Be The Exception In Special Education

Have you struggled to find the resources you need to teach your older SPED students the skills they need to transition into adulthood? Do you want to take your job preparedness lessons beyond just filling out applications and job interviews? You know they need more, you know each of them may need something different, and now you're trying to teach them necessary vocational and life skills... virtu...

We all know how valuable - and necessary - observations are. As teachers, we learn about our students every day from observing them. Their strengths as well as the areas upon which we need to focus. But knowing the value of observation doesn't make it any easier when the person being observed is… you!    I'm here to share with you 10 tips to help you ROCK your next observation. By being as prepare...

As a SPED teacher, your list of have-to-dos, want-to-dos, and wish-I-could-dos is a mile long at the start of every day. Even if getting to the end of that list is nothing more than a dream, there are ways to get more done. Ways to be more effective and productive as you manage your classroom. My good friend Sofie from Where I-Aut-a Be will be with us today, sharing her pro tips on building rappor...

Are you wondering how to replace the learning, experience, and just plain fun of community-based instruction (CBI) and field trips this year? Whether you're teaching virtually, in-person, or a mix of the two, chances are your options for student trips are seriously limited.  The good news is your students don't have to miss out on the learning or the fun! Much like just about everything else this...

Does creating a schedule for your self-contained SPED classroom seem like a puzzle that can't be solved? Every time you think you've got it, you realize you're missing a piece or you suddenly find an extra piece with no space left to fit it into the big picture.    Today, I'm thrilled to have Lisa Hollady of Chalkboard SuperHero joining me on the podcast. Her scheduling skills are pretty legendary...

We teachers knew starting this school year was going to be like nothing we'd experienced before. And now that I'm a couple of weeks in, I can say with complete confidence, we were right.  I've learned some lessons already - because the teacher is always a student, too right?!? There's something to learn and discover nearly every day about this new way of teaching. Whether it's quirks about some of...

No doubt we've all had personal experience with a garden. Whether you have a green thumb or struggle to keep plants and flowers alive, planting and tending to a garden teaches you about more than just plants. The same is true for our students. I am a huge fan of classroom gardens - and have had great success with them over the years. Student learning through gardening can lead to reaching IEP, rel...

It's not necessary to say - again - that this back to school presents teachers with challenges we haven't faced before. One of those challenges is keeping students and staff safe by following social distancing guidelines. This includes wearing a face covering, most often masks. For some of our students, particularly those with sensory sensitivities, wearing face masks will be difficult. Today I'm...

Feeling overwhelmed by all there is to do and learn as a teacher is normal. We've all felt like it - more than once! The important thing remember is that while feeling overwhelmed is okay, not doing anything about it isn't. Because you can't be your best anything with you're overwhelmed and depleted - not your best teacher self, not your best friend self, and certainly not your best wife and mom s...

Were you hoping this year's back to school was going to look a lot like last year's back to school? Yeah, me too. But that's simply not our reality. For many states and districts, Back to School 2020 means adopting a fully virtual or blended learning environment. And that means taking all we learned about teaching our special education students this spring and doing it again. But this time, we're...

Can you imagine spending your days in a classroom where everyone thought you were different or weird? Where not even the teachers understood why you behaved the way you did and why some things came easily to you and others were so very hard? You knew you were uncomfortable and things were difficult and strange for you, but you didn't know why. And no one else knew why either.    I'm thrilled to ha...

Thinking about all the things you need to start a new school year can be overwhelming. You know there are supplies and materials you need to create a classroom that is safe and interactive and organized and… Then once you've made your list of everything you need - the list that just keeps getting longer - you realize creating that classroom of your dreams is going to be expensive.     But it doesn...

As teachers, we're always looking for ways to engage our students. To be relevant. To increase that Know-Like-Trust factor that is so important to building relationships with our students. We're also always on the lookout for PD that packs a wallop without taking up much of our time.  Ashley G, who just happens to be Tik Tok famous in the teacher world, will be with us today sharing how to get sta...

Have you dreamed about being a teacher since you were a child? You love kids and you love learning, so teaching was a natural choice. But it turns out that teaching is hard. Maybe a lot harder than you thought it would be. And now you're struggling with feelings of fatigue and burnout. Do you need help finding ways to fight burnout? Would you like to move from feeling burned out to thriving?  Then...

No one likes to be wrong. It doesn't feel good or encouraging. And it certainly doesn't build confidence. Don't we want our SPED students to feel encouraged and confident? To feel good about their learning? What if you took away the possibility of being wrong? What might that look like?  Today I'm joined by Jenn Adams, a special education teacher in a middle school self-contained classroom. Jenn i...

You're a new graduate and just got hired for your first SPED teaching position. Or you're not a new teacher, but have accepted a new role within SPED or at a new school. First, congratulations! You're no doubt filled with excitement and anticipation. And maybe, just maybe, you're also feeling nervous or uncertain.    I can help with that! In this episode, I guide you through steps to take this sum...

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the demands of teaching special education and motherhood? When it's more than possible to devote all of your time and attention to each, how can you possibly balance the two? And during our current crisis, how can you meet the needs of your students and your own kids?   Rebekah Poe of Lessons and Lattes is my guest on today's podcast. A special education teacher and...

Paraprofessionals are such an important part of our special education teams. When we shifted - overnight - to distance learning, you may have been left wondering how you could use these team members.    In today's episode, I will be sharing with you 5 easy ways paraprofessionals can assist you - and connect with students - virtually.    If you didn't catch last week's episode where I talked with K...

Do you have a paraprofessional (or two) that you manage in addition to the students you case manage? Want to learn some strategies to train your paraprofessional to use evidence-based practices with your students? In this episode, we are chatting about ways to maximize your professional to meet your student's needs while supporting the student's least restrive environment.  We also talk about dist...

Digital Time-Saving Productivity Hacks For Special Ed Teachers  Teachers are using their computers, now more than ever. Educators are always wanting to learn how they can work smarter not harder. In today's episode, we are discovering extensions and shortcuts to help teachers become more productive on the computer.    Grab the list of extensions here Have other extensions that you use on the regul...

Every wonder what the importance of brain breaks are? Or the definition of sensory integration? Many students that special education teachers work with have sensory needs and occupational therapy as related services. Today, we are talking to Mackenzie Earl, an occupational therapist answering questions about sensory integration, collaboration, and activities to help with students who have sensory...

Do you feel like you are constantly pulled in a million different directions and struggle to find balance in your life? In today's world, there are constant distractions and things deemed urgent that make us feel as if we need to do more and accomplish everything...well, now! However, that just isn't the case and doesn't have to be your normal.  In today's episode, I will be sharing with you 6 eas...

Have you heard about Boom Cards, but have no idea what they really are or how to use them? If that sounds like you, this episode is one you don't want to miss.  Hallie Sherman from Speech Time Fun has joined me today and is sharing all of her expertise on Boom cards and how you can start using them in your classroom today.  For those of you who don't know Hallie, Hallie is a licensed speech-langua...

Are you having a hard time adjusting to this whole work at home thing like I am? It can totally affect your mindset and the adjustment to the new routine can be taxing. Though, it is important we make sense of this new normal and work with our circumstances instead of against them.  Not sure where to start? Well, listen closely friend because I am going to be sharing with you 6 easy steps you can...

Are you at a loss about where to begin when it comes to distance learning? Trust me,  you are not alone. Recently we've made a huge leap into distance learning and this has been a major adjustment for teachers especially if you have no idea where to begin. My good friend Melissa Campbell from The Campbell Connection will be with us today and sharing how to get started with Google Classroom as well...