Be The Exception In Special Education

Fiona's TPT Store - Adulting Made Easy

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42. How to Teach Vocational Skills During Virtual Learning Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

Have you struggled to find the resources you need to teach your older SPED students the skills they need to transition into adulthood? Do you want to take your job preparedness lessons beyond just filling out applications and job interviews? You know they need more, you know each of them may need something different, and now you're trying to teach them necessary vocational and life skills... virtually.

Help is on the way in the form of practical advice as well as access to valuable resources - some free.

Fiona from SPED Adulting will be with us today sharing strategies and tips to use with SPED students as they prepare to transition into adulthood.

In this episode you will learn:

The job preparedness lessons students really need to learn
Why it's crucial to work with students on soft skills and job etiquette
How to cover the practical aspects of having a job with your students
Practical, actionable ways to increase student participation in virtual learning

Links and Resources

FREE Resources

Connect with Fiona

Fiona's Blog

Find Fiona on IG

Connect with Dawn

Stick Out Design Co - SPED Teacher Stickers

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10 Ways to Rock Your SPED Observations Oct 08, 2020

Show notes

We all know how valuable - and necessary - observations are. As teachers, we learn about our students every day from observing them. Their strengths as well as the areas upon which we need to focus. But knowing the value of observation doesn't make it any easier when the person being observed is… you!

I'm here to share with you 10 tips to help you ROCK your next observation. By being as prepared as you can - and remembering to breathe - you'll be able to show your admin( and anyone else who stops in) just how well you run your class and what a fantastic SPED teacher you are.

In this episode you will learn:

How to prepare your students
Why it's essential to include tech in your lessons
About the advantages of pre-teaching your lesson
How to prepare in advance when you know in advance
The importance of staying calm and keeping your sense of humor

Links and Resources

FREEBIE - Virtual Community Based Instruction

BUNDLE - Virtual CBI Field Trips

FREEBIE - Tips for Successful Observations

Connect with Dawn

SymbolStix PRIME: Special Education Symbols

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40. How to build rapport with parents as a SPED teacher Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

As a SPED teacher, your list of have-to-dos, want-to-dos, and wish-I-could-dos is a mile long at the start of every day. Even if getting to the end of that list is nothing more than a dream, there are ways to get more done. Ways to be more effective and productive as you manage your classroom.

My good friend Sofie from Where I-Aut-a Be will be with us today, sharing her pro tips on building rapport with parents, data collection, and the importance of seeking out a mentor. She also shares with us her favorite resources for symbols that she uses in the classroom - and why she loves them so.

From this episode, you'll discover - or rediscover - why it's so important for SPED teachers to have a team around to support them. A team made up of parents, admin, mentors, paras, and more. Make sure you're building your team!

In this episode you will learn:

How to effectively and efficiently collect data
How to build rapport with parents quickly - and set boundaries
Why seeking out a mentor teacher is the most important thing you can do
About Sophie's favorite classroom supply

Links and Resources

Connect with Sofie

Find Sofie on IG

Find Sofie's Blog

Sofie's TPT Store

Connect with Dawn

FREEBIE - CBI Virtual Field Trip Digital Resource

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39. How to Take Virtual CBI & Field Trips in your SPED Classroom Sep 24, 2020

Show notes

Are you wondering how to replace the learning, experience, and just plain fun of community-based instruction (CBI) and field trips this year? Whether you're teaching virtually, in-person, or a mix of the two, chances are your options for student trips are seriously limited.

The good news is your students don't have to miss out on the learning or the fun! Much like just about everything else this year, it simply takes some creativity. By going on trips as a class virtually, students can explore faraway worlds (hello, outer space) and visit attractions and businesses closer to home. With some careful planning, you'll hit standards, reinforce life skills, and engage in some value-packed cross-curricular instruction.

In this episode you will learn my steps for a successful virtual CBI field trip:

Build background knowledge and vocabulary beforehand
Talk about what students know about the location… just visuals and social stories
Go on the virtual trip and discuss what is seen
Ask students to explain what they see on the screen
Complete extension activities around that topic to reinforce the concept
Recall facts about the trip in the form of an assessment or rubric

Links and Resources

CBI Virtual Field Trip Bundle

Virtual Field Trips for Remote Learning - Mobile Permissions

Virtual Field Trips - Discovery Education

20 Virtual Field Trips - Adventures in Familyhood

Connect with Dawn

6 Steps to Creating an Effective Schedule Blog Post

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38. How to Create an Effective Special Ed Schedule..even virtually! Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Does creating a schedule for your self-contained SPED classroom seem like a puzzle that can't be solved? Every time you think you've got it, you realize you're missing a piece or you suddenly find an extra piece with no space left to fit it into the big picture.

Today, I'm thrilled to have Lisa Hollady of Chalkboard SuperHero joining me on the podcast. Her scheduling skills are pretty legendary and she's sharing tips and strategies to help us gain some scheduling superpowers of our own. Lisa also shared her philosophy on center-based instruction in SPED classrooms and what she considers MUST-HAVE skills before students reach high school. I learned so much and took pages of notes during our conversation. I know you'll find this super valuable as well.

In this episode you will learn:

Why traditional scheduling tools don't work for SPED teachers
The steps to creating a schedule that works for you and your students
Why a center-based instruction structure meets students' needs better
The #1 center type for SPED students from pre-school through high school

Links and Resources

Handwashing FREEBIE

Connect with Lisa Holladay

Website

Find Lisa on IG

Lisa's TPT Store

Connect with Dawn

Distance Learning as SPED Teachers Facebook Group

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5 Things I've Learned Since Starting Back to School - SPED Teacher Tips Sep 10, 2020

Show notes

We teachers knew starting this school year was going to be like nothing we'd experienced before. And now that I'm a couple of weeks in, I can say with complete confidence, we were right.

I've learned some lessons already - because the teacher is always a student, too right?!? There's something to learn and discover nearly every day about this new way of teaching. Whether it's quirks about some of our technology, or ways that same technology can make our days run more smoothly and efficiently, or a reminder that sometimes being silly is exactly what's needed, every day is an adventure.

On today's episode, I share with you five lessons I've learned already this school year. My goal in sharing them with you is to support you, shorten your own learning curve where possible, and encourage you to remember - you've got this. We've all got this!

In this episode you will learn:

About a game-changer for Zoom lessons - and where to find a tutorial
Tips about opening and maintaining lines of communication with parents
Why you should use digital lessons for all your students - traditional & remote
How to set aside time to get to know your students - and let them get to know each other
What just might be the most important lesson of all right now - to give yourself grace

Links and Resources

Cultivating Exceptional Minds TPT Store

Connect with Dawn

Planting Seeds of Engagement to Promote Student Growth Resources

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36. How Learning Grows in a Classroom Garden Aug 20, 2020

Show notes

No doubt we've all had personal experience with a garden. Whether you have a green thumb or struggle to keep plants and flowers alive, planting and tending to a garden teaches you about more than just plants. The same is true for our students. I am a huge fan of classroom gardens - and have had great success with them over the years. Student learning through gardening can lead to reaching IEP, related services, math, reading, and life skills goals - and more. I always love having an opportunity to talk with another teacher who has discovered the magic that is a classroom garden.

That's why today, I'm excited to introduce Callie Luker, K-5 self-contained SPED teacher. Callie is sharing her experience with starting a classroom garden - and continuing it during distance learning. She talks about some of the challenges she faced, the importance of asking for help, the multitude of learnings her students experienced with the garden, and how she used it to build rapport with them.

In this episode you will learn:

How you can start a classroom garden - even with limited funds.
How to think outside of the box if distance learning isn't working as planned.
How a classroom garden can help students reach academic & life skills goals.
Why it is so important to build rapport with your students - and their families.

Links and Resources

YouTube Channel: Worth It With Luker

SPED Teacher Stickers!

Connect with Callie Luker

YouTube Channel: Worth It With Luker

Connect with Dawn

Back to School Resources and Activities

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35. Strategies for Social Distancing Success in SPED Classrooms Aug 13, 2020

Show notes

It's not necessary to say - again - that this back to school presents teachers with challenges we haven't faced before. One of those challenges is keeping students and staff safe by following social distancing guidelines. This includes wearing a face covering, most often masks. For some of our students, particularly those with sensory sensitivities, wearing face masks will be difficult.

Today I'm excited to share with you some strategies and tips I've developed that will help you and your students feel successful with social distancing routines. We'll talk transitions, visual supports, choices, rewards, and more.

In this episode you will learn:

How to reward students for successful mask-wearing
About different types of masks and mask accessories
How to adapt familiar routines to include mask-wearing
How to provide parents with helpful tips for successful mask-wearing at home and during family outings

Links and Resources

FREEBIE - Social Distancing Tips

Clear Mask For SPED teachers and service providers

A Mask For You, A Mask For Me song

Connect with Dawn