Be The Exception In Special Education

Latest Episodes:

143.What is Joint Attention and Why Does it Matter? Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

Joint attention is a word that you may or may not have heard before. It is defined as when two people are focusing on the same item intentionally. It can aid in communication and understanding. It can also go a long way in building relationships with your students. So, how do we use it in the special education classroom and why does it matter to us?

In this week's episode I am chatting with Rose Griffin from ABA Speech, a dual certified speech language pathologist and board certified behavior specialist, about joint attention. She not only explains what it is, but also gives examples and shares the benefits she has seen with her students.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of joint attention.
How to have open communication with parents.
Examples of joint attention you can use in your classroom right now.
About why baby steps towards progress are an achievement.

Links and Resources

Free Joint Attention Training

Valentine Teacher Tees

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142.Supporting Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Education Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

Inclusive education is the practice of educating students with disabilities in the mainstream classrooms alongside their typically developing peers. Research tells us that inclusion learning can have some big, positive impacts on academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities. However, as special education teachers, we have to be prepared to support these students in this setting..it doesn't just happen.

In this episode I am sharing some ideas that have worked for my students in the inclusion setting.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of differentiating instruction for each of your students, not just a group.
How to use assistive technology in the inclusion setting.
How to collaborate effectively with the entire team to make inclusion work.
About the importance of building positive relationships.

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141.The Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Dec 29, 2022

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2022 has been hard in many ways, some of those completely unexpected. But here we are at the end of the year, we made it! I am so proud of all that has been accomplished and the difference that you have each made for your students.

In this week's episode I am sharing the top 5 episodes from 2022. Each of these was full of tips and strategies that so many of our special education besties have already put to good use in their classrooms. I'm linking each full episode below so that you can go back and catch up on the goodness if you missed it, but for now, check out some of the highlights here.

Links and ResourcesEpisode 117 Episode 119 Episode 120 Episode 121 Episode 123

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140.Teaching Life Skills to Your Early Learners Dec 22, 2022

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How many of you are trying to figure out how to teach life skills to your early learners? Does it feel like you don't even know where to start? Where to fit it in the day? There seem to be plenty of curriculum options, but how do you know which one meets the needs of your students the best?

There are so many questions to consider when thinking about life skills in the early elementary classroom. So in this week's episode, I am sharing some ideas to help you get started. I've even linked a few different curriculum options for you to consider.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of starting life skills early, no matter how busy your schedule already is.
How to get started with a baseline assessment of each of your students.
How to choose a curriculum that works for you.
About establishing a routine that helps you fit time for life skills lessons.

Links and Resources

Holiday T-Shirts and Stickers for Special Education Teachers

Digital Planner for Special Education Teachers

Ultimate Bundle for Special Education Teachers

Digital CBI Field Trips

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139.Tips for helping students with disabilities navigate the college path Dec 15, 2022

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Sometimes as early educators we get caught up in our own classroom and forget to think about the future of our students. But the future is there and we want our students to be as successful as possible. For many of them that means attending college. But how can we help them get there?

In this week's episode I'm chatting with Perry LaRoque about how we can help our students navigate the college pathway. Perry is an educator, author and all around guru when it comes to this world.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of understanding this process, even if you teach elementary school.
How to prepare your students for the application process.
How to teach your students to be their own advocate.
About what students absolutely must know to be successful in college.

Links and Resources

Taking Flight: The Guide to College for Diverse Learners and Non-Traditional Students

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138.What To Do With Early Finishers Dec 08, 2022

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Ever have the perfect lesson planned out, down to the minute and then things somehow just go wrong? You have that one student that always seems to finish quicker than the other students and they need something to do. And whatever that "something" is, they must be able to do it by themselves because you and the aids are busy with the rest of the students. So what do you do, what do you assign them?

In this week's episode I am sharing some easy ideas for those early finishers. There is everything from technology to cut and paste activities. And they can all be done independently.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of having something ready ahead of time, even if you don't expect early finishers.
How to adapt materials you already have so they can be done independently.
How to teach your students to get started on the "extras" without further instructions.
About technology that works in your classroom.

Links and Resources

Christmas and Winter Special Education Bundle

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137.All About Dyslexia Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

Dyslexia is a general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect general intelligence according to Webster's Dictionary. Many of us are familiar with the general terms of dyslexia, but often we do not understand the many complexities of this disorder or the accommodations that our students need.

In this week's episode I am chatting with Dr. Lauren from Think Dyslexia LLC about dyslexia. She is sharing so many strategies, tips and accommodation ideas that you can put into place in your classroom right away. You will leave this episode feeling more confident than ever.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of learning all that you can about dyslexia and where to get that information.
How to add accommodations that actually help.
How to use age appropriate visuals.
About getting buy-in from the students on their plan.

Links and Resources

Parent Community

Think Dyslexia Courses

Dawn's Holiday Resources on TpT

Connect with Dr. Lauren

Think Dyslexia Instagram

Think Dyslexia IG Podcast Account

Think Dyslexia LinkedIn

Think Dyslexia Pinterest

Think Dyslexia Twitter

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136.How to Tackle Progress Reports Like a Pro Nov 24, 2022

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Do you get a sinking feeling in your stomach when you think about progress reports? No matter how hard I try to be organized, they seem to sneak up on me every time. That makes them feel so overwhelming for me! So this year, I set out to do things differently.

In this episode, I am sharing some ideas that have made things just a little easier over the years when it comes to progress reports. These lessons learned will show you how to tackle progress reports like a pro.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of working ahead as much as possible.
How to be efficient when completing progress reports.
How to find evidence for the goals.
More about the purpose of progress reports.

Links and Resources

Episode 133

Episode 135

TpT Holiday Resources

Holiday T-Shirt Designs

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135.Everything You Need to Know About Digital Data Nov 17, 2022

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A few weeks ago I did a podcast about collecting data and how to not feel so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of it all. I received numerous messages asking for even more help on getting this huge task under control. Data affects us all and no matter how long we have been in education, we are always looking for ways to do it better.

In this week's episode I am chatting with Heather from Full Sped Ahead about digital data. Heather does data collection so well and has so many amazing systems in place for collecting the data digitally. She is sharing some of those strategies with us and you are going to love it!

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of collecting data digitally.
How to create graphs from your data collection.
How to set up systems for digital data.
About what programs you can use to collect data digitally.

Links and Resources

Full Sped Ahead Mentorship Program

Episode 132 : How to Feel Confident About Data Collection

Stick Out Design Co Holiday Designs

TpT Holiday Resources

Connect with Heather

Full Sped Ahead Website

Full Sped Ahead Instagram

Full Sped Ahead Facebook

Full Sped Ahead Tik Tok

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134.Parent Conferences: How and Why They are an Effective Tool for Special Educators Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

Does your school require parent conferences? Do you feel like they can be a total waste of time? Or maybe you just feel overwhelmed by them and never know what to share with parents? Parent conferences can be such an effective tool for special educators when they are done right.

In this week's episode I'm sharing the why behind parent conferences and some ideas of things that you can share during the conference that matter.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of having a parent/teacher conference.
How to be organized before the conference so you can make the most of the time together.
How to share data with the parents.
About the different formats of parent/teacher conferences…hint, it doesn't always have to be in person.

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