Be The Exception In Special Education

Latest Episodes:

82.How to build rapport with families all year long Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

Do you know the most important thing that you can do as a teacher outside of forming relationships with your students? It is forming relationships with their parents! But how are you supposed to do that when there seems to be so many obstacles in the way...time, language barriers, and so much more.

In this week's episode I am chatting with Heather from Full Sped Ahead to help you overcome all those obstacles and feel empowered in your relationships with parents.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of surveying parents as soon as you know your caseload names.
How to adapt materials to meet parents where they are.
How to set boundaries with communication.
About being positive from the beginning so the tough stuff isn't so hard later on

Links and Resources

Any resources mentioned or can be linked

Connect with Heather

Parent Communication Blog Posts: https://fullspedahead.com/parent-communication/

Parent BTS Form Opt In: https://bit.ly/3iF3sA9

Parent IEP Input Form Opt In: https://bit.ly/3vvjZcy

https://fullspedahead.com

https://www.instagram.com/full_sped_ahead/

https://www.facebook.com/fullSPEDahead

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

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If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

81. My Guide to Making Halloween Safe and Fun for Self-Contained Sped Classrooms Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

These are the days of pumpkin spice, flannel shirts and crisp, cool mornings. I love fall..both in and out of the classroom. There are so many fun ideas that you can do with your students to help them learn during this time of year. The pumpkin life cycle, cute story books and so much more add excitement to your day.

In this week's episode I am sharing some ideas on Halloween fun that is safe for your self-contained classroom.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of sensory activities during Halloween.
How to adapt story time into some spooky fun.
How to turn a pumpkin into an entire lesson on the life cycle of a plant.
About field trip ideas that tie into your learning objectives.

Links and ResourcesSpecial Education Teacher T-Shirts Halloween Bundle

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

80.How to Use Wordless Books to Build Language Skills in Special Ed Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

So what are wordless books anyway? It sounds like too simple of a question, right? They are actually a little more complex than you might imagine and they can have such a huge impact in your classroom. But how do you use them? What makes them important to special education teachers?

In this week's episode I am chatting with Hanna Stroud of My Literacy Space to answer all of these questions and more.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of using wordless books in your classroom.
How to target the skills your students need with wordless books.
How to lower your student's anxiety with wordless books.
About the benefits of books with repetitive phrases.

Links and Resources

Halloween Bundle

Hanna's Freebie Link

Wordless Wonders Webinar

Connect with Hanna Stroud

Connect with Dawn

Cultivating Exceptional Minds TpT Store

Stick Out Design Co Etsy Shop

Find me on IG

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

79.How to Apply Positive Reinforcement in Your Class & Which to Use Now! Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

Positive reinforcement is presenting a motivating stimulus to a person after a desired behavior is exhibited with the idea that the positive behavior will happen more often when rewarded. Whew, that seems like a mouthful, right? It doesn't have to be difficult to use positive reinforcement in your classroom, I promise!

In this week's episode I am chatting about how to figure out what motivates your students, how to create a picture board for students to choose their preferred activity, and how to let students know that good things are coming if they do what you ask of them in the classroom.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of positive reinforcers.
How to know what motivates your students.
Some easy ideas for positive reinforcers.
About what a positive reinforcer is.

Links and Resources

Fall Bundle for Special Education

Stickers for Special Educators

T-shirts for Special Educators

Connect with Dawn

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Find me on IG

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

78.The Most Effective Ways to Deal with Classroom Behaviors Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

The start of school is behind us for most of my friends and our students are starting to form routines. As we settle into this new norm you may be noticing some behavior issues from a few of your students. As you are tweaking classroom routines, these behaviors are going to create some challenges that you need to handle quickly.

In this week's episode I am chatting with Sam Keen, the ED Queen about how to improve student behavior in your classroom. She is sharing all her tips and strategies about management. Her ideas are simple to implement but will make a huge impact in your everyday routines.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of forming relationships with your most challenging students.
How to adapt your classroom management strategies for individual needs.
How to celebrate small victories
About taking time for self-care.

