Teaching Extended School Year (ESY) can be both a rewarding and challenging experience. Some of us relish the opportunity to stay busy over the summer, while others enjoy the laid-back atmosphere. Yet, for many, the need for extra income or the job requirement is the driving force behind teaching ESY. Regardless of the motivation, one […]
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April is National Poetry Month, and it’s the perfect opportunity to infuse creativity and language arts skills into your special education classroom. Here are some adaptable and engaging ideas to celebrate poetry with your students while also incorporating instruction in adjectives and fostering language development. Describe Pictures Start by describing pictures. Show students simple pictures
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In my years of teaching, I can’t count how many preschool or kindergarten classrooms I’ve passed that are doing “letter of the week.” While this may be an effective strategy for most students, students with significant disabilities may need another approach to learning letters and letter sounds. It may be time to move away from
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As special educators, we know how valuable it is for students to be read to daily. But, how do we enhance engagement? Furthermore, how do we improve the ability of students with significant disabilities to initiate and respond to text? After all, the Commission on Reading declared shared reading is “the single most important activity
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As we approach Veterans Day, it’s a wonderful opportunity to teach our special education students about the importance of honoring and respecting our nation’s heroes. For children in special education classrooms, lessons about Veterans Day must be engaging and authentic. Simple lessons on being thankful could make all the difference, which is perfect in this
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Predictable Chart Writing is a powerful teaching tool that has been widely used in special education classrooms to enhance literacy skills among students with various learning needs. In this blog post, we’ll explore what it is, its benefits, and how it can be effectively implemented in special education settings. We’ll also discuss the research supporting
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Centers are a fantastic way to create an interactive and dynamic classroom environment while allowing the special educator to work with small groups of students. The ability to have paraprofessionals run engaging centers is essential, as well. It’s important to be thoughtful when planning centers in a self-contained environment because you want them to be
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Special Educators are constantly drowning in paperwork and “to-do” lists. What if something was out there to make our job easier and lighten the load on our brains? Welcome ChatGPT (artificial intelligence). I’m sure you have heard the positives and negatives of artificial intelligence entering the mainstream world. The reality is artificial intelligence is here
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Sensory toys are a must-have in an autism classroom. However, there are so many options, and not all sensory toys are great quality. I’ve spent 8 years trying out different sensory toys with my students to help them meet their sensory needs. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite sensory toys found on Amazon. The
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In a special education classroom, supporting the behavioral needs of students is a top priority. One effective strategy that has proven successful is the use of visual support keyrings. These handy tools provide visual cues and prompts to help students understand and follow directions, fostering independence and positive behavior. In this blog post, we will
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