Be The Exception In Special Education

Progress monitoring is the evaluation of progress towards a target, based on improvement from frequent assessment. Wow! What a mouthful, right? Even the definition feels overwhelming!!!!! But it doesn't have to be.   In this week's episode I am chatting with Amanda Wilp from the Primary Gal about all things progress monitoring. She is sharing her top 3 tips to make it completely doable.   In this...

Project based learning is an approach that gives students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects that focus on issues they may face in the real world. But what does this mean in the special education classroom? How do we teach our students in a project based method?    In this week's episode I am sharing some ideas for project based learning in the adapted classr...

Let's face it, IEP meetings can either make or break a special education teacher. If we can approach it as a positive, a road map to help our students, then we can really get behind the purpose and give it our all. But they can also be overwhelming and sometimes those meetings can even be a little scary. So how do we prepare to make sure that we are ready to lead the IEP meeting with confidence no...

  I have been in full blown summer mode since school let out…sleeping in, reading for pleasure and days by the pool. It has been incredible, but I am just about ready to spend some time learning. You see, there comes a point every summer where I am ready to get better at being a special educator and spend some time in professional development. Sometimes as a special educator I struggle to find app...

  What if I told you that robots are changing the way that our students both understand and communicate with their peers and others? It is true! There are robots out there that are specifically designed for the special education classroom.    In this week's episode I am chatting with Richard and Marleigh from Robokind about their incredible robots. They are breaking down everything that their robo...

School's Out for Summer….did you just sing that in your head? I love summer for so many reasons. It is a great time to relax and recharge, while also squeezing in some learning on things that actually interest you.   In this week's episode, I'm sharing some of my favorite books to add to your list for the next few months. This list includes both professional development and leisure reading. I alwa...

Life skills are so important for our students and many are often lacking even the basic things. This could be everything from washing hands to being able to fix a simple meal. As teachers, we know that having a grasp on these skills can mean the difference between having to rely completely on others and independence.   In this week's episode I am chatting with Heather Hall from Special Needs Embra...

Extended School Year is not for everyone but when a student has shown regression over breaks, they may need a little assistance over the summer. And someone has to teach that student. So….did you get voluntold? It will be okay…you can teach extended school year and not feel completely burnt out by the end of it, I promise!   In this week's episode I'm sharing some tips and strategies along with so...

The end of the year is right around the corner. I know we are all ready for it. It doesn't matter how much we love our students (and we do), we need the break to regroup and recharge so that we are ready to tackle all the things again next year. But did you know that there are things you can do to end this year that will make next year easier?    In this episode, I am chatting with Jenn from Teach...

Do you have a dream job in mind? You have talked with friends and colleagues and you just know that this one school would be a perfect fit for your teaching style and now they have an opening! But how do you prepare for the interview so that you can land that job?    In this episode I am sharing some interview tips that will leave you feeling confident and ready. With this in mind and your own fab...

We all know that when you teach in the special education setting you are often teaching multiple subjects, especially at the elementary level. It is hard to love them all, meaning that sometimes one area is a little more challenging to create engaging lessons. Math is one of those areas for me…so I went to one of the experts!   In this week's episode, I am chatting with Ashley from Spedtacular Day...

How are your IEP meetings going? Could you use a little extra help with organization? If you are anything like me then you are always looking for ways to make your meetings go just a little smoother. I started using an agenda many years ago, but through the years I have made small changes that have had a big impact on my meetings.   In this episode I am sharing about all things of an agenda. I'm t...

How many of you are in a co-teaching situation at your school? There are so many wonderful things about an inclusive classroom, but it can also be hard to know how to best help your students and even how to collaborate in the best way with the general education teacher.    In this week's episode I am chatting with Rachel Glassman from Engaging Early Learners about how to support all the needs in y...

The sun is shining, the grass is getting greener and the plants are starting to come alive. April is one of my favorite months and I love how it lines up so perfectly with Earth Day and my Science lessons. There are so many different hands-on activities that you can bring into the classroom during this time.   In this week's episode I am sharing some of my favorite science related activities and a...

  Are your students struggling with transitions? Or maybe they always want to know what is coming next? Do you have a student who is challenged with changes in their normal routine? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions you need to listen to this week's podcast.    McAlister Greiner from The Neurodivergent Teacher is joining me to chat about using visual schedules to help your stude...

Everyone gets stressed, some of us more than others (am I right?). But have you ever stopped and thought about the stress levels of your students? And have you ever thought about how that stress can affect their behavior?    In this week's episode I am chatting with Anne from A Neurodivergent Way about reframing your mindset on behavior and ways that you can help your students deal with stress lev...

Can you believe we have been at this for 100 episodes?!? It blows my mind that you continue to show up each week and let me be a small part of your special education experience. So first, let me say thank you! In honor of our 100th episode I am sharing the best of the best from previous episodes in this one place. Whether you are brand new to teaching or a seasoned veteran, you will find something...

Sensory Input is the response of a sensory organ to a stimulus. For example, when we hear a loud sound we may respond with a jerk. Understanding sensory input in our students is directly connected to understanding their behavior.    In this week's episode I am chatting with Laura Petix from the OT Butterfly about all things sensory so that you can gain a better understanding of how and why it affe...

One of the key parts of the IEP involves student, parent and teacher input. After all, they are the ones who see the child for extended periods of time and in various settings. What is the best, most efficient way to gather that needed information?    In this week's episode I am sharing 5 easy ways to get what you need from both parents and teachers. These strategies will not only make it easier,...

IEP Meetings are a reality. As special education teachers we cannot avoid them. They can also feel scary and overwhelming. But fear not friends, I have something for you that can help you feel confident and prepared for anything.   This week's guest is my friend Heather Cacioppo from Full Sped Ahead. She is a Master IEP Coach and is sharing her tips and strategies for a successful meeting. In this...

Let's face it, teachers are some of the worst at taking days off. I've heard so many times that it requires more to be out than to just work sick. But we need to change that mentality. We need to take our sick days when needed and we don't need to feel guilty about it. One of the ways that we can help take that guilt away is to be prepared for absences…even the unplanned ones…by having strong sub...

Are you noticing an increase in pesky behaviors since coming back from winter break? It always feels like I have to start over with at least one of my students when we return to the classroom. It can feel so overwhelming to find what is working today, especially knowing that tomorrow the same strategy may fail. Where is the help that we need?   In this week's episode I am talking with Maria Helton...

Now that January has FINALLY ended, it is the season of love. There are so many fun things that you can do in your classroom during the month of February and so many different learning opportunities. Even if you choose to keep things simple, fun can be had.   In this week's episode I am sharing some of my favorite activities and resources for the month of February, especially Valentine's Day.  Fro...

We all know that speech therapy is important for our students and we want it to be successful for them. But how can we help in the classroom? It feels overwhelming, but it really doesn't have to be. Even simple steps can lead a student in the right direction.   This week I am talking with Maureen Wilson with The Speech Bubble SLP about how the classroom teacher can help make strides. From using ba...

Co-Regulation is such a hot topic and for good reason. By definition it is when we, as the adults, model behaviors and techniques that help our students maintain control. So this might be a deep breathing exercise or using empathetic language.  Co-Regulation is something that we work on throughout the year, but I have found that my students need some extra help after long breaks like the one we ju...