smarter, not harder while you and your students enjoy some fun ... continue reading...
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How to Use a Slant Board
School-based occupational therapists (OTs) have many tricks up their sleeves - slant boards being one of them! When I am working on a student on fine motor development skills or handwriting, I often use this tool. This blog is to educate readers on how a slanted surface can support fine motor precision and improve handwriting! Slant boards support the following skills: Slant Boards Support Pencil Grasp Wrist extension while holding a writing utensil supports a mature pencil grasp. ... continue reading...
Incorporating STEM in Special Education: Hands-On Ideas for All
Incorporating STEM - science, technology, engineering, and mathematics - activities in the classroom is a fun way to give students rich learning opportunities. I firmly believe in the importance of STEM education for ALL students, regardless of their needs and abilities. Read on for some easy and fun ways to expose your students to the world of STEM! What is STEM? STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. (You may also see it referred to as STEAM. The "A" is for ... continue reading...
How to Effectively Manage Paraprofessionals During Centers
Running centers in a self-contained classroom takes teamwork, and your paraprofessionals are your biggest allies! When roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, centers can run like a dream. But without structure? It can quickly feel chaotic. Let’s dive into strategies for effectively managing paraprofessionals during centers, and how the Simple Centers System can help. 1. Start with Clear Expectations From day one, make sure everyone knows their role during centers. Clear ... continue reading...
Creating Structured, Predictable Routines with Centers
Consistency is key in a self-contained special education classroom. It helps students feel safe, reduces behaviors, and allows them to thrive academically. But let’s be real—creating and maintaining structured routines can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re already juggling a million other tasks. That’s where centers come in! Centers are a game-changer for self-contained classrooms. They provide structure, predictable routines, and opportunities for individualized instruction. ... continue reading...
Tips for Creating Groups for Centers
Self-contained classrooms THRIVE on centers! Working with my students in small groups (or individually) gives me a chance to target exactly what they need to work on. Read on to see how I group my students to help them get the most of their center time! Academic Groups The most common way to group students is by their academic levels. It's not always perfect, but it makes running centers so much easier. A student who is working on category sorting (like with this free Fruit and Veggie ... continue reading...
What to Teach in Whole Groups vs Small Groups
Self-contained classrooms thrive on centers! Working with my students in small groups or (or individually) gives me a chance to target exactly what they need to work on. However, there are times when I like working with my class in a whole group setting as well! Read on for examples of what I like to teach in whole groups versus in the small group setting. Whole Group Activities Whole group lessons are great for helping expose students to topics. Many of our special education students ... continue reading...
What is TeachTown’s Launch for PreK Curriculum?
Introducing the Brand New TeachTown Launch for PreK Curriculum, a comprehensive, inclusive early childhood special education curriculum for children ages 3-5. This post is in partnership with TeachTown! 🎉 If you're a special education teacher working in the preschool setting, you know the importance of providing high-quality, developmentally appropriate instruction for your students. But finding the right curriculum, that meets the unique and wide range of needs that you find in the ... continue reading...
Create Visuals and Social Narratives in Seconds with Ella
I was introduced to a new visual support resource this week for special education teachers I just have to share it with you all! Meet Ella, an AI powered learning platform for social narratives and visuals! Ella saves hours each week by generating kid-centric visual supports in seconds, allowing you to save time and money! If you know me, I am ALL about saving time, and getting teachers home before dark. Ella helps with just that. Let's learn about how Ella, an AI powered platform, can help ... continue reading...
Why Centers Work in the Self-Contained Classroom
If you’re a self-contained special education teacher, you know just how unique your classroom is. With students at varying levels, a broad range of needs, and often limited resources, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and exhausted trying to meet every student where they are. That’s where centers can become your new best friend! In this post, I’m breaking down why centers are the key to simplifying your self-contained classroom, improving student engagement, and freeing up your time. Plus, I’ll ... continue reading...
How to do Centers in Self-Contained Classrooms
Have you heard the old saying “variety is the spice of life?” Although change can be scary, I do believe this is true! One area where I’ve seen variety work FOR me rather than against me is the area of classroom flow and schedule. While it is so important for our students to stick to a schedule, that doesn’t mean your schedule has to only include one style of instruction. Read below to see how to use centers in your self-contained classroom, and break up the same old same old! How To Group ... continue reading...
Occupational Therapy Classroom Tour
Welcome! Welcome to another tour of one of my occupational therapy (OT) classrooms! You may have seen my previous OT classroom tour, but as many of you know, I travel between numerous buildings within my district. Therefore, I've created an updated classroom tour in another building! We have a lot of the same equipment, but each room has it's own uniqueness. This tour, like my first one, is for an elementary building. This shared space is for OT and physical therapy (PT) treatment ... continue reading...
My Weekly Lesson Plans in Self Contained
Creating lesson plans for your self contained classroom can seem overwhelming. Trying to include work for multiple grades and ability levels, students who are using different curriculum programs, including specials and inclusion... It's a lot to manage! Luckily, I have found easy ways to streamline my planning. Keep reading to see examples of what I include in my lesson plans each week! My Lesson Plan Template I use a simple template that shows what we are doing in each subject on each ... continue reading...
Schedule Tour for an Intermediate Elementary Class
Welcome to my classroom! I teach a self-contained class for students with multiple disabilities. I work at a public intermediate school, which is grades 3 - 5, and this year I have three students in each grade level. Let me tell you a little bit about our schedule and how the day goes! Arrival and Morning Work Students start arriving at school around 8:10. My classroom paraprofessionals meet the students at their buses, while I wait outside to greet students and help with hallway ... continue reading...
What’s in my OT Bag?
Occupational therapists (OTs) or other itinerant service providers the public schools have one thing in common - they need a good bag! It can be challenging to alway have what you need when you travel between multiple buildings. Trust me. I know. I service four schools. While I am abundantly blessed to have a room to call "home" in each building [rare - I know!], I still need to bring some supplies from place to place. I typically keep the basics in my bag so that I'm never without! Below are my ... continue reading...
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