Be The Exception In Special Education

Back to School Bulletin Board for the SPED Classroom

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122.What Items to Keep in Your Desk Stash for Tough Days for You & Your Team Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

How many of you feel like your desk at work is kinda like your second junk drawer at home? I know sometimes mine can get a little overwhelming with ALL the things, but for sure there are things that I need to keep in there that just make life easier. And that is what some days are about…just making things easier.

In this week's episode I am sharing some insight into those things that I think are must haves for your desk and some ideas from my Instagram followers, who I recently surveyed. There were so many items that I had not thought about that just made sense!

And as an added bonus, I'm sharing some creative ways to connect with your paraprofessionals and make them feel seen and heard throughout the year.

In this episode you will learn:

The various items that you should keep out on your desk for easy reach.
How to fill your drawer with snacks that help you get through the afternoon slump.
How to help your paraprofessionals feel seen and heard.
About creating an emergency kit for your desk.

Links and Resources

Connect with Dawn

Special Needs Embracing Autism Freebie

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121.Do This to Get Clear on Special Education Paperwork as a New (or Not so New) Teacher Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

Paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork! It is never ending for a special education teacher. And there are so many different kinds to keep up with and often with multiple due dates. How in the world are we expected to keep up with it all and feel like we have a handle on it? Especially if you are a new teacher trying to balance everything else on top of the paperwork?

In this week's episode I am chatting with Brandie Rosen from Teaching Untangled about this very thing. She is sharing some strategies that she uses with the new teachers in her mentor program that have proven to be effective. With just a little work on the front end, you will feel like a pro in no time at all.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of creating a yearly calendar for your IEP meetings and progress notes.
How to be ready to tackle data collection (and make it look easy).
How to set up an IEP organization system that makes sense.
About having a loose schedule the first few weeks of school for yourself and your students.

Links and Resources

Connect with Brandie Rosen, Teaching Untangled

Teaching Untangled Website

Teaching Untangled Instagram

IEP Goal Writing Toolkit

Brandie's Email: brandierosenconsulting@gmail.com

Connect with Dawn

Special Education Digital Planner

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120.Teaching Special Education: An Educator's Guide for a New School Year Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

Are you new to Special Education this year? Or maybe you aren't new but the last few years have been so overwhelming that you feel like you need a refresh this year? Being a special educator is no easy task. There are so many moving pieces and you have to be on top of all of them, at the same time! So how do you do it?

In this week's episode I am sharing some steps to get you ready for the new school year. These steps are easy to take, but will make a huge difference in how prepared you feel.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of prepping for everything as far ahead of time as you can.
How to build rapport on your campus with professionals, your students and their parents.
How to use surveys to their full advantage.
About getting a handle on collecting data.

Links and Resources

Special Education Teacher Organization Set

Connect with Dawn

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119.These Special Ed Back to School Tips are Crucial for Your Success this Year Jul 28, 2022

Show notes

It is back to school time..it is both exciting and a little sad as we let go of our carefree summer days for structure and schedules. And with back to school, there are tons of items on our to-do list. And sometimes we forget about a few key items as we get caught up in the chaos. Where do we start? What do we really need to focus on? What can wait until a few weeks into school?

In this week's episode, I'm chatting with Heather from Full Sped Ahead about tackling that back to school list in just the right way. Whether you are a first year teacher or a veteran returning for another year, we are here to help you get organized in the fastest way possible.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of getting your furniture set first.
How to take inventory of your supplies before shopping at Target!
How to set up a lesson planning system that works for you.
About getting your data collection system organized from the start.

Links and Resources

Case Manager Bundle Special Education Teacher Digital Planner Science Bundle Social Studies Bundle

Connect with Heather from Full Sped Ahead

Full Sped Ahead Website

Full Sped Ahead Instagram

Full Sped Ahead Facebook

Parent Communication Blog Post

Parent BTS Input Form

Parent IEP Input Form

Connect with Dawn

Special Education Teacher T-Shirts

118.5 Things to Do Now Before School Starts Back Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

Have you been to Target recently? The back to school aisles are bursting at the seams and they are crowded with parents and a mixture of both sad and excited students. I still haven't fully decided how I feel about summer ending. On one hand I want the down time that summer allows, but on the other hand I want the structure that school brings..and I miss my students. But no matter how I feel, back to school is coming and we all need to get prepared.

In this week's episode, I'm sharing 5 things that you need to do over the next few weeks to be the best special educator you can be. These are easy tips that won't take up all your time, but will have a big impact on your classroom.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of creating an Amazon wishlist.
Why you should choose one area of your room to improve this year and focus there..instead of trying to do it all at once.
About sharing the goals of your students with admin, paraprofessionals and other service providers.
The importance of making time for yourself.

Links and Resources

Special Education Teacher Stickers

Amazon Wishlist How to on Tik Tok

Connect with Dawn

Special Education Digital Planner

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117.Do This to Get Clear on Progress Monitoring as a New (or Not so New) Teacher Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

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 episode you will learn:

The benefits of realizing that you don't have to be at perfection level on everything.
Why creating a progress monitoring calendar at the beginning of the year makes life easier (and set reminders several weeks before).
How to create a cheat sheet with student goals to keep yourself organized each quarter.
About setting good routines so that you can work smarter, not harder!

Links and Resources

Connect with Amanda Wilp

The Primary Gal Website

The Primary Gal Blog

The Primary Gal Webinars

The Primary Gal on Instagram

The Primary Gal on YouTube

Connect with Dawn

How to Write Grants for Your Classroom

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116.How Project Based Learning Can Be Done In Special Education Classrooms Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

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 classroom. With specific ideas, strategies to keep you organized and even a way to fund it all, everything you need is inside!

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of project based learning.
How to adapt your current lessons into project based learning lessons.
How to pay for your project based learning without taking anything out of your own pocket.
About ideas for new project based learning lessons.

Links and Resources

Special Educator Digital Notebook/Planner

Connect with Dawn

Meredith Mitchell's Methods Website

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115.Do This to Get Clear on Leading IEP Meetings with Confidence Jun 30, 2022

Show notes

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 matter what?

In this week's episode I am chatting with my very own co-worker Meredith Mitchell from Meredith Mitchell's Methods. She is an IEP guru in my opinion and has so many wonderful tips and strategies to help you feel fully prepared!

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of sending home a draft IEP BEFORE the meeting.
How to adapt the order that you write the IEP components so that it doesn't feel so overwhelming.
How to say "not yet" to a parent instead of "no".
About the benefits of working ahead so you aren't working behind.

Connect with Meredith Mitchell

Meredith Mitchell's Methods Instagram

Connect with Dawn