Links and Resources

Special Education Teacher TShirts

Special Education Teacher Stickers

Virtual Community Based Field Trips

Escape Room Bundle

Connect with (guest's name)

The ED Queen on Instagram

The ED Queen Blog

The ED Queen on TpT

The ED Queen Resource Links

Connect with Dawn

Cultivating Exceptional Minds Blog

TpT Store

Find me on IG

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

77.How to Have More Classroom Fun on Fridays Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

Do your students work hard for you each week? Do you think they have earned the right to a little fun...maybe a fun Friday? Each week in my classroom we hit the academic side of things hard on Monday through Thursday and then reward all the hard work with fun activities on Friday. My students love it!

In this week's episode, I am sharing some ideas and resources that you can use for fun Friday while still having your students learn.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of having some fun in the classroom.
How to throw an epic dance party.
How to sneak learning into fun activities.
About multiple resources to take the work out of planning a fun Friday.

Links and Resources

Stick Out Design Co

Community Based Virtual Field Trips

Digital Escape Room Bundle

Science Bundle

Sharpie Art

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

76.Do This to Get Clear on the New Year as a New (or Not So New) Teacher Sep 16, 2021

Show notes

Are you a new teacher? Or maybe you feel like a new teacher in this crazy space we are living in right now? We all need some help now and then with figuring out how to get clear on a new school year.

In this week's episode I am chatting with Kayla Durkin from North Dakota Teaching about what you can do to feel in control of the new year.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of building relationships early on with the parents of your students.
How to adapt your routines to meet the needs of everyone.
How to remain resilient.
About working with your colleagues, instead of trying to do it on your own.

Links and Resources

Blossoming Teacher Course

Ten New Teacher Tips

Connect with (guest's name)

North Dakota Teaching Website

North Dakota Teaching Instagram

Connect with Dawn

Special Ed Bundle

Fall Escape Bundle

Find me on IG

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

75.Do This to Set Up and Organize Student Logins to Foster Independence Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

Are you feeling overwhelmed with the organization of all the technology you are using on a daily basis? I know that it gets difficult to keep up with all the username and passwords for our students while still allowing them the independence of logging in themselves.

In this week's episode I'm sharing tons of ideas on how to keep everything ready to go no matter the level of your learners.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of using some type of organization system for technology
How to adapt that system based on your students' needs
How to teach independence when it comes to logging in
About multiple different systems of organization

Links and Resources

Stickers for Special Education Teachers

Connect with Dawn

Virtual Community Based Instruction Fieldtrips

Adapted Escape Room Bundle

Find me on IG

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

74.4 Easy Ways to Facilitate Teamwork with Paraprofessionals Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

Are you working in a classroom with paraprofessionals? Maybe you have several adults in a self-contained classroom with you? Are you struggling with feeling like you have to be the boss of others when all you want to do is teach?

This week's episode will give you a plan on facilitating teamwork with paraprofessionals in your classroom. I'm joined by Jennifer Hofferber with Sped Prep Academy and we are chatting about moving from boss to teammate.

In this episode you will learn:

The benefits of setting clear expectations for all of the adults in the room.
How to adapt your mindset from being the boss to being a teammate.
How to be an effective communicator.
About seeking support from people who understand what you are going through.

Connect with Jennifer Hofferber

Sped Prep Academy on Instagram

Sped Prep Academy on Facebook

Sped Prep Academy Website

Expectation Form Freebie

Connect with Dawn

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don't miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

73.5 Ways to Make Morning Meetings More Engaging & First Week of School Recap Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

Have you started your new year? How is it going...does it feel chaotic? I have just finished my first week and there were definitely some ups and downs. One thing that I was able to really nail down was my morning meeting time. It is what sets the tone for the rest of the day in my classroom.

On this week's podcast I'm sharing a recap of my first week and some ideas for morning meetings to get you started off the right way too.

In this episode you will learn: