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January can feel brutal in special education.

You’re not starting fresh—you’re restarting the same school year, but this time even more tired. After winter break, many special education teachers return feeling overwhelmed, behind, and questioning whether they’re doing enough.

So many teachers find themselves with that heavy feeling of being behind at the midpoint of the school year.

This episode is designed to help you slow down, refocus, and give yourself permission to prioritize what actually matters right now.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• Why January feels harder than we expect (and why that’s normal)
• What many beginners—and experienced teachers—get wrong about feeling behind
• What actually matters at the midpoint of the year
• What can wait without harming your students or your program
• How routines, expectations, relationships, and paraprofessional alignment set the foundation for growth
• Why January is a checkpoint—not a verdict
• A mindset shift to help you ease back into the school year with clarity instead of guilt

If you’re looking for ongoing encouragement, practical support, and reminders during the school year, join Jennifer’s email list. It’s a place to reconnect when things feel heavy or uncertain.

👉 Join here: www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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In the final episode of 2025, we are shifting the spotlight from survival mode to connection by focusing on the heart of your classroom—the paraprofessionals who support students and teachers every day.

With winter break fast approaching, this episode includes 3 simple but meaningful ways to strengthen team culture, boost morale, and create a sense of appreciation and belonging before you all head out for a much-needed break.

Jennifer shares three low-lift but high-impact strategies that can help you refocus your team and end the semester on a high note. Whether you’re managing stress, juggling responsibilities, or just trying to make it to the break with a smile intact, these ideas are practical, do-able, and rooted in gratitude.

📝 What You’ll Learn

• Why December is a critical time for team dynamics in special education
• How a handwritten note can restore morale and remind paras they’re valued
• The benefits of conducting light and supportive mid-year check-ins
• Easy ways to add warmth and connection through simple treats or shared moments
• How building connection now sets the tone for a stronger spring semester

🎁 Free Resource

To support your mid-year para check-ins, Jennifer is gifting newsletter subscribers with Paraprofessional Feedback & Reflection Forms—a tool designed to make one-on-one conversations feel intentional, positive, and stress-free. These forms include easy prompts and reflection questions to guide a quick but meaningful conversation with your staff.

✨ Already a subscriber? Check your inbox on Wednesday, December 18 for your free download.

Not on the list yet? No worries! You can join the community and grab your freebie at
👉 spedprepacademy.com/podcast

🌟 Final Thought

You’ve survived the semester. Now it’s time to thrive—by lifting up the people who’ve been beside you through the chaos. Collaboration starts with connection, and small gestures now can create big shifts in team culture when you return in January.

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In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, we're continuing our December theme of Survive & Thrive.

Last week on Episode 289, we kicked things off with a powerful mindset episode that challenged you to let go of perfectionism, release the guilt, and embrace the idea that you are enough.

Today, we're focusing on THRIVING through the chaos with actionable strategies.

Let’s be real: December is no joke in the world of special education. The behaviors are ramping up, your to-do list is growing by the minute, and that dreaded progress monitoring deadline is looming. But surviving doesn’t mean doing everything perfectly. It means simplifying.

Tune in as I share 7 practical and time-saving strategies that can help you collect meaningful data without losing your mind, or your holiday spirit. From using passive time to pull one-on-one data, to delegating with clarity, to making the most of what you already have in your classroom—this episode is all about making smart, simple choices that support YOU.

🧰 Resources Mentioned:

🎯 Data Collection Help for Paras

• Training Paraprofessionals: Data Collection

Use this editable resource to train your paraprofessionals to confidently and accurately collect IEP data. Includes visuals, checklists, and cheat sheets!

📊 Ready-to-Use Progress Monitoring Tools

• Progress Monitoring Assessments for Special Education

Perfect for academic goal areas like reading, writing, and math, these no-prep assessments are great for quick checks. * Exit Tickets for Progress Monitoring (Growing Bundle)

These themed and leveled exit tickets are perfect for embedding data collection into daily routines. Great for keeping students engaged while you gather data without extra prep.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• Why December is the exact time you need simple systems (not big overhauls)
• How to take advantage of holiday downtime (movies, crafts, rotations) for real data
• Specific ways to involve your paras in meaningful data collection
• How to make academic goals feel festive and fun with seasonal twists
• A reminder that done is better than perfect when it comes to progress reports

🎧 Listen + Subscribe:

Be sure to follow the show so you don’t miss the final episodes of 2025!

And if this episode helped simplify your stress, would you do me a favor and leave a quick review? Your feedback helps more special educators find the show, and THRIVE too.

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Does the month of December fill you with joy or stress? This month is full of excitement, but also full of dysregulation, disrupted routines, extra demands, and emotional overload for everyone involved.

In this episode, we’re kicking off the Surviving & Thriving in December series with three powerful mindset shifts that can help you navigate the season with more calm, more clarity, and a whole lot less pressure.

As a special education teacher, I’ve lived through my share of over-the-top Decembers—trying to make it magical for my students, my coworkers, and my own family. And I learned the hard way that the magic happens when we let go, not when we pile more on.

Today’s episode walks you through three mindset shifts that will help you reclaim your peace and set a grounded tone for your classroom.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✨ Mindset Shift #1: Ditch Perfectionism
Why “done is better than perfect” matters now more than ever—and how letting go of unrealistic expectations can transform your December.

✨ Mindset Shift #2: Release the Guilt
How guilt disguises itself as responsibility, and how to give yourself permission to say no, do less, and let “enough” be enough.

✨ Mindset Shift #3: Bring Down the Tone of the Holidays
How lowering the emotional volume helps students regulate, paras feel less overwhelmed, and you maintain your sanity.
Plus, I share a personal story about my daughter’s favorite Christmas memory—and why it had nothing to do with big plans or perfect decorations.

✨ Final Thought: Give Yourself the Gift of Grace
A gentle reminder that you deserve compassion in this season just as much as anyone else.

This episode is perfect for you if…

• Your students are extra dysregulated and you’re feeling the pressure
• You’re tired of trying to “make December magical” for everyone but yourself
• You want practical, mindset-based strategies to keep your classroom grounded
• You’re craving permission to simplify, slow down, and breathe

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In this final episode of our November theme, we’re shifting from simply supporting parents to truly empowering them. Throughout the month, we’ve explored how to build trust with families, welcome them into the IEP process, and navigate tough conversations with respect and collaboration.

Today, I’m introducing a game-changing resource you can use to equip parents with the tools they need to feel confident, informed, and ready to be active participants in their child’s educational journey: the Parent Handbook for Special Education (English/Spanish).

🔍 In this episode, we cover:

• Why empowering parents matters more than ever
• What’s included in the Parent Handbook and how it helps demystify the special education process
• Practical ways to use the handbook with families throughout the school year
• How the built-in forms encourage families to share their insights, concerns, and hopes for their child’s IEP

👉 Grab the editable Parent Handbook (English/Spanish) at 25% off for a limited time!

This resource will help you build stronger family relationships, foster two-way communication, and make your IEP meetings more collaborative and supportive than ever before.

🗓️ Don’t forget to join me next week as we kick off our December theme—it’s going to be a great way to wrap up the semester and end the year strong!

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It’s no secret that being a special education teacher requires wearing many hats. One of the most important (and sometimes most challenging) is partnering with families. Even when you're doing everything right, there are times when conversations get hard.

In this episode, I'm giving you strategies of what to do when things feel tense, emotional, or uncomfortable during conversations with parents. Whether it’s a tough IEP meeting, a phone call after a rough day, or pushback on a decision, knowing how to stay calm, compassionate, and collaborative is essential.

You’ll learn 5 practical strategies that will help you:

• ✅ Shift your mindset and approach the meeting as a partnership
• 🧘‍♀️ Regulate your emotions before the conversation even starts
• 📝 Plan ahead without over-scripting your responses
• 👂 Be a strong, validating listener even when emotions are high
• 💛 Lead with compassion by assuming positive intent

Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned veteran, these strategies will help you feel more confident walking into those hard conversations, and more connected walking out of them.

🎁 Freebie Mentioned:
Download your Conversation Sentence Starters guide to help you open, navigate, and respond to tough conversations with parents.
👉spedprepacademy.com/conversations

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Welcome back to Special Education for Beginners! In this week’s episode, we’re continuing our November theme of Family Ties: Strengthening Parent Partnerships in Special Education—and today, we’re digging into one of the most foundational strategies: helping families know, like, and trust you.

As special educators, we’re often the case manager, service provider, and meeting facilitator all rolled into one—but to a parent, we’re still just a new face sitting across the table talking about their child. That’s a huge emotional gap, and if we want to create meaningful, long-lasting partnerships, we’ve got to close that gap intentionally.

🔑 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why familiarity matters when working with families of students with disabilities
• How to intentionally introduce yourself and build initial trust, even when parents are guarded or uncertain
• Easy ways to become someone parents actually enjoy working with (hint: it’s not about being perfect—it’s about being real)
• Why follow-through builds trust—and what can happen when you drop the ball
• Practical tools that support consistent, meaningful, and professional communication all year long

This episode is filled with real talk from the classroom and practical tips you can implement tomorrow to make your parent communication stronger and more sustainable.

🧰 Featured Resource:

💛 Parent Communication Logs & Reports

This tool was built specifically to help you:

• Track every phone call, email, or note home
• Keep a record of what you promised and what parents shared
• Share positive feedback with easy-to-use templates
• Use a Parent Survey to learn how each family wants to communicate
• Keep IEP conversations clear and organized with printable documentation forms

Whether you're printing and filing or using it digitally with Google Forms, this resource makes it simple to stay organized, intentional, and relationship-focused.

🎯 Grab the resource here

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Welcome to November...the month we show gratitude for our parents!

In this episode, we’re tackling a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention in the special education world: parents.

While our job is to serve students, doing that effectively means working with their families, especially during IEP meetings.

IEP meetings can be overwhelming for everyone involved, but they’re especially intimidating for parents. So this week’s episode is all about how to make IEP meetings less intimidating, more welcoming, and more collaborative.

Whether you’re brand new to special education or a seasoned veteran, these strategies will help you create a space where parents feel informed, respected, and ready to partner with you in their child’s success.

✨ What You’ll Learn:

• Why the environment of your meeting room matters more than you think
• How to use simple visuals (like a Percentile Chart!) to make data conversations clearer for families
• Ways to connect parents with community resources—no matter the size of your district
• The messages you may unintentionally be sending through your meeting setup—and how to shift them

Featured Resource:

🖼️ IEP Meeting Room Resource

This resource includes everything you need to make your meeting space more inviting, supportive, and functional:

• ✅ Printable Percentile Chart
• ✅ 3 Ready-to-Use Meeting Agendas
• ✅ 2 Meeting Norms Posters
• ✅ 8 Inspirational Quote Posters (color & black-and-white)

🎉 Get it for 50% off for a limited time!
Perfect for building stronger parent partnerships through intentional meeting design.

Thanks so much for tuning in to Special Education for Beginners! If you found this episode helpful, please follow the podcast and leave a review—it helps more special educators find the tools and encouragement they need.

🟡 Until next time, remember:
Every IEP meeting is an opportunity to build bridges, not barriers. 💛

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We’ve spent all month talking about what it means to write strong, meaningful, and connected IEPs, and today, we’re putting it all together.

In this final episode of the October series, I’m walking you through a real-time case study of a fictional student named Eric, a 5th grader with a Specific Learning Disability in reading and written expression. From the Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) all the way to the services and accommodations, I’ll show you exactly what it looks like to build an IEP that’s aligned, defensible, and most importantly—student-centered.

Too often, I see teachers going through the motions: writing each part of the IEP separately, just to check a box. But if your IEP was ever pulled for an audit or legal review, could you confidently defend that every section is clearly connected back to student needs and team input?

In this episode, we’ll cover:
✅ What a well-written PLAAFP section should include
✅ How to pull out student strengths, clearly identify needs, and write an impact statement that matters using AI
✅ How to ensure your goals are tied directly to those needs and how to explain your “why” behind each one
✅ Why your services and accommodations need to flow logically from your goals
✅ The difference between an IEP that is compliant vs. one that is effective

📘 RESOURCE HIGHLIGHT:
To help you improve your PLAAFP statements, I’ve included my favorite tool:
👉 Say This, Not That: PLAAFP Statements for IEPs

This resource features 179 well-written statements across 20 common areas. It’s perfect for improving the professionalism of your IEPs and helping parents, paras, and administrators understand the student more clearly.

🎧 So whether you're new to the field or a seasoned pro who just needs to see the connections in action—this episode is your blueprint.

Let’s dig into Eric’s story and see what true IEP alignment looks like.

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In today’s episode of Special Education for Beginners, we’re taking our October IEP Alignment Series one step further...this time through the lens of administration.

I’m joined by Dane Parcel, my current Special Education Director (and former co-teacher and colleague of many years), to talk about what true IEP alignment looks like from the director’s chair.

This episode is packed with real, practical insight on what makes an IEP truly strong, connected, and defensible — not just complete.

In this episode, we discuss:

✅ What “IEP alignment” really means from an administrator’s perspective
✅ What Dane the Director looks for in a strong Present Levels (PLAAFP) section
✅ His advice for writing clear, measurable IEP goals that actually make sense and keeps you from using so much brain power
✅ How to decide which services and accommodations belong — and which should be removed
✅ The difference between an IEP that is compliant vs. one that is meaningful
✅ Encouragement for teachers who are overwhelmed by the process

Whether you’re a brand-new special education teacher or a seasoned veteran, this conversation will give you clarity, validation, and a renewed sense of purpose around writing student-centered IEPs.

🎧 Listen to Episode 283 now — and get ready for our final episode next week, where I walk you through a complete case study of a connected IEP from start to finish.

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In this week’s episode of Special Education for Beginners, we’re continuing our October series all about writing IEPs that are clear, meaningful, and truly connected.

So far this month, we’ve talked about how your Present Levels (PLAAFPs) act as the blueprint of the IEP and how to use that information to write strong, measurable goals.

Now we’re moving one step further — connecting those goals to the services, accommodations, and supports that make them work in practice.

If you’ve ever caught yourself copying last year’s IEP just to “save time,” you’re not alone. But today, we’re hitting reset and walking through five simple steps to make sure every service and accommodation in your IEP is backed by data and directly connected to your student’s current needs.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ How to use data from the Present Levels to guide your decisions
✅ What questions to ask yourself before adding or adjusting services
✅ How to ensure every support ties back to an IEP goal
✅ Why alignment matters for both compliance and student success
✅ Tips for knowing when it’s time to remove outdated accommodations or services

Plus, I’m sharing how AI tools can actually help you pull out student strengths and needs more efficiently — without replacing your professional judgment.
If you want to try this for yourself, check out my resource Using AI to Write IEPs: Identifying Strengths and Needs, which walks you step-by-step through how to use AI responsibly to analyze data and identify key areas for growth.
And if you’re looking for more support with goal writing, my IEP Goal and PLAAFP Forms are designed to simplify the process while keeping your writing precise, professional, and personalized.

📎 Resources Mentioned:

• Using AI to Write IEPs: Identifying Strengths and Needs

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Hey there, welcome back to Special Education for Beginners!

We’re continuing our October series on writing IEPs that are clear, meaningful, and connected. Last week, on Episode 280, we talked about the PLAAFP and how it serves as the blueprint of the IEP. This week, we’re taking the very next step: turning the needs you identified in the Present Levels into strong, measurable goals.

Too often, IEPs end up with unsupported goals — goals that don’t connect back to the Present Levels. In this episode, I walk you through how to avoid that trap and create goals that are directly linked to the student’s needs, supported by baseline data, and easy for the entire IEP team to understand.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:
✅ How to highlight needs in the Present Levels and make them your roadmap
✅ Why baselines matter (and why I never start a goal at 0%)
✅ How to write goals that are ambitious but realistic, specific but not overcomplicated
✅ The importance of sticking to one skill per goal
✅ Why you don’t need a goal for every single need — and what to do instead
✅ Tips for using parent-friendly language so everyone on the team understands

When your goals are aligned, the whole IEP feels purposeful and connected.

📚 Resource Mentioned:
👉 Digital Goal Bank... For a limited time, grab it for 25% off to make goal writing easier and more effective: Get the resource here

🎧 Listen now to Episode 281 and start writing goals that are connected, measurable, and meaningful for your students.

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By October, most of us as special educators have found our rhythm. The beginning-of-the-year chaos has calmed (at least a little!), routines are in place, and that’s when IEP season really starts to pick up.

This month on Special Education for Beginners, we’re digging into how to make sure your IEPs are more than just compliant documents. They should be clear, meaningful, and connected — with every part of the plan tracing back to the Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP).

In today’s episode, I’m sharing why the Present Levels are the blueprint of the IEP, what four essential components must be included, and how to use them to guide your goals, services, and supports.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why the PLAAFP is the foundation for the rest of the IEP
• The four must-have components: strengths, needs, current performance, and impact
• Practical tips for writing strong Present Levels (nothing blank, no “no concerns,” everything dated, strengths woven throughout)
• Where to gather your data: observations, parent input, teacher input, student voice, informal and formal testing, and district assessments
• How collaboration makes the PLAAFP stronger and more accurate

Resource Mentioned in This Episode:

If you struggle to write the strengths and needs sections of your IEPs, I have a solution!

I’ve created a resource that gives you example strength and need statements for every area of the PLAAFP. This tool will help you craft precise, parent-friendly Present Levels that guide the rest of your IEP.

👉 Writing IEPs in Special Education: Example Strength and Need Statements (PLAAFPs)

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This month on the Special Education for Beginners podcast, we’ve been focused on behavior—what causes it, how to prevent escalation, and how to respond when it happens. But today, we’re flipping the script and talking about what it looks like when things are going well.

In this episode, I’m joined by Marga Grey, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of CoordiKids, to discuss what true self-regulation looks like in the classroom and how educators can support it through movement, sensory-friendly strategies, and brain-based practices.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• "Is wobble seating really effective?"
• "What does regulation actually look like?"
• "How can I build a classroom that supports ALL students—especially those with sensory needs?"

Then this episode is for you!

🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What a regulated child really looks like (hint: it’s not always about being calm or quiet)
• How movement affects focus, behavior, and learning
• Why some trendy strategies (like exercise balls) work for some students—but not all
• The connection between posture, rhythm, and emotional control
• Practical ways to build a sensory-friendly classroom that meets individual needs

📘 Resources Mentioned:

• 💻 CoordiKids Home Course 1 – FREE for listeners

➤ Use coupon code: homecoursepod
A ready-to-use series of brain-based movement videos designed for students to develop self-regulation and motor skills at home or in small group instruction.

🔗 Connect with Marga and CoordiKids:

• Website: https://www.coordikids.com
• Instagram: @coordikids

🎧 Tune in and Share!
If this episode gave you a new perspective or practical ideas to try in your own classroom, please share it with a fellow educator and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more teachers find the show!

📌 Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

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📅 September Behavior Series – Week 3

Hey there, and welcome back to the Special Education for Beginners podcast! This is the third episode in our September series all about behavior—because if you’ve worked in special education for more than a week, you know behavior is part of the job. But how we respond makes all the difference.

In this episode, I walk you through what to do (and what not to do) when a student is escalating. Whether it’s shouting, shutting down, crying, pacing, or full-blown meltdowns—you’ll leave this episode with clear, actionable strategies to stay calm, respond wisely, and preserve your relationship with the student.

🔥 You'll Learn:

• What escalation really looks like (and why it’s not always loud)
• 5 things NOT to do during a behavior spike (that we often do anyway!)
• 7 regulation-based strategies that help bring students back down
• Why your calm matters more than the perfect response
• The importance of teaching regulation before you need it
• And why behavior is always communication

💡 Don’t forget: Even the best strategies fail if we don’t model and teach them during calm moments.

🎧 Mentioned in This Episode:

✅ Episode 226 – 7 Proactive Strategies to Prevent Behaviors Before They Start
✅ Episode 227 – How the Brain Impacts Behavior with Guest Sam Parmalee

🛠️ Featured Resource:
Sometimes students don’t know how to express how they’re feeling—or even what they’re feeling. This Manage My Mood tool helps students reflect on their strengths, triggers, and emotions, while giving you insight to support them proactively. The resource includes:

• Strengths & triggers checklist
• Reflection forms
• Graphing tools
• Blank & colored Feelings Thermometers

🚨 Limited Time Offer: This product is 50% off right now! Grab it while it’s marked down!

📢 Let’s Connect
If you found this episode helpful, share it with a fellow educator or leave a review on your favorite podcast platform—it helps so much!

📬 Join my newsletter for more tools, strategies, and special offers: https://www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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Welcome back to our month-long focus on behavior management in the special education classroom.

In this episode, we’re digging into the science behind student behavior with special guest Sam Parmelee. This isn’t your typical conversation about clip charts and consequences. We’re talking about regulation, relationships, and the real reasons behind challenging behavior.

We know that classroom behavior can be one of the most overwhelming parts of a special education teacher’s job, and often the one we feel least prepared for. That’s why this episode focuses on brain-based regulation and a powerful framework that helps educators respond to behavior with clarity, compassion, and confidence.

Sam shares what every educator should know about the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and how our brains process stress, threats, and relationships. We also explore why so many behavior plans fail (hint: it’s not just about the students) and why emotional regulation is just as important for adults as it is for kids.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why understanding brain function is essential to supporting behavior
• Why we need to stop asking dysregulated students to “think about their choices”
• How to regulate yourself first, especially in heated moments
• Practical tools for improving staff buy-in to behavior plans
• The CALM technique Sam uses to guide de-escalation
• The difference between responding to behavior vs. reacting to it

🔧 Strategies You Can Use Tomorrow:

• Use the phrase “This behavior is happening in front of me, not to me” to help emotionally detach in the moment.
• Teach your team the CALM acronym: Connect, Affirm, Listen, My Plan.
• Normalize the idea that behavior interventions, like academics, require collaboration, data, and adaptability.
• Provide staff with the tools they need to implement plans—think timers, visuals, checklists.
• Host team discussions that change the narrative around student behavior from “defiance” to “a skill that hasn’t been taught yet.”

📘 Article Mentioned:
Sam’s article on Emotional De-escalation (Edutopia):
Read it here

📱 Follow Sam on Social Media
@theedqueen on instagram, facebook & tik tok!

The ED Queen Website

🧠 Resource Mentioned:

125 Behavior Strategies

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Welcome back to Special Education for Beginners! September is such a critical month for teachers. It’s the time when routines are still being built and the habits you create now will either set you up for a calm, structured classroom or leave you constantly putting out “fires” all year long.

In this episode, we’re talking about prevention...how to stop behaviors before they start. Of course, we know there’s no way to erase every single behavior, but wouldn’t it be nice to reduce the frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of those behaviors with just a few proactive systems?

I’ll walk you through 7 practical strategies that special educators can start using right away to create smoother routines, reduce disruptions, and build a more positive, predictable environment for students. These strategies include:

• Setting clear, explicit expectations (and teaching them like academics)
• Using predictable routines to create a sense of safety and structure
• Building relationships before enforcing rules
• Offering simple, meaningful choices to give students ownership
• Incorporating movement, sensory, and even snack breaks before problems escalate
• Reinforcing the positive behaviors you want to see more of
• Aligning the adults so every staff member responds consistently

You’ll come away with concrete examples, classroom tips, and easy-to-implement strategies that make behavior management feel less reactive and more intentional.

💡 Free Resource for Listeners: If you’re on my email list, you’ll automatically receive a free set of Behavior Management Cards with these 7 strategies plus a few bonus ones. They’re printable, easy to clip on a ring, and perfect for quick reminders for you and your team.

🎧 Not signed up yet? You can join here

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At the start of a new school year, everything can feel big. The stress, the expectations, the changes...they all seem to hit at once. If you’re in that season of overwhelm, this episode is your much-needed pep talk.

In Episode 225, I’m sharing the mindset shifts that have helped me stay grounded, protect my peace, and stop giving energy to things that don’t matter in the long run. Whether you’re already in the thick of it or gearing up to start the 2025–26 school year, this is the perfect time to take a deep breath and shift your perspective.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why it's normal to feel overwhelmed at the start of the year (you’re not alone!)
• 3 key perspective shifts that can help you stay grounded and avoid burnout
• How to tell the difference between a moment and a mountain
• Why building strong connections with your team (especially your paras and gen ed colleagues) matters more than ever
• What it means to zoom in, zoom out, and find the balance in between

Quick Recap of This Month’s Back-to-School Series:

• Ep. 222: Where Do I Even Start? — 3 Priorities for Special Educators
• Ep. 223: Mastering the Special Education Schedule (One Tetris Piece at a Time)
• Ep. 224: How to Choose the Right Data Collection System for Your Classroom

If you missed any of those episodes, now’s a great time to go back and catch up!

Key Takeaways from Episode 225:

🔄 Perspective Shift #1: Will This Matter in 3 Days, 3 Weeks, or 3 Months?

Use the “Triple 3 Rule” to filter your stress and energy. Not everything is worth your mental real estate.

🤝 Perspective Shift #2: Stay in Your Lane—But Don’t Isolate

Focus on your students and your goals, but build strong connections with your support team and gen ed teachers. You’re not alone, and your people can help lighten the load.

🔍 Perspective Shift #3: Know When to Zoom In… and When to Zoom Out

Being detail-oriented is a superpower—but don’t forget to zoom out and look at the big picture. Your students are making progress. So are you.

Final Thoughts

You can’t do it all and you don’t have to. The job is big, but it should never come at the cost of your well-being. Protect your peace, give yourself grace, and remember: you’re doing better than you think.

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Collecting data is one of the most important parts of being a special education teacher, but let’s be honest—it’s also one of the most overwhelming. Between figuring out how to track academic, behavioral, and anecdotal progress, and deciding how often to collect it, most teachers end up feeling stuck without a system that really works.

• In this episode, I’m breaking down the reality of data collection and sharing practical systems you can use to make the process manageable. From data notebooks and sticky note systems to exit tickets, independent IEP folders, and IEP boxes—you’ll hear tried-and-true strategies that can be customized to fit your classroom. I’ll also give you tips for training your paraprofessionals, keeping data organized, and making sure your notes actually make sense when you go back to use them.

What We’ll Cover in This Episode

• Why data collection often feels confusing and stressful
• The “how, when, and what” of data—and why consistency matters
• Tried-and-true systems you can try, including:
  • Data notebooks
  • Sticky note system
  • Exit tickets
  • Independent IEP folders
  • IEP boxes

Plus... Extra Tips to make your system work

Key Takeaways

• You don’t need a “perfect” system—you need a consistent one.
• Data should serve you by guiding instruction and showing growth, not just add to your workload.
• With the right tools in place, data becomes a resource, not a burden.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode
👉 Data Collection Sheets for Special Education Teachers – ready-to-use, customizable forms to simplify data tracking and keep you organized.

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Scheduling in special education isn’t for the faint of heart! Whether you’re leading a resource room program, a self-contained classroom, or managing inclusion services across multiple grades, you’ve probably felt like you were playing an endless game of Tetris...trying your hardest to make all the pieces fit without leaving gaps or losing a part of your soul.

In this episode, I’m breaking down three distinct approaches:

Part 1: Scheduling for a Resource Room

We’ll dig into a practical, step-by-step method for building a workable resource room schedule. You’ll learn how to:

• Use Google Sheets in 5-minute increments for precision and flexibility
• Add all staff names across the top so you can visually track who’s doing what, when
• Assign a unique color code for each para, subject, recess/lunch duty, and transition for instant clarity
• Map out student service minutes straight from their IEPs using color-coded sticky notes, so you can see exactly where those minutes fit best before locking anything in
• Adjust your plan for inevitable overlaps, push-ins, or schedule conflicts

Part 2: Scheduling in a Self-Contained Program

When your students are with you all day, the challenge shifts from fitting them into other schedules to structuring a daily flow that supports learning and regulation. We’ll cover how to:

• “Anchor” your day by first plugging in non-negotiables like arrival, lunch, recess, specials, and dismissal
• Place your most demanding academic lessons during peak alertness times, and save hands-on or lower-energy activities for after lunch or late afternoon
• Run smooth small group rotations with paras leading activities or supervising independent work
• Schedule sensory and movement breaks proactively, not just reactively
• Build in life skills, social skills, and transition time as intentional parts of the schedule
• Use color-coding to quickly read the master schedule at a glance
• Teach the schedule to your students so it becomes a predictable part of their day

Part 3: Scheduling for a Full Inclusion Program

If your special education program is fully inclusion-based, scheduling is more about strategically embedding support into the general education environment. You’ll discover how to:

• Start by collecting all general education class schedules across the grades you serve
• Layer in your students’ IEP minutes so you can match support to the most critical times of instruction (rather than spreading minutes too thin)
• Coordinate with general education teachers to determine when you’ll push in, co-teach, or provide targeted small group support in the classroom
• Factor in paraprofessional coverage so your staff are placed where they’re most needed without overlapping unnecessarily
• Plan for high-need transition times like arrival, dismissal, and lunch to ensure students are supported during those unstructured moments
• Keep a flexible mindset—your inclusion schedule will likely shift frequently at the start of the year as you learn student needs and teacher expectations

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clear framework for making the most of your time—without feeling like the pieces are constantly falling too fast. The key isn’t creating a “perfect” sch

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Whether you are ready or not, back-to-school season is knocking on the door!

And if you're feeling a little frozen in place, like a deer in the headlights, you're not alone.

In this episode, I'm sharing the three high-impact areas you should focus on first to minimize overwhelm and set yourself up for success as a special education teacher. Whether you’re brand new to the field or returning for another year, these priorities will help you go from stuck to strategic—without trying to do everything at once.

We’ll cover:

• ✅ How to truly understand your students' IEPs and why it’s your most important first step
• ✅ How to organize your classroom around function over flashy
• ✅ What core systems you must set up before day one

Grab my Sped Teacher Checklist: Support for New Special Educators—your step-by-step guide for staying focused, organized, and calm during back-to-school chaos.

🎧 Whether you’re staring around your classroom wondering where to begin, or knee-deep in planning already, this episode will help you breathe easier and prioritize what really matters.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• Sped Teacher Checklist: Click here to grab it
• Free 10-Step Team Culture Guide for Paraprofessionals: spedprepacademy.com/team
• Episode 221: 3 Steps to Start Strong with Your Paraprofessionals

Get your copy of the new and improved Paraprofessional Handbook and make this the best year ever when it comes to working with staff.

👉 Let’s Connect!
Instagram: @spedprepacademy
Website: www.spedprepacademy.com

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Welcome to the final episode of our July Paraprofessional Series! This month, we’ve talked mindset, delegation, communication, and even heard directly from paras themselves.

But today’s episode is all about action—because a strong team doesn’t just happen… it’s built. And it starts with YOU.

In this episode, I’m walking you through 3 simple but powerful steps you can take to start the school year off right with your paraprofessionals. These are the exact things I wish I had started doing earlier in my own career—and they’ve made all the difference.

Whether you’re working with one para or a whole team, this episode will help you lay the foundation for a school year built on respect, clarity, and collaboration.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to get your hands on a free 10-step guide to build team culture
• Why every para deserves a handbook and where to find one
• Five essential questions to open the lines of communication from day one

Resources Mentioned:

• 🎁 Free Team Culture Guide: spedprepacademy.com/team
• 📘 Editable Paraprofessional Handbook: TPT Listing - 50% off through Aug. 6
• 📚 Bound Handbook on Amazon – Coming Soon! Link will be added to the show notes once live

Next Month’s Sneak Peek:
August is all about back-to-school success! I’ll be sharing tips for setting up your classroom, building a master schedule, and managing your caseload without overwhelm. Make sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss an episode!

✨ Let’s kick off the year with confidence and collaboration. You’ve got this!

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This week’s episode is a little different because it’s not about us as teachers. It’s about the incredible individuals who support us and our students every single day: our paraprofessionals.

Throughout July, we've been focusing into how to build strong para-teacher relationships, and in this episode, we’re hearing directly from the voices that matter most. I asked a group of current and former paraprofessionals five powerful questions about their roles, challenges, and what they need from their supervising teachers—and their answers were honest, heartfelt, and eye-opening.

✨ Inside this episode, we explore:

• What makes a para feel valued and respected
• The misunderstandings teachers often have about their role
• What paras wish would change in the way they collaborate with teachers
• Why input, clarity, and recognition matter more than you might think
• How we can better provide the training and tools they truly need

💡 You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how to create a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative environment for your paras—and why doing so leads to better outcomes for your entire classroom.

🎧 Whether you’re new to working with paras or want to strengthen your existing team dynamic, this episode is a must-listen.

Get the FREE 10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

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This is the 3rd installment of the paraprofessional series for July.

In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, we’re tackling one of the toughest (but most necessary) parts of leading a team—what to do when a paraprofessional is disengaged, resistant, or just not meeting expectations.

If you’ve ever avoided a hard conversation, felt frustrated but unsure how to speak up, or simply wished you had the words and tools to handle tricky para situations… this episode is for you.

We’ll cover:

✅ Common signs of disengagement or burnout
✅ How to lead with both accountability and compassion
✅ A simple 3-step feedback framework: Observe, Ask, Collaborate
✅ What redirection and support can look like in real time
✅ A mini training idea you can use on the spot
✅ Why support doesn’t mean lowering expectations—it means raising your leadership

Plus, I’ll walk you through how to access a FREE bundle of tools to help make these courageous conversations easier. It includes:

• Courageous Conversation Starters
• Para Expectations Checklist
• Actionable Tips for Para Effectiveness
• A List of Practical Para Training Topics

💌 Join my email list at www.spedprepacademy.com/conversations to get access to free tools!

Remember, you don’t have to handle these challenges alone. Let’s grow into stronger, more confident leaders—together.

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Welcome back to our July podcast series all about working with paraprofessionals!

Last week in Episode 217, we talked about making the mindset shift from boss to leader. And this week, we’re building on that foundation with one of the most practical skills you can master as a special educator: delegating.

If you’ve ever thought, “It’s just easier to do it myself,” or if you’ve assigned a task and then felt frustrated when it wasn’t done right—this episode is for you.

In this episode, Jennifer shares:

• Why delegation is a skill that builds confidence, not control
• Her “5W + H” formula for giving clear, respectful directions
• The glitter door debacle that taught her the power of being specific
• Real-life examples of how vague vs. clear delegation changes everything
• A free downloadable toolkit to help you plan and organize delegation tasks

When done right, delegating doesn’t just free up your time—it builds trust, ownership, and confidence within your classroom team. It turns your paras into true collaborators instead of passive assistants.

🎤 Don’t forget:
Jennifer will be presenting at the Autism Little Learners Virtual Summit July 14–16. Her session, The Power of Us: Strengthening Team Dynamics in Special Education, is packed with tools, templates, and strategies to help you become the confident leader your team needs.
👉 Sign up free at spedprepacademy.com/summit

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Welcome to a brand new month on the podcast! July is all about working with one of the most essential (and often most misunderstood) members of your classroom team—your paraprofessionals.

In this episode, Jennifer kicks off the series by discussing one of the most important shifts you’ll ever make as a special educator: moving from a boss mentality to a leadership mindset. If you’ve ever struggled with managing adults, felt unsure about how to delegate, or dreaded para drama more than your to-do list—this one’s for you.

You’ll hear:

• Jennifer’s honest story about how her early leadership struggles shaped her career
• The difference between a boss and a leader (and why it matters so much)
• Practical tips for communicating clearly and leading with intention
• Tools that helped transform her classroom team into a collaborative unit
• A reminder that you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself

Plus, Jennifer shares a powerful free opportunity you won’t want to miss: her upcoming presentation at the Autism Little Learners Virtual Summit happening July 14–16. In her session, The Power of Us, you’ll get even more real talk, strategies, and editable resources to help you build and lead the para team your students deserve.

🛠 Mentioned in this episode:
🎥 Leading Paraprofessionals Training Video on TpT

🌐 Sign up FREE for the Autism Little Learners Summit

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In this final episode of our June Summer Strategy series, we’re turning the spotlight back on YOU—your growth, your leadership, and your mindset. Summer isn’t just a time to rest (though that’s definitely important!)—it’s also the perfect opportunity for intentional learning that fills your cup instead of draining it.

Whether you want to build stronger systems, lead your para team more effectively, or learn how to better support your autistic learners, this episode reminds you that professional development can be empowering, not overwhelming.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why summer is the ideal time to invest in your own growth
• How to reframe PD as nourishment—not a task
• What kind of learning actually fuels you as an educator
• How to get FREE access to the Preschool Autism Summit (July 14–16)
• What you’ll gain from my brand-new session: The Power of Us

📌 Mentioned in this episode:
Get your FREE ticket to the Preschool Autism Summit: www.spedprepacademy.com/summit

👥 Whether you're a resource teacher, self-contained teacher, therapist, or paraeducator, there’s something in this summit just for you.

—

👉 Rate, Review & Follow on Apple Podcasts

If this episode encouraged you, would you take a moment to leave a 5-star review? It helps other special educators find this podcast—and it means the world to me!

Let’s keep learning, growing, and supporting each other.

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Let’s be real — August sneaks up fast. The to-do lists pile up, caseloads change, para schedules shift, and IEP meetings seem to pop up before you’ve even unpacked your room.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing 5 simple, actionable prep tasks you can tackle this summer — without spending hours in your classroom or losing your well-deserved rest. These are quick wins that can be done in short bursts of 15–30 minutes to give you a major head start when back-to-school season hits.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

✅ Why tiny prep tasks now can save your sanity later
✅ My favorite quick wins that don’t require full-on “summer work mode”

• Prep your para handbook
• Update or create templates
• Build a caseload spreadsheet
• Create an IEP calendar
• Build a Basic Back-to-School Checklist

Mentioned in This Episode:
🗂️ Back-to-School Bundle for Special Education Teachers
Get all the editable templates, forms, handbooks, and checklists I talk about in today’s episode — ready for you to personalize and use.
👉 Grab it for 50% off here

Connect With Me:
Instagram → @spedprepacademy
Website → www.spedprepacademy.com
Email → jennifer@spedprepacademy.com

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Summer break is here—but before you fill every day with appointments, activities, and professional development, let’s pause. This episode is all about helping you find a better balance between rest, personal growth, boundaries, and just the right amount of planning.

Whether you’re someone who jumps directly into prep mode or someone who needs some solid nap time or lazy mornings (or both!), this episode will help you use your summer with intention—not obligation.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

✅ Why true rest matters—and how to define what that looks like for you
✅ Ways to grow personally that have nothing to do with IEPs or PD hours
✅ How to set boundaries that protect your time (and your sanity)
✅ What a “Do Not Do” list is—and why you need one
✅ How to make peace with not doing all the things this summer

Mentioned in the Episode:

📝 Want to reflect before you reset?
Grab the free End-of-Year Reflection Chart in the show notes of Episode 213 to help you look back before you move forward.

📚 Are you someone who loves to take time during the summer to prep for fall?
Check out my Paraprofessional Handbook. Prepare it now and save yourself some time in August.

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In this first episode of our Summer Strategies for Special Educators series, we’re taking a pause before the full summer reset begins. Whether your classroom is already packed up or you're heading into Extended School Year, this is the perfect moment to reflect on the past year.

• What went well?
• What could have gone better?
• And what absolutely crashed and burned?

Jennifer walks you through a simple, reflective framework designed just for special educators. You'll review key areas like paraprofessionals, instruction, routines, IEPs, and communication—then identify what worked, what needs tweaking, and how to use those insights to set a few meaningful goals for the next school year.

Grab your printable reflection chart, or sketch it out on paper and follow along as we break down the year—one area at a time.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why reflection is the most important first step to planning for next year
• How to use a simple 4-column chart to reflect on eight key areas of your role
• What questions to ask yourself to dig deeper into what worked (and what didn’t)
• How to turn honest reflection into realistic, actionable goals

Reflection Chart Columns:

• 🟢 Nailed It – What worked well this year?
• 🟡 Could Do Better – What could use a little tweaking?
• 🔴 Crashed & Burned – What needs to go or be totally reworked?

Reflection Areas Covered:

• Paraprofessionals
• Instruction
• Routines & Procedures
• Data Collection
• IEP Management
• Behavior Support
• Scheduling
• Communication

🎯 Final Task:
After completing your chart, choose 2–3 intentional goals to carry into next year—just for you. Use the clarity you’ve gained today to support the version of yourself that will show up next fall with purpose and peace of mind.

📄 Grab the Free Printable:
Download the End-of-Year Reflection Chart from the show notes and use it now—or save it in your planner for a quieter moment this summer. It’s one of the best gifts you can give your future self!

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This week’s episode wraps up our teacher burnout series with a powerful collection of real-world advice from real special educators. In Episode 212, we hear from 14 special educators from the special education community who share their own burnout prevention strategies—no fluff, no theory, just real talk and real tools.

From setting boundaries and saying no, to reclaiming your time, creating meaningful routines, and finding ways to recharge with movement, mindset, and joy—this episode is filled with practical wisdom you can start using today. Whether you're new to the field or a seasoned teacher in need of encouragement, this episode reminds you that you're never alone in this work.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

✅ Setting Boundaries & Saying No
Guests: Nikki from Teaching Autism, Hallie from Speech Time Fun, Jenn from Teach Love Autism, Angela from The SpedTech Teacher, Heather from Full Sped Ahead, Alexis from The Peachy Speducator

✅ Time Management & Prioritization
Guests: Ashley from Spedtacular Days, Abby from Mrs. Moe’s Modifications, Sam from The Ed Queen

✅ Recharging Through Movement & Mindset
Guests: Lydia from Exceptional Space, Chaia from All Things Exceptional, Alicia from Delightfully Dedicated, Heather from Full Sped Ahead

✅ Simplifying with Systems & Routines
Guests: Dawn from Cultivating Exceptional Minds & Be the Exception Podcast, Caroline from Celavora.com & Sped Up Paperwork

🎧 Why You’ll Love It:
This episode is a powerful reminder that burnout doesn’t have to be your reality—and that community is one of the best tools for getting through the tough days. These stories will inspire you, validate your experiences, and help you discover a strategy or two to try right away.

🔗 Resources & Links:
Visit the show notes to connect with each of today’s contributors and explore their platforms, tools, podcasts, courses, and more:
👉 Links to each contributor’s platforms

💌 Let’s Stay Connected:
If this episode resonated with you, let Jennifer know! You can always send a message or tag Special Education for Beginners on social media to share your favorite takeaway.

📅 Next Week:
A brand-new theme kicks off in June—don’t miss it!

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In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, we’re continuing our focus on teacher burnout—and today’s topic might be the most practical yet.

As special educators, we often pour from an empty cup. We overcommit, stay late, skip lunch, and carry the emotional weight of the work home with us. But burnout doesn’t just happen because of how much we’re doing—it happens when we don’t have boundaries in place to protect our time, energy, and mental health.

In this episode, I’m sharing 5 realistic boundaries you can start using right now to prevent burnout and bring more balance back into your school year.

🔑 Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Limiting communication outside of work hours (and what to say in an auto-responder)
• How to protect your planning time so it doesn’t disappear every day
• My simple, non-negotiable end-of-day routine that brings mental closure
• Why working with your energy—not just your time—can change everything
• How to say “no” or “not yet” without feeling like you’re letting people down

💌 FREE RESOURCE
If you’re on my email list, I’ve created a one-page visual guide for you with all 5 boundaries plus quick, actionable tips to help you protect your time and your well-being.

Not on the list yet? Head over to spedprepacademy.com/podcast and join for access to weekly freebies and support.

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Hey there, special educators! This week on Special Education for Beginners, we’re continuing our month-long series on teacher burnout with a powerful, honest, and deeply important conversation.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jessica Werner, founder of Northshore Learning and a passionate advocate for teacher wellness. Dr. Werner works with schools across the globe to help retain great educators by addressing the real causes of burnout—especially those tied to student needs and behavior—and by providing sustainable support that goes beyond one-off professional development.

Together, we unpack:

• What burnout really looks like in today’s schools
• Why special education teachers are particularly vulnerable
• How administrators often don’t realize the depth of burnout until it’s too late
• Practical, everyday strategies teachers can use to reset, reconnect, and feel seen
• Why self-advocacy, support systems, and subtraction (yes, subtraction!) matter more than ever

Whether you're feeling slightly overwhelmed or on the edge of walking away, this episode is here to remind you: burnout is not your fault, and you’re not alone.

🎧 Listen in to feel supported, validated, and empowered to take your next right step forward.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Connect with Dr. Jessica Werner: JessicaWernerWellbeing.com
• Learn more about Northshore Learning: Northshore Learning Website
• Download Jessica’s Micro Wellbeing Tips – perfect for quick, daily resets

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Burnout isn’t just being tired—it’s about feeling empty. And most likely, it's something we all face at some point in our career.

In this episode, we discuss the emotional, physical, and mental weight of teacher burnout—especially in the world of special education. From the never-ending paperwork to the emotional energy required just to make it through the day, it’s no wonder so many educators are running on empty.

In this episode, Jennifer shares 5 key “buckets” of real, restorative strategies to help you lighten the load, reconnect with your purpose, and feel like yourself again.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why surface-level self-care doesn’t cut it
• The difference between reactive and restorative self-care
• How to build in daily habits that protect your peace
• What mindset shifts can help reduce stress and perfectionism
• How to establish healthy professional boundaries (and stick to them!)
• Ways to build meaningful community and support with other educators
• Small but powerful forms of self-care you can start today
• A personal challenge to help you put these tips into action

🎧 Listen now

📝 Resources Mentioned:

• Free Burnout Strategy Tracker PDF
• Report templates for Woodcock Johnson, Y-CAT, and Bracken

I'd love to hear from you!

• Email Jennifer directly to share what self-care strategy you’re committing to this week!

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Surprise! April had five Wednesdays, so you're getting a bonus episode to wrap up our Inclusion Series—and this one is all about action.

Throughout the month, we’ve broken down the barriers to inclusion, defined what inclusion really means, explored reverse inclusion, and shared how to build strong inclusive teams. But there’s one piece we haven’t covered yet: how to actually implement inclusion successfully.

In this episode, I’m sharing practical, realistic tips to help you support students in general education settings with confidence and purpose—whether you’re a special education teacher, paraprofessional, or co-teaching partner.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why “hovering” isn't the best strategy—and what to do instead
• How to use roaming support to increase student independence
• Ideas for using small group instruction effectively in inclusive classrooms
• What true co-teaching should look like and feel like
• The biggest dos and don’ts for providing support during inclusion
• How to keep collaboration strong and student dignity intact

Key Takeaways:

• Inclusion isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. It’s about taking small, intentional steps to help every student feel seen, valued, and supported.
• The less you are doing for your students, the BETTER you are doing your job!

✨ Free Resource Alert!

To celebrate the week before Teacher Appreciation Week, I’ve teamed up with 12 amazing special education educators to give you a bundle of FREE resources!
From task boxes to IEP tools, impact statement support to classroom visuals—you’ll find tons of useful goodies for your program.

👉 Click here to grab your freebies (You'll click this link to opt-in to each contributor's email list to receive the freebies)

Or head to spedprepacademy.com/podcast to sign up for the newsletter and get access there, too.

• Sign up for the weekly newsletter: spedprepacademy.com/podcast
• Follow me on Instagram: @spedprepacademy
• Leave a review or share the episode with a fellow educator!

Thanks for hanging out with me today. You’re doing amazing work—and you’re never alone on this journey. 💛

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Inclusion sounds amazing in theory—but in practice? It can feel scary, complicated, and even a little overwhelming. In today’s episode, I’m addressing into the real-world barriers that can stand in the way of building inclusive classrooms… and sharing what we can do to push past them. From time constraints and unclear roles to limited resources and resistance from staff, we’re talking about the tough stuff—and how to respond with creativity, teamwork, and intention.

You’ll walk away from this episode with a knowledge of common barriers keeping us from implementing inclusion and practical tips you can implement right away, whether you're a new special education teacher or a veteran navigating a tough team dynamic.

What You'll Learn:

• Common barriers to inclusion
  • Administration
  • Teachers
  • Students
• How to advocate for time to collaborate with general education teachers
• Tips for clarifying roles and responsibilities on inclusion teams
• The importance of building a culture of belonging for all students
• A real-life example of simple, inclusive differentiation using colored paper

Links & Resources:

• Join the weekly newsletter for exclusive content & freebies: spedprepacademy.com/podcast
• Looking for strategies to improve team communication? Check out my Conversation Skills: Tips for Courageous Conversations resource on TpT
• Follow me on Instagram: @spedprepacademy
• Email me: jennifer@spedprepacademy.com – I love hearing your stories!

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This third segment in our April inclusion series discusses the crucial aspect of building successful inclusion teams. If you missed the earlier discussions on the core principles of inclusion and reverse inclusion strategies, be sure to check out the previous episodes.

Today, we focus on the importance of teamwork in providing inclusive classrooms for our students because true inclusivity cannot be achieved single-handedly.

Key Insights:

1. The Power of Teamwork:
   • Effective inclusion requires a united team where general education teachers, paraprofessionals, specialists, and special education teachers communicate openly and share clear roles.
   • Challenges arise when inclusion is treated as a checkbox item, leading to frustration and a lack of genuine inclusivity.
2. Why Teamwork Is Non-Negotiable in Inclusion:
   • Inclusion must be a shared mindset, not just a physical setting, necessitating clear communication, shared goals, and mutual respect among all team members.
3. 5 Steps to Effective Inclusion:
   • Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Use tools like expectation sheets and weekly planning templates to clarify who does what, enhancing confidence and effectiveness.
   • Support Paraprofessionals with Purpose: Provide adequate training, clear instructions, and regular feedback to paraprofessionals to ensure they are valuable, informed team members.
   • Choose the Right Co-Teaching Model: Select from various co-teaching models to find the best fit for your classroom dynamics and educational goals.
   • Use Scheduling and Planning Tools: Implement tools like Google Calendar and visual schedules to manage logistics and ensure consistent, compliant support.
   • Address Challenges Proactively: Encourage regular team check-ins to discuss what’s working, address challenges, and refine strategies to prevent issues from escalating.

This episode outlines a straightforward five-step process to boost your inclusion efforts. Remember, effective inclusion starts with a well-coordinated team where every member understands their role and contributes towards a common goal.

If you'd like a FREE Inclusion Planning Sheet, sign up for the weekly newsletter at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast.

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We are continuing the theme of Inclusion during the month of April.

In my opinion, inclusion is one of the most important things that we can do for our students, but finding ways to do that can be challenging, especially when your program is self-contained and when your students are with you, the majority, if not all, of the school day.

You're going to have to get creative in finding those opportunities. And that's where today's guests come in.

Megan and Jen from Moms Managing Behavior have created a program in their school where they are doing some reverse inclusion. I found this idea and this conversation very enlightening, so I hope you do too.

Listen in as we discuss:

• Defining Successful Inclusion
• Implementing Reverse Inclusion
• Training for Inclusion
• The Impact of Reverse Inclusion
• Advice for Educators-Where to begin

Resources Mentioned:

• Learn more about Megan and Jen’s initiatives and professional development services at Moms Managing Behavior.
• Moms Managing Behavior TPT store
• Instagram and Facebook: @momsmanagingbehavior

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Inclusion is a word we hear constantly—in IEP meetings, PD sessions, and school mission statements. But for many special educators, inclusion still feels more like a buzzword than a practical reality.

In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, I discuss what inclusion really means—and why it’s more than just placing a student in a general education seat. I share my personal perspective on the true purpose of special education, offer real-life stories that bring inclusion to life, and outline 5 inclusive practices that special educators and paraprofessionals can use to create more meaningful opportunities for students with disabilities.

Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned educator, this episode will leave you inspired and equipped to take action—because inclusion isn’t just a philosophy. It’s a practice.

🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why “inclusion” has become a buzzword—and how we can move beyond it
• The real-life impact of inclusive experiences for students with disabilities
• How inclusion builds empathy and understanding for all students
• Why full-time self-contained placements should not be the default
• 5 actionable strategies to help teachers and paras support inclusion every day

Unfortunately, inclusion is often talked about, but not always backed up with systems, supports, or intentionality.

That’s where you come in.

As special education teachers, you are often the bridge—the connector between students who need the support and the general education settings we want them to thrive in. Inclusion isn’t just a general education or special education responsibility.

It’s a team effort.

And we play a vital role in making it happen.

So here’s your challenge for the week:Think about one classroom, one teacher, or one team that you could support in becoming just a little more inclusive.

Maybe it’s a conversation.

Maybe it’s a strategy share.

Maybe it’s helping someone see a student’s potential in a new light.

Whatever it is—your voice matters. Your expertise matters. And your students deserve classrooms built with them in mind.

Resources Mentioned:

• Prompting Hierarchy Visual

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In this final installment of our series on assistive technology (AT), I want to provide you with a way to effectively plan and implement AT within your IEPs. This episode provides educators with a comprehensive toolkit designed to ensure that all students have the tools they need to succeed and gain independence in their learning environments.

What You'll Learn:

• How to effectively integrate assistive technology into IEPs.
• Strategies for involving all stakeholders in the AT planning process.
• An overview of the Assistive Technology Toolkit, including input forms and planning guides.
• Success stories demonstrating the transformative impact of assistive technology on student independence and learning.

Featured in This Episode:

• The Assistive Technology Toolkit: An essential resource for educators, including student, family, and teacher input forms; an evaluation & planning guide; and a resource ring with over 600 AT solutions.

The toolkit includes an Evaluation, Input Forms, Planning Guide & a Data Tracking form as well as a 65 card resource ring and digital input forms for students, families and teachers.

• Success Story: Hear about Emily, a student who found new independence through the use of a calculator, illustrating the profound impact of tailored assistive technology solutions.

Resources Mentioned:

• Assistive Technology Toolkit: Available for purchase on the Sped Prep Academy Teachers Pay Teachers store. Remember, if you’re on our email list, watch your inbox for a special deal on this toolkit!
• Sign Up for Our Newsletter: Get this toolkit at a discount, updates on new episodes, information on sales, and much more by signing up at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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Welcome to this episode of Special Education for Beginners, where we are continuing the discussion on assistive technology in special education. As we continue this series, today's episode focuses on how to build sustainable systems that endure and evolve with our educational needs and changes. Joining us is Paige Buckingham, the Assistive Technology Lead Facilitator for Kansas Infinitec, who has been instrumental in training districts, including mine, to integrate and sustain assistive technology effectively.

Talking Points:

1. What sustainability means in the context of assistive technology and why it's crucial not just to introduce tools but to integrate them as long-lasting components of educational plans
2. Discuss the centralized and distributed models of assistive technology implementation. Learn how these models affect the roles of IEP teams and the overall effectiveness of technology integration
3. Importance of training educators and staff to ensure that assistive technology tools are not only implemented but are also effectively used to enhance student learning experiences
4. Address common challenges that districts face in maintaining assistive technology systems and the innovative solutions that can help overcome these obstacles
5. Insights into the resources available for districts to enhance their assistive technology practices, including state guides, action checklists, and professional development opportunities

Conclusion: Remember, building a sustainable assistive technology environment is not a one-time task but an ongoing commitment to student success. Be sure to tune in for our next episode, where we will put everything discussed this month into action, from AT evaluations to integrating AT into IEPs based on individual student needs. Thank you for joining us, and continue to advocate for the impactful integration of technology in special education.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Paige through Kansas Infinitec

• Kansas AT Guide
• Learn more about TASN/Infinitec
• Email Paige pbuckingham@ucpnet.org

Learn more from Paige
pbuckingham.com
Instagram @BESTskills4life
YouTube channel- BESTskills4life

If you found value in today’s episode, please subscribe to the podcast, share it with other educators or parents, and leave a review. Your feedback helps us continue to support the special education community with valuable insights and resources.

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Today we're going beyond the basics of Assistive Technology and exploring its expansive potential to transform educational experiences for students with special needs. Joining us today is Brian, CEO of RoboKind, who brings a wealth of experience with over 15 years in educational technology leadership. We'll be discussing:

• The challenges teachers face with understanding and implementing AT.
• How RoboKind's innovative technologies are providing real solutions that align with educational standards and IEP requirements.
• The role of data in customizing educational experiences to improve student outcomes.
• Success stories that highlight the transformative effects of RoboKind's technologies in classrooms.
• The future of educational technology and the trends shaping it, with a special focus on AI and personalization for exceptional connections.

Talking Points:

• What RoboKind is and how its technology stands out in the field of AT
• Specifics of how RoboKind's technology works—no prep, standards and IEP alignment, and evidence-based approaches
• Innovative strategies like the use of virtual avatars and multi-sensory training tools to engage students
• Stories of how RoboKind has been instrumental in student success and classroom transformation
• Discussion on how these technologies support mastery-based learning and inclusion.

Brian's insights remind us of the powerful impact that innovative tech can have on special education settings. Remember, the key to successful integration of AT is understanding its scope and potential to help our student access life easier.

Learn more about Robokind at robokind.com/teachers

Connect with Brian at Robokind

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

I'm so happy that Chelsea reached out after learning about this podcast from Dawn at Be the Exception Podcast. I'd love for you to listen to her podcast as well and learn even more about the world of special education!

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🎉Today we're celebrating a big milestone—it's our 200th episode! 🎉

This March, we're exploring the important, but sometimes confusing, topic of Assistive Technology in education. Today we cover the basics of assistive technology—what it is, why it can seem confusing, who’s responsible for it and how we can better address it in our IEPs.

Listen in as we:

• Breakdown the definition of AT to more easily understand it
• Discuss examples in our own everyday lives
• Clarify why AT can seem confusing and how it integrates into the educational system
• Review the legal obligations of including AT in IEPs

We also focus on emphasizing a TEAM-approach for deciding on and implementing AT that involves general and special educators, the student, parents and building administrators.

When we know better...we do better!

I think you'll find a nugget or two in this special episode on Assistive Technology.

Remember, the process of integrating AT isn’t just about adding technology into an IEP; it's about creating an inclusive, supportive framework that adapts to the unique needs of each student. It’s about making sure every voice at the table is heard in the decision-making process and to continuously advocate for resources and training that enhances the implementation of the AT plan.

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In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, we’re wrapping up our ESL series with practical, easy-to-implement strategies for supporting Dual Language Learners (DLLs) who also have IEPs.

Throughout February, we’ve explored the challenges and best practices for working with the multilingual learners on our caseloads. This week, I’m sharing 7 actionable strategies to help your students access content, develop language skills, and build confidence.

📌 7 Strategies to Support ELLs

1️⃣ Leverage Visual Supports for Comprehension

2️⃣ Build in Language Scaffolds to Support Communication

3️⃣ Incorporate Structured Peer Interaction and Discussion

4️⃣ Leverage Technology and Assistive Tools

5️⃣ Provide Multiple Opportunities for Written Expression

6️⃣ Use Audio Support to Enhance Comprehension

7️⃣ Incorporate Movement and Hands-On Learning

🎯 Key Takeaways

Supporting ELLs with IEPs requires intentional planning, flexibility, and the right tools. By implementing these 7 strategies, you can:
✅ Make content more accessible for ELLs.
✅ Create a supportive, engaging classroom.
✅ Build language skills while meeting IEP goals.
✅ Boost student confidence and participation.

This episode has a lot of information, so I’ve created a resource to help!

💡This downloadable resource has all the strategies shared on today's show, plus common myths vs. facts about ESL students, and a quick-reference guide to tools and apps.

If you are on the Sped Prep Academy email list, you will receive this resource for FREE straight to your inbox.

Not on the email list? Let's remedy that! Go to www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast and sign up to be notified each time a new episode drops, receive discounts on products and get access to free resources.

Not on the email list, you can grab your resource here:

📄 This guide includes:
✅ A summary of today’s 11 strategies.
✅ Common myths vs. facts about ESL students.
✅ A quick-reference list of tools, apps, and strategies you can use in your classroom.

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This month on Special Education for Beginners we are discussing the essentials of supporting multilingual learners in special education settings. Today, we are joined by Katherine Hamilton, Vice President of Programs at Ensemble Learning, to discuss creating inclusive environments that not only meet the educational needs of multilingual students but also celebrate their diverse cultural identities.

Talking Points:

Supporting Multilingual and Dual Identified Students:

• Effective instructional practices and strategies that cater to both language development and the specific educational needs of students with disabilities.

Creating Inclusive Learning Environments:

• Approaches to integrate students' multilingualism and cultural identities into the classroom setting, enhancing both their academic and social experiences.

Engaging Families and Fostering Collaboration:

• Techniques to improve collaboration with families of multilingual learners, ensuring they are active participants in the educational process.

Addressing Common Misconceptions:

• Clarifying misconceptions about the provision of ESL services alongside special education services, emphasizing the necessity of continued language support.

Practical Strategies for Educators:

• Discussing real-world strategies that educators can implement to support academic English development while maintaining rigorous grade-level content.

Katherine's expertise highlights the importance of an inclusive approach that respects and utilizes the cultural and linguistic assets of students. For those interested in learning more about Ensemble Learning and accessing additional resources, visit her website at Ensemble Learning.org .

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Welcome to a new month here at Special Education for Beginners! All February long we will be discussing a topic that many special educators encounter but don’t always feel fully prepared to support—English Language Learners.

In this introductory episode, we’re breaking down the basics of English as a Second Language (ESL) and how it intersects with special education. Many special educators encounter English Language Learners (ELLs) but often struggle to distinguish between language barriers and learning disabilities.

🎧 Listen in to learn about...

✅ ESL vs. ELL vs. Bilingual Education – Understanding the terminology differences
✅ Common Myths About ESL Students – Addressing misconceptions, such as "they should just try harder" or "they should only speak English at school"
✅ How ESL and Special Education Overlap – The challenge of distinguishing between language acquisition and learning disabilities
✅ The Stages of Language Acquisition – How to support students at different levels of English proficiency
✅ The Role of the ESL Teacher vs. the Special Education Teacher – How collaboration ensures students receive the best support

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The theme for January 2025 has been all about learning how to implement student-led IEPs. To wrap up this series of episodes, I'm joined by a teacher who works within my district and who has been implementing student-led IEPs for the last 2 years. Listen in as Bristol Bale and I discuss the real-life application of this transformative practice.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Why Student-Led IEPs?
   Bristol shares her initial motivations for shifting to student-led IEPs, highlighting the lack of student awareness about their own IEPs and the need for greater self-advocacy in middle school.
2. Initial Challenges:
   Bristol discusses the early challenges she faced, including developing a new format that allowed students to take the lead in IEP meetings while ensuring the structure aligned with district standards.
3. Preparation Steps:
   Learn about the comprehensive preparation process Bristol uses to equip her students to lead their IEP meetings, which includes regular Wednesday sessions focusing on different aspects of the IEP.
4. Ensuring Inclusive Participation:
   Bristol explains her strategies for adapting the student-led IEP process to accommodate all students, regardless of their cognitive abilities, using tools like speech-to-text and visual aids.
5. Impact on Students:
   Discover the positive changes Bristol has observed in her students, including increased self-awareness, better understanding of their accommodations, and enhanced self-advocacy.
6. Success Story:
   A powerful testimony from Bristol about an eighth-grade student who used his knowledge of his IEP to advocate for necessary accommodations in his classroom.
7. Advice for Educators:
   Bristol offers practical advice for other educators interested in implementing student-led IEPs, emphasizing the importance of using student-friendly language and allowing students to take ownership of their meetings.
8. Parental Feedback:
   Insight into how parents have responded positively to the student-led approach, finding the meetings more understandable and informative.

If you’re looking for guidance on how to get started with student-led IEPs, my resource How to Implement Student-Led IEP Meetings for Any Grade Level provides detailed strategies to help students feel confident and capable in this role.

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Welcome back to Special Education for Beginners! Over the last two episodes, we’ve been diving into the important topic of student-led Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). In the first episode, we explored what student-led IEPs are, who they’re for, and why they matter. Last week, I had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Daniel Biegun, who shared some incredible insights about the life skills students develop through this process—skills like communication, self-advocacy, and collaboration.

Today, I’m taking the conversation one step further. We’re going to look at the 4 steps teachers at any level can take to help students take an active role in their education. When students understand their goals, accommodations, and the purpose of the meeting, they are better equipped to advocate for themselves and build essential life skills.

1. Input-Use tools like surveys, worksheets, or emoji cards to gather input. Build input into regular conversations throughout the year, not just before meetings.
2. Attendance-Students can attend part or all of their IEP meeting to familiarize themselves with the process and feel connected to their education.
3. Participation-Students actively engage in their IEP meetings by answering questions, giving input, or asking for clarification.
4. Leading the Meeting-The ultimate goal is for students to lead their IEP meetings, but leadership can vary, from presenting a slide deck to guiding a specific agenda item.

Focus on growth over perfection!

Here are some tools to help you obtain input:IEP Input Forms for Younger Students- Emoji Cards

IEP Input Survey-Students

If you’re looking for guidance on how to get started with student-led IEPs, my resource How to Implement Student-Led IEP Meetings for Any Grade Level provides detailed strategies to help students feel confident and capable in this role.

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Last week, we kicked off our first theme of the year with a broad look at student-led IEPs. We discussed who student-led IEPs are for and provided a a brief overview of what the process looks like before, during, and after the meeting.

If you missed episode 193, go back and catch up...it’s a great foundation for today’s discussion, so be sure to check it out!

This week, I’m excited to continue the discussion of student-led IEPs with a conversation with Dr. Daniel Biegun who is here to build relationships and spread the word about engaging and equitable instruction.

We’re taking a closer look at how student-led IEPs can foster genuine ownership and essential life skills and exploring ways to help students feel like active participants rather than passive attendees.

Highlights:

• Emphasize “Nothing about me without me”—students should be spoken to directly about their goals and strengths to build trust and confidence
• All students, regardless of communication style or cognitive ability, can meaningfully participate in their IEP meetings with the right supports in place
• Support non-verbal students by practicing introductions, offering choice-based questions, or creating visual slide decks to share their input
• Many students report initially feeling confused about their IEP meetings until they understood that their voices mattered, shifting their perception of the process
• Starting student-led IEPs early helps develop key life skills such as communication, collaboration, decision-making, and self-advocacy over time

Your challenge:
Whenever your next scheduled meeting is, turn over a little bit of control to the student. Then celebrate when it is a success!

About Daniel:

As an educational specialist for the Virginia Department of Education's Training & Technical Assistance Center at Old Dominion University, Daniel’s areas of focus include transition, self-determination, Universal Design for Learning, and content instruction for students with intellectual disabilities.

In 2020, Daniel founded his company, Visionary Teaching, as a means of offering engaging & innovative professional learning opportunities to practitioners across the country.

Connect with Daniel:
Website: www.visionaryteaching.com

Email: daniel@visionaryteaching.com

X: https://x.com/daniel_biegun

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielbiegun/

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Welcome to the first episode of 2025! As we start the new year, it's the perfect time to explore new and empowering approaches to special education. This episode unpacks the essentials of Student-Led IEPs, their importance, and how they vary across different educational stages. Join us as we outline actionable strategies for implementing these meetings and discuss the tremendous impact they can have on students' educational experiences.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• Overview of Student-Led IEPs: Understanding what they are and why they're crucial for fostering student independence and engagement.
• Detailed Breakdown: Exploring what a student-led IEP meeting involves before, during, and after the actual meeting.
• Levels of Student Participation: Insights into how participation can differ from elementary to high school, tailoring approaches to fit developmental stages.
• Implementation Challenges: Practical advice on slowly integrating student-led IEPs into your educational practice, ensuring a seamless transition.

Visit this episode's webpage...spedprepacademy.com/193

Resources and Links:

• Free Coaching Offer: Ready to dive deeper? Sign up for a free coaching call to enhance your practice at Sped Prep Academy Coaching. Use the coupon code PODCAST for your free session.
• Implementing Student-Led IEPs Guide: For further reading and templates, check out our recommended guide on Teachers Pay Teachers: How to Implement Student-Led IEPs for Any Grade Level.

Today’s episode is just the beginning of our month-long exploration of Student-Led IEPs. As we continue, we will provide you with more detailed strategies, expert advice, and inspiring stories to support you in empowering your students. Remember, the goal is to not only change how IEP meetings are conducted but to transform the educational experience, making it more inclusive and student-centered. Stay tuned! I look forward to having you back for more insightful discussions here at Special Education for Beginners.

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In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, Jennifer shares 15 gift ideas to help you show appreciation to your paraprofessionals and support staff this holiday season. From completely free options to more personalized gifts, this episode has something for every budget. Tune in to discover thoughtful and practical ways to make your team feel valued and supported.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why showing appreciation to your staff is essential for building a cohesive and positive team.
• Five creative and meaningful free gift ideas that don’t cost a dime.
• Five low-ticket gifts under $10 that are easy to find and guaranteed to bring a smile.
• Five thoughtful and practical gifts over $10 for those looking to go the extra mile.

Key Takeaways:

• A heartfelt thank-you note or a public acknowledgment can mean more than an expensive gift
• Thoughtful, personalized gestures foster trust, boost morale, and strengthen relationships within your team
• Showing gratitude during the holiday season is not only kind but helps to create a more motivated and cohesive work environment

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Welcome back to Special Education for Beginners! Today’s episode is a special one as we close out our beloved "Ask Us Anything" series with my incredible co-host, Paul. After two amazing years of working together, including 11 months of answering your burning questions about special education, Paul and I are wrapping up this chapter of the podcast.

We’ve tackled everything from scheduling nightmares and behavior strategies to managing paraprofessionals and navigating IEPs. Through it all, we’ve shared laughs, tears, and plenty of honest, real-life insights into the world of special education.

This series has been such an important part of the podcast, but as Paul transitions out of the field of special education, it’s time to say goodbye to this segment. I’m so grateful for everything Paul has brought to the show—his humor, wisdom, and unique perspective will be deeply missed.

But we couldn’t let our final episode together be all tears and goodbyes. Instead, we’re sending the series off with a bang! This episode features a rapid-fire Q&A session where Paul and I ask each other quick, easily answerable questions. We’ve mixed in thoughtful topics, funny moments, and a few lighthearted surprises.

Here’s a sneak peek at what we cover:

• The funniest thing a student has ever brought into the classroom
• Our least favorite professional development buzzwords.
• If our teaching styles were foods, what would they be?
• What we’d rename the role of paraprofessional—if we would at all.
• Our dream superpowers for the classroom.
• And so much more!

We wanted this final "Ask Us Anything" to feel like a celebration of the journey we’ve been on together and the connections we’ve made with all of you, our listeners. Grab your coffee, settle in, and join us for one last fun-filled conversation with Paul.

Stay Connected: This may be the end of "Ask Us Anything," but the podcast will continue to provide insights, tips, and support for special education teachers. Follow along for upcoming episodes and exciting new content!

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In the final part of our three-part series on administering achievement tests, we’re focusing on how to present results confidently in IEP meetings. Sharing test results can feel intimidating, but with the right strategies, you can turn these meetings into meaningful, collaborative discussions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to present your report as a conversation rather than simply reading the data.
• The importance of using parent-friendly language and providing clear, actionable explanations.
• How to engage parents and team members by inviting collaboration and answering questions effectively.
• Strategies to stay calm and professional, even in high-pressure or emotional meetings.

Plus, I’ll introduce you to a free tool that will make explaining percentiles a breeze for parents and help you feel more confident during the discussion.

Key Takeaways:

• Confidence is calming for parents and helps build trust and collaboration within the IEP team.
• Approach the meeting with preparation, clarity, and a focus on the student’s success.
• Use visuals like the Understanding Percentiles Chart to make scores easy for parents to understand.
• Always frame results as a conversation, inviting input and feedback from parents and the team.

Free Resource:
Make your IEP meetings smoother with a Free Copy of Understanding Percentiles Chart—a visual tool designed to help parents grasp percentile ranks and scores easily. Download your copy at www.spedprepacademy.com/percentilechart.

Next Steps:
If you enjoyed this series, don’t forget to share it with a colleague and leave a review to help others discover the show. Thank you for being part of this journey, and I’ll see you next time as we continue to support, learn, and grow together!

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In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, we continue our three-part series on administering achievement tests by focusing on how to write professional, comprehensive reports based on the data you’ve collected. Writing a well-organized report isn’t just a formality—it’s a critical step in the evaluation process that guides decision-making and sets the foundation for collaboration with your IEP team.

You’ll learn:

• Why writing a clear, professional report is essential for documenting the testing process, guiding decisions, and building trust.
• How to structure your report, including tips for starting with context, reporting results concisely, and adding meaningful observations.
• Strategies for summarizing the test as a whole, identifying patterns, and connecting findings to actionable recommendations.
• Tips for professional writing to ensure your report is clear, approachable, and polished.

If you’re looking for ways to simplify the report-writing process, I’ll also introduce you to a helpful resource that includes templates for crafting polished reports without starting from scratch.

Key Takeaways:

• A professional report provides critical context, highlights strengths and needs, and connects data to real-world implications for the student.
• Use clear subheadings, concise summaries, and thoughtful observations to make your report meaningful and actionable.
• Adding context to scores and summarizing patterns ensures your report is both informative and easy to understand.
• Proofread your report to ensure it’s accurate, clear, and professional.

Resource mentioned in the show:Achievement Testing Kit

If summarizing results feels overwhelming, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered! I’ve created a resource that includes report templates, tips for organizing your results, and example summaries you can use as a guide. You can download it at www.spedprepacademy.com/templates to make your report writing process smoother and more efficient.

Free Resource:
Don’t forget to get access to a FREE helpful testing checklist that includes two different “quiet” posters to use on your door and a complete checklist of everything you’ll need to gather before the test. You can download it at www.spedprepacademy.com/checklist

Next Week:
In the final part of this series, we’ll dive into presenting achievement test results confidently in IEP meetings. I’ll share strategies for clear communication, answering questions, and building trust with your team. Make sure to tune in!

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In this episode, we kick off a 3-part series on how to administer, report on and present achievement tests professionally.

Today, we focus on setting up for test administration. I’ll walk you through the specific steps to create a structured, distraction-free environment that allows students to focus and perform at their best.

I’ll also share practical advice on monitoring student behavior during the test—like fatigue or distraction—that can impact results and provide valuable context when interpreting data.

Even if you aren’t the one administering tests, understanding these steps strengthens your role as an advocate and collaborator. Knowing the testing process can help you support both students and team members, allowing you to contribute valuable insights at IEP meetings and more effectively interpret test results.

Today's quick action steps:

1. Familiarize yourself with the procedures of the test
2. Choose an appropriate testing window and don’t pull students at inopportune times
3. Ensure you have a quiet, distraction-free environment by putting a “Testing in Progress” sign on the door
4. Gathering all necessary materials, like timers, audio equipment, and fresh pencils.
5. Double-check the student’s identity
6. Monitor the student and take note of things that could impact interpretation of results
7. Administer the test with validity and reliability
8. End the session on a positive note

To make this process as easy as possible, I’ve created a free Testing Checklist available at www.spedprepacademy.com/checklist. This checklist includes two “quiet” posters to place on the door and a comprehensive list of everything you need before the test, so you can feel prepared, professional, and organized every step of the way.

Resources Mentioned:

• Testing Checklist: Download your free checklist and quiet posters at www.spedprepacademy.com/checklist

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In this episode of Special Education for Beginners Jennifer is joined by her co-host Paul to discuss the essential topics of de-escalation in the special education classroom and incorporating assistive technology into IEPs. Learn about how to handle extreme challenges educators face when students become overwhelmed and practical de-escalation strategies that you can implement today.

"How do you handle very challenging behaviors in the classroom?" - Amber

• Consistent routines
• Identify and track triggers
• Consider a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) to guide interventions
• Build trust through one-on-one time focused on positive activities
• Seek additional support when needed: involve administration, behavior teams, and document incidents for safety and transparency.
• Tip: De-Escalation Strategy Cards for Special Education can be a great tool for your team, offering strategies to defuse tension before it builds.

"What is your experience with using assistive technology to support students with disabilities?" - Hannah

• Assistive Technology is anything that will assist the students in being successful
• Don't get hung up on the word "technology"
• Assistive technology can be simple or complex: from pencil grips to speech-generating devices
• Engage with occupational therapists, physical therapists, and district resources to explore options
• Observe students throughout the day to identify possible areas for support
• Balance AT use: avoid creating dependencies by gradually reducing support as students become more independent

Conclusion
Thank you for joining us for this insightful discussion on de-escalation and assistive technology in special education! Remember, tools like the De-Escalation Strategy Cards for Special Education are excellent resources to help you calmly navigate challenging moments with confidence. Special educators, you’re not alone—lean on each other and these strategies to create a supportive classroom environment.

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In this episode, Caroline Koehler from Celavora Education and Sped Up Paperwork joins me to discuss the ever-pressing issue of paperwork in special education. Listen in as we share effective strategies and tools designed to help special educators manage your documentation more efficiently. This discussion is essential for anyone looking to reduce the administrative burden and focus more on teaching.

Key Talking Points:

• Caroline’s Professional Background: From kindergarten to special education, Caroline brings a wealth of experience and insight into the unique challenges of the field.
• Overview of Sped Up Paperwork: Caroline introduces her membership service which includes tools like student observations, functional behavior assessments, and behavior plans, aimed at simplifying the paperwork process for educators.
• Streamlining Compliance and Efficiency: How Sped Up Paperwork ensures adherence to legal standards while making the documentation process quicker and more customizable.
• Benefits for Educators: The discussion highlights how both new and veteran teachers can benefit from these tools, emphasizing efficiency and reduced stress.
• Special Offer - Free Webinar: Caroline discusses an upcoming free webinar that will provide additional strategies for managing educational paperwork effectively.

Implementing the right tools like Sped Up Paperwork can significantly ease the paperwork load for special educators, allowing you more time to dedicate to your students. Join Caroline’s upcoming webinar to learn more about these strategies and follow Calabora Education on social media for continuous support and resources.

Sped Up Paperwork

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In today’s episode of Special Education for Beginners, I share an inspiring conversation I recently had with a new special education teacher, Emily, who demonstrated an incredible capacity for resilience and optimism in the face of a challenging situation. When Emily was unexpectedly assigned a new student with complex needs, she chose to embrace the challenge with positivity and grace rather than frustration or overwhelm.

As special educators, we often find ourselves in situations that test our patience and resilience. This episode is a reminder that, while we can’t control the challenges we face, we can always control how we respond to them. Emily’s approach teaches us the importance of adopting a positive mindset, focusing on solutions, and fostering a supportive community for both staff and students.

Tune in to hear how Emily turned a potential burden into a learning opportunity, and how her proactive and compassionate attitude helped build a positive environment where her students can thrive.

Key Takeaways:

• The power of maintaining a positive mindset in special education.
• How our responses to challenges set the tone for both ourselves and our students.
• Emily’s story as a reminder that we can transform obstacles into opportunities for growth.
• Practical ways to approach unexpected challenges with grace and resilience.

A Quote to stick with you"Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it." -Charles R. Swindoll

Join the Conversation:
Have you faced a similar challenge? How did you handle it? Let’s chat about mindset, resilience, and adapting to the unexpected in our Facebook community or on Instagram.

Be a guest on the show Click the link and let's chat!

Rate & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show. Your support helps other special educators find the podcast and learn alongside us!

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On today's segment of Ask Us Anything with my co-host, Paul Hubbard we answer two common challenges faced by special education teachers: handling difficult parents and figuring out how often to progress monitor students.

How do you deal with difficult parents?
Jennifer and Paul both emphasize the importance of building strong relationships with parents and maintaining professionalism during tough conversations. Jennifer recommends practicing what you want to say ahead of time, paying attention to body language and tone, and ensuring that communication is consistent and clear to build trust before conflicts arise. Paul highlights the need to reflect on the energy you project, suggesting teachers categorize parents into Advocate, Behavioral, and Combative types, and use different strategies for each. He recommends involving Advocate Parents as valuable members of the IEP team by assigning them specific roles, helping to create a more collaborative relationship.

How often should teachers progress monitor students?
Both Jennifer and Paul agree that while daily data collection can be overwhelming, leaving progress monitoring until right before a report is due isn’t effective either. They suggest finding a balance, such as weekly or bi-weekly data collection, depending on the student's needs. Paul explains how assigning different students to specific days for monitoring can help teachers stay consistent. They also recommend using digital tools like Google Forms to streamline data collection, especially with the help of paraprofessionals, ensuring that accurate data is readily available for IEP meetings and decisions.

Highlights:

• Building strong relationships with parents and effectively navigating tough conversations when emotions run high
• Body language and preparation can significantly impact your communication with challenging parents
• A breakdown of different types of difficult parents
• How involving parents in the IEP process can turn them into valuable allies
• Finding a balance for your daily data collection to avoid last-minute data rushes
• Strategies for incorporating progress monitoring into your weekly routine to ensure more consistent and accurate data collection.
• How using Google Forms and paraprofessional support can streamline data collection for IEP meetings.

If you found this episode helpful, subscribe, leave us a review, and keep sending in your questions.

Resources Mentioned:

• Parent Communication Logs & Reports
• Send in your questions for the next Ask Us Anything

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As special educators, we often find ourselves navigating challenging interactions. Whether with colleagues, parents, or administrators, conflict is bound to rear its ugly head at some point. In this episode, we explore 3 practical strategies to handle these situations constructively, fostering an environment of collaboration and respect.

Discussion:

1. Embrace Conflict as an Opportunity:
   • Understand conflict as a chance to improve systems and relationships.
   • Example of resolving scheduling conflicts by proposing alternative models.
2. Stay Solution-Oriented:
   • Approach conflicts with potential solutions, not just problems.
   • Discuss the importance of coming prepared to discussions with actionable ideas.
   • Example from a staff meeting about resource allocation, showing how a proactive approach can lead to productive changes.
3. Assume Positive Intent:
   • Start discussions with the belief that everyone is aiming for the best outcomes.
   • Highlight how this assumption can change the tone of interactions and lead to more understanding and less defensiveness.
   • Example involving a new policy implementation where assuming positive intent helped to clarify misunderstandings and fostered a more supportive dialogue.

Resource Mention:

• Conversation Skills - Tips for Courageous Conversations
• How to Have Hard Conversations

Remember that the way we handle conflicts can significantly impact our professional environment and the outcomes for our students. By using these 3 strategies, we are not only able to resolve issues more effectively but also build a stronger, more cohesive team dynamic.

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

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Welcome back to Special Education for Beginners! In today’s episode, Jennifer draws a fun and insightful parallel between writing an Individualized Education Plan and solving a detective case. Just like detectives use boards with pushpins and strings to connect clues and evidence, special education teachers need to ensure that every part of an IEP is linked seamlessly to the next. From present levels of academic and functional performance (PLAAFP) to services, goals, and accommodations—each piece must flow together to create a solid plan for student success.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to treat the PLAAFP statement like the foundation of a detective's investigation
• Why it’s crucial that every service and goal directly connect to the needs outlined in the PLAAFP
• Tips for writing goals that serve as stepping stones to the student’s progress
• The importance of aligning accommodations and modifications to support student achievement
• How failing to connect these parts of the IEP can lead to a plan that lacks cohesion and effectiveness

Plus, Jennifer introduces her resource, Write Better PLAAF Statements, which offers 179 professionally written examples across 20 areas of need to help you craft clear, professional PLAAF statements. You can grab it by clicking the link in the show notes.

Resource Mentioned:

• Write Better PLAAF Statements – Get access to 179 sample PLAAF statements to strengthen your IEPs.

Tune in and discover how connecting all the dots in your IEP will ensure your students get the most from their plans.

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

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Today we're talking about a crucial element that can really make or break the success of our students—supporting their parents. These parents are juggling so much—all while trying to figure out how to best support their child at home.

In this episode, I’ll be sharing practical tips on how to foster better relationships with your parents. Plus, I’ll introduce a powerful resource I’ve created to streamline the whole process for you: the Parent Handbook for Special Education.

Highlights from the episode:

• Clear and Consistent Communication: Regular check-ins can help parents feel more included and share valuable insights with you that impact your daily teaching.
• Empowering Parents: Simple ways to explain the special education process, accommodations, and strategies to help parents feel confident and informed.
• Cultural Responsiveness: Being inclusive and culturally aware when communicating with families
• Parent Input Matters: Give parents ample time and space to reflect on their child's needs before IEP meetings, and how the Parent Handbook for Special Education provides them with a structured way to share valuable insights about their child’s strengths, interests, and goals.

Conclusion: By following these tips—establishing regular communication, empowering parents with information, being culturally responsive, and creating real opportunities for their input—you’ll build stronger partnerships with the families you work with, ultimately creating the best environment for your students to succeed.

Links from the episode:

• Parent Handbook for Special Education (English/Spanish): Help parents feel empowered to collaborate with you.
• Awareness Resources for Parents & Teachers:
  • Dysgraphia Awareness Resource
  • Echolalia Awareness Resource
  • Dyslexia Awareness Resource
  • ADHD Awareness Resource
  • Autism Awareness Resource

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

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Welcome back, special educators! Are you feeling the pressure of scheduling chaos as the school year kicks off? Or perhaps you're facing challenges with paraprofessionals not following their schedules? We've got you covered in this Ask Us Anything episode! I'm your host, Jennifer Hopperberg, an award-winning special education teacher turned instructional coach, here to help you navigate the complexities of the special education world.

In this episode, my co-host, Paul Hubbard, and I dive into two common back-to-school struggles:

1. Mastering the Art of Scheduling in Special Education: We discuss practical tips and strategies to create a workable schedule for your students, ensuring you're meeting all their Individualized Education Program (IEP) minutes while collaborating effectively with general education teachers and administrators. We'll also explore the importance of being proactive, using digital tools, and involving your entire team in the process.
2. Handling Paraprofessionals Who Don’t Follow Their Schedules: Learn how to communicate effectively with your paraprofessionals, set clear expectations from the start, and address any issues that arise. We'll share insights on leadership, time management strategies, and the importance of involving your paras in the planning process to ensure a smooth and successful school year.

Whether you're a seasoned veteran or new to the field, this episode offers valuable advice to help you survive and thrive in the ever-challenging world of special education. Tune in to learn how to handle these back-to-school curveballs and set your year up for success!

Highlights:

• [2:06] The importance of digging into IEPs and collaborating with administrators.
• [4:33] Why you can't rely solely on IEP summaries and the significance of double-checking documentation.
• [11:48] How AI can be a useful tool in drafting your schedule.
• [16:47] Tips for involving your entire team in the scheduling process.
• [17:42] Addressing paraprofessional challenges with effective communication and leadership.
• [24:31] The role of documentation and when to involve your administration in para issues.

Resources Mentioned:

• How to Create an Expectation List for Paraprofessionals

Join the Conversation: Do you have a question you'd like us to answer in our next Ask Us Anything episode? Drop us a message on social media or send us an email. We’d love to hear from you!

Send in your questions for the next Ask Us Anything

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In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, Jennifer discusses the vital role of mindset in the life of a special education teacher. This isn’t just another pep talk about staying positive—Jennifer tackles the real, sometimes overwhelming challenges that come with the job and shares how adopting the right mindset can make all the difference.

From embracing the new school year as a fresh start, setting goals and practicing self-compassion, she offers five powerful mindset shifts that can help you navigate the ups and downs of teaching with resilience and purpose. Tune in to learn how to reclaim your joy and passion for teaching, even on the toughest days.

Key Talking Points:

1. Mindset Shift #1: Embrace the New Year as a Fresh Start
   • The first mindset shift involves seeing each school year as a new opportunity to grow and make a difference. Jennifer encourages teachers to set positive intentions, visualize successes, and focus on the potential of the year ahead rather than dwelling on past difficulties.
2. Mindset Shift #2: Focus on What You Can Control
   • Jennifer shares her personal struggle with the need for control and how letting go of what’s beyond her control significantly reduced her stress. This shift helps teachers conserve their energy for what truly matters, like student engagement and personal well-being.
3. Mindset Shift #3: Celebrate the Small Things
   • The third shift is about recognizing and celebrating small victories, both for teachers and students. Jennifer explains how this practice can boost morale, reinforce a positive mindset, and serve as motivation throughout the school year.
4. Mindset Shift #4: Surround Yourself with Positivity
   • Jennifer discusses the impact of environment on mindset and offers practical tips for surrounding yourself with positive influences, whether through colleagues, media, or personal spaces.
5. Mindset Shift #5: Practice Self-Compassion
   • The final mindset shift focuses on self-compassion, reminding teachers that it’s okay to have bad days. Jennifer encourages teachers to develop self-care routines that allow them to recharge and maintain their well-being.

The challenges of teaching in special education are very real and maintaining the right mindset can help you navigate these challenges and ultimately lead to a more fulfilling and joyful teaching experience.

If you found this episode helpful, share it with a colleague who might benefit from these mindset shifts. Let’s start this school year strong—together!

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

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Welcome back to another episode of Special Education for Beginners. As we start thinking about the back-to-school season, I thought it would be good to get our mindset right and give you some strategies to get you started off on the right foot! Today’s guest is Angela Rivas from The Sped Tech Teacher and she is here to share some valuable advice to help you thrive in your role as a special educator.

Talking Points:

1. Building Strong Relationships with Colleagues
   • Strategies for fostering positive relationships with general education teachers and other colleagues.
   • The importance of collaboration and mutual support.
2. Establishing Effective Practices and Routines
   • Key practices to start the school year off right, including organization tips and proactive communication with parents.
   • Angela’s approach to using tools like a Notion template for staying on top of paperwork and deadlines.
3. Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout
   • Angela discusses her methods for managing stress, including the importance of using days off and setting boundaries.
   • The benefits of being transparent with students about stress and modeling healthy stress management techniques.
4. Advice for New Special Educators
   • Practical tips for new teachers to navigate their first year, including finding supportive colleagues and leveraging social media for professional development.
   • Angela emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and building a strong support network.
5. Special Resources for Listeners
   • Angela shares information about free resources she has available for special education teachers and how listeners can connect with her for more insights.

**This conversation with Angela has been incredibly enlightening. Her approach to building relationships, managing stress, and staying organized offers a clear path to thriving in the special education field.

Angela has found her passion in finding ways to improve teaching and learning both with and without technology. She has created an AI GPT called MyIEP Buddy, designed to help special education teachers write exceptional IEPs, and she has also created a course specifically for new special education teachers called the Newbie SpEd Teacher Academy, which is designed to help new teachers know where to start, changing their first year from chaos to structure.

Be sure to check out the special resources she mentioned, and as always, thank you for joining us on Special Education for Beginners*. We’ll see you next time!https://thespedtechteacher.com/collections/freebies*Connect with Angela:

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

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Today we're focusing on setting up the perfect autism classroom and we're joined by SB Linton, an experienced autism educational specialist, who will share invaluable insights and practical steps to help you create a supportive and efficient learning environment.

Listen in as we explore the 12 things you need to know before setting up an autism classroom.

1. You need to know about autism
2. Know what LRE you will be teaching in
3. What you are legally required to do
4. What is in the IEP
5. Skills you will be teaching
6. What teaching materials to order
7. Decide how creative you want to be
8. Understand parents’ perspective
9. Know who is on your team
10. How to handle behavior issues
11. How to develop transition strategies
12. Self care equals structure

Understanding Autism: Start by deepening your understanding of autism to tailor your approach effectively, recognizing the unique communication and emotional regulation needs of students.

Classroom Setup: Dive into practical steps for organizing your space, from creating sensory-friendly zones to integrating essential learning tools and visual aids.

Collaborative Approaches: Learn strategies for working with general education teachers and paraprofessionals to foster a cohesive team environment, ensuring all staff are well-informed and prepared.

Legal and Educational Frameworks: Discuss the importance of understanding and adhering to the legal aspects of IEPs (Individual Educational Plans), including setting appropriate goals and accommodations.

Engagement and Communication: Explore methods to enhance student engagement through structured routines and clear communication strategies, ensuring every student knows what to expect throughout their day.

Parental Involvement: Emphasize the role of parents in the educational process, offering tips for building strong partnerships and maintaining open lines of communication.

S.B. helps teachers create an effective learning environment so they'll feel more in control of their classroom and confident that they are meet the individual needs of their students. Be sure to check out the AutismClassroom.com website which provides practical articles, courses, worksheets, workbooks and materials for teaching students with autism.

Mentioned in the episode:
12 Things to Know Before Establishing Your Autism Classroom ebook

Connect with S.B.
Facebook

Instagram

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Special Education Teacher Checklist
Bullet Journal

Ask us your Questions!

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

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Today, we are diving into a critical topic that often goes unspoken: setting the stage for a successful school day right from the start. Mornings can be particularly challenging for many students, especially those who arrive at school unregulated due to various external factors such as tough mornings at home, stressful commutes, or sibling conflicts. As educators, it is our duty to create positive learning environments that help students transition smoothly into a day of learning and growth. I am thrilled to welcome Nikki Robertson from Teaching Autism to share her expertise on this topic.

• Importance of the Start of the School Day
• Arrival Routine Components
• Significance of Breakfast
• Morning Meetings
• Building Relationships and Trust
• Overcoming Challenges

Nikki shares invaluable insights into creating a nurturing and supportive morning routine for neurodiverse students. By focusing on the importance of the start of the day, Nikki emphasizes how a well-structured arrival routine, a nutritious breakfast, and engaging morning meetings can significantly impact students' readiness to learn.

She highlights the need for personalized interactions and the role of staff in building trusting relationships with students. Nikki also offers practical advice for overcoming common challenges teachers face when implementing morning routines, underscoring the importance of flexibility and individualized support. Her expertise and passion for special education provide listeners with actionable strategies to enhance their classroom environments and ensure a positive start to each school day.

Resources:

Morning Work Bundle includes my favorite morning work activities that I use as part of our morning work routine.

Morning Meeting Blog link

Connect with Nikki:

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

TikTok

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

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Today, we are thrilled to have Jenn Adams return to the show. In this episode, Jen and I focus to one of my favorite topics: working effectively with paraprofessionals. We dive deep into strategies for building strong teams, defining roles clearly, and ensuring every team member is on the same page to maximize classroom dynamics and student success.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Understanding Paraprofessional Roles: challenges teachers face, especially new ones, in defining the roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals within the classroom
2. Setting Clear Expectations: clarify expectations and responsibilities to avoid confusion and ensure a smooth classroom operation.
3. Behavior Management: strategies to maintain consistency in behavior management among all classroom adults
4. Training and Professional Development: The significance of tailored professional development and orientation for paraprofessionals
5. Communication and Teamwork: regular meetings and clear communication are foundational elements for fostering successful partnerships
6. Practical Classroom Applications: how to set up classroom stations to efficiently utilize paraprofessionals and engage students
7. Documenting and Evaluating Work: best practices for keeping track of the contributions and effectiveness of paraprofessional work in the classroom

This conversation not only highlights the critical role of paraprofessionals in special education settings but also provides practical advice for teachers looking to enhance their collaborative skills and build a cohesive team, this episode is packed with actionable tips and insights. Be sure to follow Jen for more resources and support.

Teach Love Autism Website

Teach Love Autism on Teachers Pay Teachers

Teach Love Autism on Facebook

Teach Love Autism Community Facebook Group

Teach Love Autism on IG

@teachloveautism on Tiktok

Teach Love Autism on Pinterest

Mentioned in the Episode:Episode 32: How to Stay Organized as a Special Education TeacherProduct - Task Card Bundle for All 4 Core Subjects!

Free Fluency Data Sheets

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

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Today's episode is all about progress monitoring—a foundational element in special education that ensures each student's unique educational journey is effectively supported. Whether you're new to this field or looking to refine your current strategies, understanding how to implement a solid progress monitoring system is crucial. We'll explore various methods and tools that can help you tailor your approach to meet the needs of your students. So, let’s dive into the world of progress monitoring and discover how to apply it effectively in your classroom."

Talking Points:

1. Understanding Progress Monitoring
   • Definition and importance of progress monitoring in special education.
   • How it helps in achieving personalized educational outcomes and informs IEP adjustments.
2. Choosing the Right Frequency
   • Discussing how often to conduct progress monitoring.
   • Balancing thorough assessment without overwhelming students or educators.
3. Methods of Progress Monitoring
   • Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM)
     • Overview and benefits for reading, math, and other core areas.
     • Introduction of digital tools like Easy CBM.
   • Direct Behavior Rating (DBR)
     • Explanation of how DBR tracks behavioral and educational success.
   • Exit Ticket System
     • Benefits of using exit tickets for quick daily assessments.
   • Portfolio Assessment
     • The use of comprehensive collections of student work to assess growth over time.
   • Learning Management Systems (LMS)
     • How digital platforms can streamline progress monitoring.
   • Performance-Based Assessment
     • Evaluating students through real-life tasks to measure practical application of skills.
   • Anecdotal Records
     • Importance of observational data in understanding student behavior and learning context.
4. Decide on a System
   • Traditional paper or pencil vs. digital
   • Use of a Student Data Notebook

Summary and Product Links:

"As we wrap up today's discussion, it's clear that effective progress monitoring is pivotal in special education. By choosing the right tools and methods, you can ensure that your monitoring efforts are both efficient and tailored to the unique needs of each student. For those interested in implementing some of the tools we discussed, I highly recommend checking out the customizable Student Data Notebook and the dynamic Exit Ticket bundle from my TPT store. These resources are designed to help you streamline your progress monitoring processes and are currently available at an introductory price."

Links to Products Mentioned in the Show:

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

My IEP Impact Statements Growing Bundle will give you the resources you need to make writing impact statements a breeze.***

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Welcome back to another insightful episode of "Special Education for Beginners"! Today, we're thrilled to host Abby from Mrs. Mo's Modifications. After much anticipation since 2021, we've finally connected to explore her extensive experience in behavior management within special education. Abby will share her revolutionary behavior roadmap and practical tips for effectively managing challenging behaviors in the classroom.

Talking Points:

1. Understanding and Implementing Effective Behavior Management Strategies:
   • The significance of offering choices to students to empower and provide control.
   • The importance of maintaining a positive self-talk or mantra to manage stress and improve teacher-student interactions.
2. Abby's Behavior Roadmap:
   • An introduction to Abby's unique behavior roadmap, designed to offer a structured approach to managing difficult behaviors beyond traditional plans.
   • Discussion on the increasing challenges in behavior management post-COVID and the impact of environmental factors on student behavior.
3. Advice for Educators and Parents:
   • Practical tips that can be implemented by educators and parents alike to handle challenging behaviors.
   • Emphasizing the importance of separating the behavior from the child and maintaining a trauma-sensitive classroom environment.

Conclusion: In today's episode, Abby provided invaluable insights and strategies that can transform the way educators and parents approach behavior management. Her behavior roadmap promises to be a comprehensive guide for anyone facing behavioral challenges in educational settings. Don’t forget to check out Abby's upcoming live sessions this summer for more detailed guidance and support.

Thank you, Abby, for sharing your expertise and resources. For those interested in learning more about Abby’s work or joining her behavior management training:
Your Behavior RoadmapConnect with Abby on social media at Mrs. Mo's Modifications for continuous tips and updates.
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Welcome to the July segment of Ask Us Anything! In these fun episodes of the Special Education for Beginners podcast, Jennifer and her monthly co-host, Paul, answer the questions you ask. This episode is packed with practical wisdom and tips to help you handle the challenges of the special education classroom.

Today's Questions:

1. Katie from Florida: "I am a brand new teacher starting this fall in a resource classroom, but I also will have some students who have higher needs and are with me a lot of time during the day. What resources or materials do you recommend for a new teacher in this situation?"
2. Angie from Texas: "How can I best utilize my paraprofessionals?"

Talking Points:

1. Resources for New Teachers:
   • Importance of Seeking Support:
     • Jennifer shares her initial experiences as a new teacher and emphasizes the importance of seeking support.
     • Utilizing podcasts, social media, and veteran teachers for guidance.
   • Scheduling and Grouping:
     • Paul's top recommendation: Invest time in creating effective schedules.
     • Collaborating with special education staff for optimal scheduling.
   • Visual Schedules and Behavior Management:
     • Creating visual schedules based on students' Individual Educational Plans (IEPs).
     • Implementing a behavior management system that is simple and sustainable.
   • Data Tracking Tools:
     • Using data tracking notebooks or spreadsheets for goal tracking and progress monitoring.
   • Sensory Items:
     • Preparing a variety of sensory tools and fidgets tailored to individual student needs.
   • Jennifer's Paraprofessional Handbook:
     • Jennifer discusses the handbook she created when she was struggling in this area which provides for effective paraprofessional management.
2. Maximizing the Potential of Paraprofessionals:
   • Use a Para Interest Inventory
   • Practical Ways to Utilize Paraprofessionals
   • Supporting and Appreciating Paraprofessionals
   • Communication and Prep:

Resources Mentioned:

• Jennifer's Paraprofessional Handbook on TPT
• FREE Paraprofessional Survey & Summary
• Digital Para Interest Survey

Don't Forget!

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Welcome to a thought-provoking episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast, where we are joined once again by Jenny Walmsley, a seasoned special education teacher turned behavior coach. With her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis and as the founder of Braving BSEL, Jenny brings a wealth of knowledge in supporting the behavioral, social, and emotional learning of both students and educators. In today’s episode, we dive into the concept of "Skill Not Will" to approach challenging behaviors in the classroom with a fresh, constructive mindset.

Highlights:

• Current Mindset and Misconceptions: Jenny begins by addressing the common perceptions among educators that frame student behaviors negatively. She discusses how these views can hinder the educational process and stresses the importance of recognizing behavior as a skill to be taught, rather than a problem to be suppressed.
• A Different Mindset: Jenny explains her philosophy of "Skill Not Will," encouraging teachers to view challenging behaviors as opportunities for teaching and growth. She emphasizes the importance of equipping students with the necessary skills to behave appropriately, rather than merely disciplining them.
• Proactive Strategies: We explore a range of proactive instructional strategies that Jenny has successfully used. These include setting up a supportive environment, using positive reinforcement, and incorporating traditional educational techniques like read-alouds and role-playing into behavior management.
• Success Story: Jenny shares a powerful success story about a student who learned to channel frustration through a safe alternative behavior, demonstrating the effectiveness of the skills-focused approach.

Conclusion: Jenny wraps up the episode by highlighting resources for educators interested in further exploring the "Skill Not Will" approach. She mentions her upcoming free training session and directs listeners to the Braving BSEL website for additional information and support. This episode is a must-listen for any educator looking to transform their approach to behavior in the classroom, fostering an environment where students not only learn but thrive.

Mentioned in the Show:Sign Up for the FREE Skill not Will Webinar in July

Additional Resources:

• Jenny’s Instagram
  Braving BSEL’s Instagram
  Braving BSEL Website

Join us next time on Special Education for Beginners for more insights into enhancing your teaching practices and effectively supporting your students' special needs.

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In today's episode, Jennifer shares her personal journey with organization (or lack there of) and the challenges she faced throughout her career, and introduces a transformative tool for special educators—the Special Education Caseload and IEP Planner.

Key Points:

1. The Importance of Organization:
   • Jennifer discusses the overwhelming nature of a special educator's daily tasks, from writing IEPs to managing classroom behaviors and communicating with parents
   • She emphasizes how a lack of organization can feel like drowning in responsibilities
2. Personal Struggles with Organization:
   • Jennifer shares her past difficulties with staying organized, illustrating the common cycle of feeling overwhelmed that many educators experience
3. Introducing the Special Education Caseload and IEP Planner:
   • Created by a special educator for special educators, this planner is designed to streamline workflows, enhance interactions, and optimize daily management tasks
   • Features include student profiles, IEP snapshots, communication logs, and various calendars to ensure nothing is missed
4. Detailed Features of the Planner:
   • Year at a glance and monthly calendars to keep track of important dates and tasks
   • IEP due date calendar and caseload snapshots for up to 40 students, making critical information readily accessible
   • Dedicated sections for student and teacher login information
   • IEP meeting checklists and meeting notes
   • And parent communication logs
5. Bonus Material:
   • Includes a helpful chart to explain percentiles to parents, enhancing communication and understanding during meetings

Get the Planner 2 Ways:

TPT Editable Version
Also available in 3 different versions. You can search my store for retro, pastels and primary colors.

Buy it on Amazon

Conclusion:

This planner is more than just an organizational tool—it's a means to becoming the best educator you can be for your students.
I encourage you to get your planner to gain control, reduce stress, and improve your teaching effectiveness during the 24-25 school year.

Remember to subscribe for more practical tips and to leave a review on how the planner has transformed their teaching experience.

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

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If "No Concerns" is still making its way into your IEP sections as a standalone remark, this episode is your call to action to enhance your PLAAFP (Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance) writing practices.

The PLAAFP section is not just the foundation of the IEP; it’s the blueprint that guides every aspect of a student's educational plan.

In this episode (recap of episode 81), we discuss these important aspects of the IEP PLAAFP section:

• Essential Components: What must be included to paint a complete picture of a student’s capabilities and needs.
• Common Pitfalls: What to avoid to prevent vague or incomplete PLAAFP sections.
• Sourcing Information: Best practices for gathering comprehensive data from a variety of sources.
• Stakeholder Input: How to effectively incorporate feedback from everyone involved in the student’s education, including the students themselves.

Resource highlights include:

• Write Better PLAAFP Statements for IEPs | Special Ed Teachers
• Writing Impact Statements for IEP PLAAFPS | Special Education Teachers
• PLAAFPs-Present Levels of Performance Cheat Sheets

Tune in to learn:

• How to ensure that every PLAAFP section you write is as robust and informative as possible.
• Why revisiting and refining your approach to PLAAFP can make a substantial difference in your educational outcomes.

Mentioned in the show:

• Write Better PLAAFP Statements for Your IEPs Guide – Find this essential resource through the link in our show notes.
• Survey Level Assessment – Discover how this tool can aid in creating precise and personalized IEP goals.

Revisiting this topic reinforces our commitment to excellence in special education. Perfect your PLAAFP sections and ensure that every IEP you write fully reflects the unique needs and strengths of your students. Your mission to better understand and articulate your students' levels starts here!

Get your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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Hey special educator…Overwhelmed by the absurd amount of paperwork on your to-do list? Do you wish you had the skills to build a rock-solid team with your paraprofessionals? Are you challenged by disruptive classroom behaviors or found yourself scouring the internet searching for how to meet the diverse needs of each student, how to progress monitor , how to write IEP goals and on and on? Are you frustrated that it seems no one in your family truly understands what it means to be a special educator? If this sounds like you, you’ve landed yourself in the right spot. In this podcast, you'll find strategies to streamline paperwork, learn techniques for managing staff and behaviors, get insightful tips to meet each child where they are and take them where they need to be and finally feel seen and heard.

Hey there friend…I’m Jennifer Hofferber, an award winning veteran special education teacher and current instructional coach who has walked in your shoes through each of these challenges and yes, I've got the metaphorical blisters to prove it! I’ve cried your tears, felt your pain and made it to the other side…and now I’m here to support you.

I want you to think of your role as a special educators as a journey. It’s like taking a road trip with a good friend. Sure there will be potholes and and unexpected bumps. . Sure there will be road blocks and detours. And throughout your trip you are going to laugh and cry. But can I tell you something?…I wouldn’t trade this trip for anything. That rough road you are on is lined with moments of profound joy and triumph. Together we will find the strength and knowledge we need to navigate this journey, and we’ll learn how to transform challenges into victories.

My mission is to empower you with the confidence to run a successful department. To transform your classroom from a place of stress to one of success. If you're ready to enhance your skills, feel confident in this challenging career you've chosen, and connect with someone who truly understands what you are going through and how you are feeling, then this podcast is tailor-made for you. Special Education for Beginners is your go-to podcast for navigating the world of special education.

Every week, join me and other guests as we teach you how to handle all the classroom curveballs thrown your way, and learn to laugh in the midst of chaos. We'll celebrate those small, yet significant victories that only a special educator can truly appreciate. So, are you ready? Wipe those tears, put on your superhero cape, and together, let's learn how to survive and thrive in this ever-crazy, completely overwhelming, laugh-so-you-don't-cry profession of being a special education teacher.

How to learn more from me:

Sped Prep Academy Website

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Welcome to 6th segment of Ask Us Anything. In these fun episodes of of the Special Education for Beginners podcast, Jennifer and her monthly co-host, Paul, answer the questions you ask.

Today's questions:

1. Yesenia asks “When applying, what interview questions should I expect and what should I ask?"
2. From Mark..."I don't understand how to progress monitor and keep up with all that data."

Talking Points:

• Interview Tips for Special Education Teachers:
  • Importance of asking about interview panel members.
  • Significance of having special ed teachers in the interview process.
  • Key interview questions on collaboration, behavior management, differentiation, and paperwork management.
  • Jennifer emphasizes the importance of being proactive with consistent expectations and routines.
  • Paul discusses the strategic approach to discipline and inclusion in general education activities.
• Progress Monitoring:
  • Strategies for effective and manageable progress monitoring.
  • Using tools like spreadsheets and established programs (e.g., AIMSweb, FastBridge) for tracking student progress.
  • Importance of consistency and rewards for student improvements.
  • Jennifer suggests a new exit ticket system for weekly progress snapshots, available as a growing bundle on TPT.

Resources Mentioned:

Prepare for a job interview with these 50 potential questions and example answers Interview Questions for Special Education Teachers | Resume Template

Pinpoint exactly what skills your students can and cannot do, write goals and PLAAFP statements using the assessments and then use the same progress monitoring forms to track the data K-5 Progress Monitoring Assessment System

Brand New Resource: Special Education Exit Tickets for Progress Monitoring-Growing Bundle

These exit tickets provide a structured, consistent method for special education teachers to gather real-time data on student performance. These Exit Tickets are customized to align with the goal:
Exit Tickets for Progress Monitoring

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• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

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As we approach the end of May, you may be already enjoying your summer break or eagerly counting the days until you can. This episode is dedicated to the importance of summer breaks for special education teachers, offering a time for rejuvenation and reflection after a year filled with unique challenges and triumphs.

What's Included:

• The Importance of Summer Break: Summer provides a crucial period for special education teachers to relax, rejuvenate, and reflect on the year's challenges and successes.
• Permission to Relax: Give yourself permission to take a break, emphasizing the necessity of this time for mental and emotional recovery.
• Reflection and Goal Setting: Jennifer introduces a three-part strategy to effectively use the summer break:
  1. Reflect on the Past Year: Focusing on various aspects such as administration, co-teachers, parents, students, schedules, paraprofessionals, and lesson planning.
  2. Maximize Relaxation: Engaging in activities that truly refresh and invigorate, from spending time outdoors to revisiting hobbies.
  3. Planning for the Upcoming Year: Setting gentle goals and organizing thoughts to prepare for a productive start to the new school year.
• Maintaining Well-Being: Strategies to carry the rejuvenated state into the new school year, including mental preparation techniques and self-care routines.

Summary

In this episode of Sped Prep Academy, Jennifer Hofferber shares essential strategies for special education teachers to make the most out of their summer break. From reflecting on the past school year to planning for the next, Jennifer provides practical advice and insights to help teachers recharge and prepare for new challenges. She also introduces the Special Education Teacher Reflection and Goal Setting Toolkit, a resource designed to aid in this reflective journey. This toolkit can be accessed here. As summer progresses, Jennifer encourages listeners to continue nurturing their well-being and to stay connected by sharing their stories of relaxation and preparation.

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

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Today's guest is Kristen Andujar from the Special Education Clubhouse and is here to discuss the importance of collaboration between special education teachers and general education teachers.

When both educators work together, they can share insights, resources, and strategies to meet the diverse needs of all students. Effective teamwork not only enhances the educational experience, but it also ensures that all students (Not just those with IEPs) receive the consistency and support they need to thrive.

And a collaborative relationship is just as important for the adults. Building strong professional relationships and working collaboratively can reduce stress, increase job satisfaction, and lead to personal and professional growth.

In this episode, Kristen and I discuss the common challenges that special education teachers face in building these partnerships, and we share strategies for successful co-planning and co-teaching to help bridge the gap between special education and general education.

Listen in as we discuss:

• Common Challenges in Collaboration:
  • Lack of common planning time
  • Limited resources and support for general education teachers
  • Need for additional training on special education strategies
• Strategies for Effective Co-Planning and Co-Teaching:
  • Utilize any available duty-free time for planning
  • Maintain open lines of communication
  • Share tips and strategies to support students’ IEP goals
• Impact of Effective Communication:
  • Consistency and support for students
  • Improved student outcomes and goal achievement
  • Enhanced inclusion and positive classroom environment
• Resources to Support Collaboration:
  • Free Visual Cue Cards
  • Free Visual Supports Lanyard
  • Break Cards on Teachers Pay Teachers
• Tracking and Sharing Student Progress:
  • Use simple data sheets that transition between classrooms
  • Ensure the process is quick and effective for both teachers
• Advice for New Special Educators:
  • Prioritize open communication
  • Be proactive in collaborating with general education teachers
  • Focus on the shared goal of student success

This episode underscores the impact of effective communication on student outcomes, and gives examples of how consistent collaboration can lead to success for everyone involved.

To learn more from Kristen, listeners can visit her website at specialeducationclubhouse.com
or follow her on Instagram at @specialeducationclubhouse

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

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Have you ever been formally trained on how to work with paraprofessionals?
No? Me neither!

Unfortunately, this critical aspect of special education preparation—paraprofessional training--is too often overlooked.

In today's episode, we explore why effective training isn't just beneficial, but essential for everyone involved: You, your district, fellow teachers, the paraprofessionals, and most importantly, our students.

Key Points Discussed:

• Startling Statistic: Only 11 out of 50 states have established professional development programs for paraprofessionals aiming to achieve highly qualified status. We discuss the implications of this and why it’s vital to address.
• I share the structured training systems I implement at the beginning of each academic year. This handbook system is designed to help you clearly communicate with your staff and build a skilled and confident team of paraprofessionals.
• Learn how to incorporate ongoing training into your weekly or monthly routines to continually enhance the skills of your paraprofessionals. This approach ensures they are not only competent but also confident and content in their roles.
• A Comprehensive Paraprofessional Training Guidefilled with practical advice, activities, and strategies will help to empower your team.
• Personal Insights and Innovations: Reflecting on her decades of experience, Jennifer discusses her journey from recognizing a gap in available resources to creating the Ultimate Paraprofessional Training Guide and handbook, which have now become integral to her training process.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to transform your approach to paraprofessional training. Check out the Ultimate Paraprofessional Training Guide
Equip yourself with the tools to develop a robust training program that supports your team and enhances the educational experience for your students.

Because efforts in training can lead to significant improvements in your educational setting, creating a more effective and cohesive team is essential. Elevate the role of paraprofessionals in special education by training yourself.

Get your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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In this episode, we discuss how to maintain your professionalism when faced with tough moments in the classroom. Everyone loses their cool now and then, but it’s how we handle these situations that truly shapes our teaching environment.

Early in my career, I learned a costly lesson about controlling my reactions and to this day serves as an important reminder that our reactions have consequences.

Learn about:

• Identifying your triggers: Reflecting on this incident has made me realize the importance of recognizing personal triggers and stress points to better manage reactions and maintain a professional environment.
• Choosing your techniques to calm down: Discusses practical techniques for staying calm in the heat of the moment, such as deep breathing, stepping away briefly, and practicing mindfulness to build resilience over time.
• Responding Professionally: Offers strategies for handling confrontations professionally once you’ve managed to calm down, including using neutral language and scheduling follow-up discussions to thoroughly address important issues.
• Reflection and Feedback: Emphasizes the importance of reflecting on challenging interactions and seeking feedback to continually grow as an educator.
• Importance of Apologies: Discusses the power of apologizing and showing vulnerability, which can rebuild trust and demonstrate accountability.
• Golden Rule: Concludes with a reminder of the golden rule—treat others as you would like to be treated—which underpins the importance of maintaining professionalism and respect in all interactions.

Navigating challenging situations with professionalism not only helps us manage immediate challenges but also sets a positive standard for behavior in our educational environments.

Remember to download the free "Courageous Conversation Sentence Starters" to enhance your ability to handle difficult conversations effectively.

• Get your free "Courageous Conversation Sentence Starters" here: spedprepacademy.com/conversations

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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Welcome to 5th segment of Ask Us Anything. In these fun episodes of of the Special Education for Beginners podcast, Jennifer and her monthly co-host, Paul, answer the questions you ask.

Today's questions:

1. Megan asks “What are some fun End of Year educational activities? My principal said we still have to do educational things in our classes but my kids are off the walls."
2. From Heather..."I’ve had a student for 5 years and this is my first experience with transitioning a student to middle school. How can I prepare the student for the transition as well as myself and the parents?"

Bullet Points:

• End-of-Year Engagement: Discuss how to keep students engaged with educational activities as the school year ends.
• Highlight the use of project-based learning and other creative strategies such as incorporating movement and catering to different learning styles.
• Creative Educational Activities: Explore innovative classroom activities like creating custom escape rooms for review and adapting Genius Hour for short-term projects that allow students to explore their interests.
• Transitioning to Middle School: Provide advice for educators facing the emotional and logistical challenges of transitioning students to middle school.
• Emphasize the importance of building connections with the future school's staff and preparing both students and parents for the change.
• IEP Continuity: Stress the necessity of ensuring continuity in IEP implementation across school transitions. Suggest creating detailed snapshots of student progress to aid new teachers in understanding students' needs and strengths.

Closing:
Thank you for tuning into today's episode. We hope the strategies and stories shared here inspire you to implement creative solutions in your classrooms and support your students through important transitions. Remember, the end of the school year is not just a time to wrap up but an opportunity to celebrate growth and lay the foundation for future successes.

Keep sending your questions our way, and let's continue to support each other in our journey as special educators. See you next month, and here's to a wonderful summer break ahead!

Get your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

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Have you begun the summer countdown yet? As we approach the end of the school year, many of us in special education are feeling the familiar strain of end-of-year fatigue. Testing, changes in student behavior, loosened discipline, and a packed meeting schedule can leave you feeling drained and ready for a break. In this episode, I explore practical strategies to manage this overwhelm, ensuring you can finish the year strong while continuing to make a positive impact.

5 Strategies to Stay Stress Free

• Keep Students Engaged: Modify teaching methods to cater to various learning styles, incorporate real-life connections, and introduce interactive and fun elements to maintain student interest.
• Stick to a Consistent Schedule: Maintain routines as much as possible to provide stability and predictability for students, which is essential for reducing anxiety and enhancing focus.
• Delegate: Utilize the strengths of your team by delegating tasks effectively, allowing you to focus on critical aspects of teaching and student interaction.
• Self-Care: Prioritize your physical and mental health to ensure you are your best self for your students. Regular exercise, nutritious meals, adequate sleep, and mental health practices are key.
• Have Fun: Create opportunities for celebration and joy in your classroom, helping to end the year on a positive note for both you and your students.

In this episode, we've tackled how to handle the stress and challenges that come with the closing months of the school year in special education. By keeping students engaged, maintaining a consistent schedule, delegating tasks, focusing on self-care, and infusing the classroom with fun, we can alleviate the overwhelm and ensure a rewarding conclusion to the school year. Remember, you're not alone in this journey. The strategies discussed today are designed to support you as you continue to make a significant impact on your students' lives. Let's finish strong, take care of ourselves, and celebrate our achievements.

Get your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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Get your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

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In honor of Autism Awareness and Autism Acceptance Month, this week's episode features a discussion with Heather Hall from Embracing Autism about the statement, "Autism is not a choice, but embracing it is."

This conversation addresses critical misconceptions, such as the belief that all individuals with autism are cognitively low and that their behaviors are uniform.

Heather and Jennifer explore effective educational strategies that can significantly benefit individuals with autism such as:

• Structured routines
• Visual schedules
• Affirmations and celebrations
• Innovative practices that enhance social and vocational skills but also incorporate academic learning in a practical context

This episode is a call to action for educators, parents, and administrators to foster a deeper understanding and acceptance for individuals with autism. By sharing insights and strategies, this episode aims to inspire and inform stakeholders about supporting individuals with autism in educational settings and beyond, ensuring they are celebrated for their unique abilities and potential.

Listen in as Jennifer and Heather share a message of inclusion and appreciation, urging a shift from mere awareness to active acceptance and support.

Connect with Heather:

Special Needs: Embracing Autism Website

Embracing Autism TPT Store

Instagram

Facebook

Heather Hall is the visionary force behind Special Needs: Embracing Autism, a platform devoted to enriching the lives of individuals navigating autism and other disabilities. With a robust 16-year tenure as a special education teacher in Arizona's public school system, Heather holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in Special Education from Arizona State University. In 2019, she expanded her expertise with a certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University.

Currently serving as a Special Education Professor, Heather channels her extensive experience and insights to educate future generations of special education teachers. Her paramount goal is to cultivate environments that are more inclusive and welcoming to individuals with autism, both within educational institutions and communities at large.

As an advocate and educator, Heather is deeply committed to raising awareness and promoting acceptance. She is dedicated to ensuring that the next wave of special education teachers is fully equipped to skillfully address the diverse needs of their students.

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• Expert tips and strategies,
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In this episode, Jennifer is joined by guest Alicia Tripp to discuss the frequently overlooked but prevalent issue of comparison in special education. Alicia recounts her personal journey, starting from the inspiration she received from her brother with Down syndrome, to her own development as an educator who confronted and triumphed over the challenges of comparison. Together, they discuss strategies for educators to overcome feelings of inadequacy and fully embrace their distinct paths in the profession.

Key Points Discussed:

• Theodore Roosevelt's Quote: “Comparison is the thief of joy."
• Alicia opens up about her struggles with comparison in her early teaching years and how it affected her teaching style and classroom environment.
• The need to focus on strengths and student needs rather than comparing ourselves to other educators.
• The importance of recognizing individual journeys and strengths in special education
• The Role of Social Media, how it fuels comparison among educators, and how to navigate these influences positively.
• Advice for New Educators on dealing with comparison, emphasizing self-reflection, setting boundaries, and focusing on personal growth and student-centered teaching.

Connect with Alicia:Facebook

www.delightfullydedicated.com

Instagram It is important for us, as teachers, to celebrate the small victories of our students throughout each instructional day. This is especially true in the special education classroom. Alicia has this banner on the wall behind her desk as a reminder for her and her staff to celebrate small victories and successes. You can also use it as a reminder to celebrate YOUR small victories throughout the day and to not compare yourself to anyone else.

Get your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

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Welcome to 4th segment of Ask Us Anything. In these fun episodes of of the Sped Prep Academy podcast, Jennifer Hofferber and her monthly co-host, Paul, answer the questions you ask.
Today's questions:

1. What do I do when my paras aren't getting along- Margaret
2. Is it okay to teach my students math facts?- Sara

Managing Paraeducator Conflicts

1. Key Points:
   • Address conflicts immediately for effective resolution.
   • Open communication and setting clear expectations are vital.
   • Utilize preventive measures at the start of the year to minimize conflicts.
   • The role of a special education teacher as a mediator in conflicts.
   • The importance of understanding different approaches and respecting individual differences.
   • The necessity of implementing a 'no gossip' policy and promoting direct communication.
2. Teaching Math Facts in Special Education
   • Key Points:
   • Balancing the teaching of math facts with other strategies.
   • Using creative methods like songs, stories, and culturally relevant materials to aid memory and engagement.
   • The benefits of skip counting as an effective strategy for teaching multiplication.
   • Utilizing math facts instruction during disrupted schedules or as part of center rotations.
   • Incorporating technology and current trends (e.g., TikTok sounds) to make learning more relatable and fun.
   • The value of flexibility in teaching approaches, such as allowing the use of calculators for students who struggle with memorization.

Click HERE to ask us a question!

Mentioned in the show:

Mastering Math Facts-Multiplication Activities and Assessment SetGet your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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In today's episode, I have a guest to help me discuss one of my favorite topics: supporting paraprofessionals. These unsung heroes play a pivotal role in our classrooms, and it's crucial we acknowledge their contributions.

Joining me is Lydia Hunninghake, an experienced teacher in special education, who shares my enthusiasm for this cause. As a passionate special education teacher and entrepreneur, Lydia is always excited to forge meaningful relationships and share her journey. Lydia's insights into the challenges and triumphs of working with paraprofessionals are invaluable, and I'm thrilled to explore this topic with her today.

Listen in as we discuss:

1. The Vital Role of Paraprofessionals
   • Importance of paraprofessionals as unsung heroes in special education.
   • Variety of roles and responsibilities in supporting student learning and well-being.
2. Collaboration Strategies
   • Effective collaboration methods between paraprofessionals and special education teachers.
   • Approaches for open communication and shared goals.
   • Practical tips for enhancing team collaboration.
3. Common Challenges and Solutions
   • Addressing feelings of exclusion among paraprofessionals.
   • Strategies for utilizing strengths, improving communication, and managing time effectively.
   • Importance of continuous team-building and professional development.
4. Recognition and Support for Paraprofessionals
   • Addressing the need for better compensation.
   • Including paraprofessionals in professional development opportunities.
   • Ways to celebrate and appreciate the contributions of paraprofessionals.

It’s clear that effective collaboration, recognition, and professional development are key to maximizing the impact of these essential team members.

Learn from Lydia:

For more resources aligned with today's topic, check out:

Scheduling Success Mini Course: 🌟 Elevate your skills in para schedule coordination, leverage staff strengths, and seamlessly collaborate with general education teachers. https://www.theexceptionalspace.com/digital-optin-mini

SPEDovation Course - Full Course: This full course goes beyond the basics; it's a comprehensive guide to mastering the art of effective Special Education teaching. https://www.theexceptionalspace.com/spedovation-full-course

To stay connected and access more resources, follow me on social media and visit The Exceptional Space:

• The Exceptional Space
• Pinterest
• Teachers Pay Teachers
• Instagram
• Facebook

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When a former student approaches you after 25 years, thanking you for lessons long past, it hits in a way that words can't quite capture. That's the essence of the latest Sped Prep Academy podcast episode—stories that demonstrate the unforeseen and lasting impacts we special educators have on our students.

The focus of this episode are 3 heartwarming anecdotes from my personal journey in special education, each one underscoring the powerful connections and transformative influence we can have on the lives we touch. These stories brought my role as an educator full circle:

But these stories are not just mine. They belong to all special educators, serving as a collective celebration of the quiet yet profound victories we achieve on a daily basis.

So, from one special education teacher to another, I urge you to remember the power of your role. Even on the toughest days, when the paperwork piles up, when the challenges seem insurmountable, know that you are making a difference. It might not be evident today, tomorrow, or even this year. But one day, like in my stories, you'll see the fruits of your labor, and you'll realize just how significant your impact has been.

Mentioned in the show:
Parent Handbook for Parents in English & Spanish

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Today we are discussing something that is coming up here pretty quickly in the world of education and typically has a greater level of impact on our students than general education students and that is the super fun time of state assessments.

There are many opinions on state testing...We need to know where our students are academically in comparison to their peers, but are we creating an environment where the focus is more on the test scores rather than the overall growth and learning of each student? How does this affect our students with IEPs?

**Don't get me wrong...I whole heartedly agree that we need to know what our students do and don’t know…but is a state assessment really going to tell us that information?

But alas...Whichever side of the fence you are on doesn't matter too much because we still take them. Every year. Every student.**

So instead of continuing to complain about having to take them, today's episode gives you some strategies for how to make the best of a bad situation.

1. Familiarize students with the test format2. Teach test-taking strategies
2. Use accommodations effectively
3. Address test anxiety
4. Maintain routines
5. Reinforce the value of effort
6. Post-test reflection

Remember, our goal as special education teachers is to support our students in developing their abilities and confidence, in testing situations and beyond. By implementing these strategies, we can help make the testing experience as positive and productive as possible for our students.

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

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Welcome to 3rd segment of Ask Us Anything. In these fun episodes of of the Sped Prep Academy podcast, Jennifer Hofferber and her monthly co-host, Paul, answer the questions you ask.
Today's questions:

1. How do I work with so many different levels of students at one time- Andi
2. How can I help a student with autism who doesn't engage with other kids learn how to play with other kids? -Tyler

Episode Highlights:

• Managing Diverse Learning Levels: Jennifer and Paul discuss the challenging task of catering to various learning levels in a special education setting. They emphasize the importance of acknowledging the difficulty of this task and offer strategies like data collection, creating small groups, and utilizing technology for differentiated learning.
• Role of Resource Teachers: Jennifer shares her experience as a resource teacher, highlighting the significance of structured organization and management in handling different grade levels. She talks about using color-coded materials and implementing a rotation system with technology to maintain an effective learning environment.
• Engaging Students with Autism in Social Interactions: The episode addresses a common concern regarding students with autism and their social interactions. Paul and Jennifer emphasize the uniqueness of each student with autism and suggest tailored strategies like providing choices, creating structured playtimes, and using social stories.
• Implementing Effective Social Goals: The hosts underscore the importance of carefully selecting peer interactions for students with autism. They suggest choosing resilient, understanding peers to foster positive experiences and gradually build social confidence.
• Utilizing Technology and Resources: Jennifer and Paul touch on the use of technology like IXL for differentiated instruction and the significance of equipping staff with clear roles and expectations to ensure smooth classroom management.

Click HERE to ask your own question!

Mentioned in the show:
Survey Level Assessment

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Welcome to another episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast with your host, Jennifer. Today, we explore the Spring IEP season, a period of time in the field of special education known for its intense demands, hectic schedules, and unique challenges.

Jennifer shares her expertise and offers practical strategies to help special educators navigate and overcome these seasonal hurdles with confidence and effectiveness.

Episode Summary:
We discuss WHY the Spring season is notoriously challenging and provide 9 Essential Strategies for Success:

• Organize and Prioritize: Tips for managing the overwhelming number of tasks and IEP meetings.
• Streamlining Documentation: Techniques to handle the increased paperwork efficiently.
• Setting Boundaries for Work-Life Balance: The importance of setting limits to prevent burnout.
• Effective Delegation: Utilizing the support of paraprofessionals and team members.
• Taking Mindfulness Breaks: Strategies for mental health and stress management during high-pressure periods.
• Incorporating Physical Activity: Advice on maintaining physical well-being amidst a hectic schedule.
• Fostering Peer Support Networks: The role of collaborative support in mitigating stress and sharing solutions.
• Celebrating Progress: The importance of acknowledging and celebrating small victories in a demanding season.
• Leveraging IEP Tools and Resources: Utilizing technology and resources to streamline the IEP process.

Key Takeaways:

• Implement organizational and time-management strategies to handle the workload
• Emphasize self-care and mental health to navigate this stressful period
• Leverage team support and technology to streamline processes
• Celebrate accomplishments and maintain a positive outlook

Mentioned in the Show

• FREE Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs
• Ask Us Anything...click here to submit a question to the monthly segment with Paul and Jennifer

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

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In this episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast, we take a break from instructional content to share a deeply personal experience that reignited Jennifer's passion for special education.

Join Jennifer on this special episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast as she shares her transformative experience volunteering at the Tim Tebow Foundation's Night to Shine event.

Amidst the daily challenges of special education, Jennifer's involvement in this celebration of inclusion and empowerment reignited her passion for the field of special education and was reminded of the profound impact educators can have on their students' lives.

From stepping out of her comfort zone to dancing down the red carpet with her buddy Vicki, Jennifer's Night to Shine journey serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of finding renewal in our "Why" and embracing opportunities to uplift and empower individuals with special needs.

Tune in to the full episode for an inspiring journey of rediscovery and empowerment in special education!

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
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Welcome to another insightful episode of the Sped Prep Academy podcast, where we continue our discussion on supporting paraprofessionals. A few weeks ago, in episode 148 we worked on mindset around the fact that you most likely didn't go to school to be the boss and you don't have the knowledge or skillset to lead anyone. I shared how, in spite of not having any training, you ARE the leader of your classroom and like it or not, you have to lean into that role.
Today I want to give you some tools to do just that...accept your leadership position and thrive in it. Here's a breakdown of the valuable tools and strategies shared to enhance leadership skills and foster a positive, effective team dynamic:

1. Creating an Expectation List:
   • A practical exercise to define clear expectations for your team.
   • Learn how to categorize expectations into 'Stop', 'Start', and 'Continue' to streamline communication and set boundaries.
   • Examples and tips on how to effectively implement this in your team.
2. Empowering Staff with Choice and Voice:
   • The importance of understanding each team member's strengths, preferences, and interests.
   • How to use an interest survey or inventory to tailor responsibilities and tasks, thereby boosting job satisfaction and team efficiency.
3. The Power of Fun and Laughter:
   • Emphasizing the importance of team-building and shared laughter.
   • Suggestions for activities and strategies to cultivate a relaxed and safe team environment, essential in the high-stress field of special education.
4. Utilizing an Employee Handbook:
   • The role of handbooks in providing structure and clarity.
   • Insights into creating a specialized handbook for your team and where to find resources to help you get started.

Throughout the episode, you'll hear personal experiences and practical advice, making these tools relatable and easy to apply in your setting. The emphasis is on not just managing tasks but inspiring growth, fostering support, and ensuring every team member feels valued and understood.

Remember, these tools are more than just strategies; they are stepping stones towards building a strong and effective special education department. Tailor them to your unique setting and watch the transformation in your team dynamics and the positive impact on your students.

If you want to hear more about how to use the para interest survey to build schedules, go back and listen to episode 134.

Mentioned in the show:

Parapro Interest Inventory

Paraprofessional Handbook

Episode 148: Leading Paraprofessionals: 3 Tips to Change Your Mindset

Episode 134: Get to Know Y

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Welcome to the Sped Prep Academy Podcast! In this engaging episode of our "Ask Us Anything Series," Paul and I give practical tips on behavior management and effective collaboration with general education teachers in an inclusive setting. Tune in as we navigate these crucial aspects of special education and share our firsthand experiences.

Episode Highlights:

• Handling Challenging Behaviors in the Resource Room:
  • Taking a step back to understand the underlying reasons for a student's behavior.
  • Utilizing tools like a sand timer to allow time for calming down.
  • Developing and implementing a consistent classroom behavior system.
  • Using privileges and rewards as positive reinforcement.
• Collaboration with General Education Teachers:
  • The role of open communication in fostering successful collaboration.
  • Clearly defining the roles of special education and general education teachers.
  • The benefits of attending professional development sessions together.
  • How laughing together can build camaraderie

Stay tuned for more insights and strategies in our "Ask Us Anything Series." Your questions and experiences help shape this community, and we're here to support you every step of the way in your special education journey.

Click here to submit your question to be answered on air.

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Today, we have a special treat! I had the incredible opportunity to chat with another fellow presenter from the Sped Summit.

Our guest today is Lois Letchford. Her story is both personal and inspiring. Lois's journey with dyslexia began at the age of 39, a journey that started when she faced the challenge of teaching her son, Nicholas.

This experience was a turning point, leading her to examine her own struggles with reading and how she could overcome them. This self-reflection and determination led Lois to retrain as a literacy specialist, an endeavor that took her from Australia to Texas, and finally to Albany where she earned her Master’s degree in Literacy.

Lois then spent seven years as the District Reading Specialist in Lubbock, Texas. There, she dedicated herself to teaching children aged 7 to 16 who had not found success in other reading programs.

Her specialization includes working with children diagnosed with Dyslexia, Developmental Language Delay, Hyperlexia, and other learning disabilities.

Lois has also authored her first book, "Reversed: A Memoir," which I’m sure offers incredible insights into her experiences and expertise.

So, whether you’re tuning in for strategies, inspiration, or both, today’s episode is a great one.

Connect with Lois:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17136012.Lois_Letchford

Instagram

Facebook

https://www.linkedin.com/in/loisletchford/ As a listener of the show, Lois would like to share her book, “Hands on Learning” for those who struggle with early literacy. It is a book of poems and connected learning activities to engage students and assist with the very first stages of literacy.

For his book connect with me on my website and ask for this book: Hands on Learning! www.loisletchford.com

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I couldn't believe it when one of the teachers I coach came into my office and said she had signed up and listened to my presentation at the Sped Summit without knowing I was presenting. She said that, even though she doesn't want anyone to struggle, it really validated her to know that I struggled as a beginning teacher too.

What I want you to know is that we ALL struggle at some point. Especially when it comes to knowing how to manage the adults who work in your special education department.

So today I thought I'd share my story about when I started teaching and how tough it was to "be a boss." I wish I could go back and tell that young girl that all she needed to do was accept the role, learn some techniques and change her . mindset from boss to leader.

In this episode, I share with you the 3 tips I have to help you change your mindset and become a better leader for your staff.

1) set up your standard operating procedures
2) clearly communicate
3) evaluate and adjust

Give it a listen!!

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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Today's episode engages in a great conversation with Lisa Parnello, the founder of Parnello Education and the host of the podcast, Dyslexia Devoted.

In today's conversation, Lisa dispels common misconceptions about dyslexia, emphasizing that dyslexia is not a vision problem but a result of how the brain processes language. She stresses the importance of early intervention and offers valuable insights and strategies for educators, paraprofessionals and parents dealing with dyslexia.

Highlights:

• Emphasis on explicit phonics instruction for all struggling readers regardless of their disability label
• Delay in diagnosing dyslexia until third grade attributed to the "wait to fail" approach
• Importance of in-depth phonics training for all teachers
• Significance of assistive technology and routines for dyslexic students
• Separation of idea generation and writing execution recommended.
• Validating efforts for dyslexic students and providing specific tools for problem-solving

This episode serves as a valuable resource, fostering understanding of dyslexia and equipping you with practical insights and tools to navigate the challenges associated with it.

Lisa Parnello's wealth of experience as a dyslexia therapist and her commitment to supporting students with learning differences and empowering parents and educators is evident through her masterclass on the "3 Keys to Success with Dyslexia."
Free Masterclass:
3 Keys to Success with Dyslexia

Connect with Lisa Parnello:

• Parnello Education Services
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Dyslexia Devoted Facebook Group

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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In this insightful episode, we delve into effective strategies for managing disruptive behavior in the special education classroom. Our expert guest, Rachel, shares valuable insights on what works and what doesn't, drawing from her wealth of experience.

Key Takeaways:

1. What Doesn't Work:
   • Engaging in power struggles or losing your cool is a counterproductive approach
2. Proactive Strategies to Prevent Disruptions:
   • Knowing how to respond calmly and having clear expectations, along with explicitly teaching rules and procedures, form a strong foundation.
3. Tailoring Approaches for Unique Needs:
   • Rachel emphasizes the importance of reading and making notes, engaging with students and parents, conducting preference assessments, and building relationships
4. Collaboration Between Teachers and Paraprofessionals:
   • Regular communication and meetings are essential and be receptive to suggestions
5. Real-Life Success Story:
   • Rachel shares a compelling success story involving patience, trust-building, and a three-year journey

Learn about Rachel Irwin from The Behavior Check-In

Rachel is a passionate and dedicated Behavior Special Education Teacher who has devoted over a decade of her career to supporting and teaching students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, along with their families. Rachel's commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of her students is deeply rooted in her personal experiences as a former student with an IEP and as a parent to a child with similar needs.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Rachel is a dynamic content creator. she shares invaluable insights on supporting students with disabilities, effective classroom management strategies, teacher mental health, parenting, and the broader teacher lifestyle. You can find Rachel on her...
YouTube channel, "The Behavior Check In," Instagram accountAnd on TikTok

Recognizing the need for practical resources, Rachel also operates a Teachers Pay Teachers storefront called "The Behavior Check In." where she provides a wealth of resources for fellow educators to enhance their teaching practices.

Here are a few of her amazing products!

Graph Bundle for daily behavior TrackingFree Classroom Schedule

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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Welcome back to the Sped Prep Academy Podcast, your go-to space for all things special education!

In our last episode,Episode 144, I discussed "Seven Questions to Help Special Education Teachers Reflect." If you haven't had a chance to listen, go back and check it out. it's a perfect way to set the tone for the New Year.

Today, I'm joined by my fantastic co-host with a new segment for the new year called "Ask Us Anything." Last year, we came up with a list of topics we thought teachers might want to learn about and put them on a random selection generator, but after reflecting about what teacher’s really need and getting questions from teachers within my district, I had the idea of doing an “Ask Us Anything” series where listeners of the podcast, members of my Facebook group and followers of my Instagram page could ask us the questions that are on their minds and provide a more tailored discussion on challenges faced by so many special educators.

Ask Us Anything Series: Part 1

If you had $1,000 for your classroom, what would you spend it on?

• Furniture
• Storage
• Noise canceling headphones
• Sensory space materials
• Flexible seating options
• IEP meeting supplies

How would you handle a paraprofessional who lacks initiative?

• Always assume positive intent
• Open communication (over communicate)
• Personal stories of effectively addressing challenges with paraprofessionals and fostering a collaborative environment
• Strategies for involving paraprofessionals in decision-making
• Recognizing their strengths and weaknesses through a para interest survey
• Setting expectations of roles and responsibilities
• Show your appreciation for all they do

COMMUNICATE--DELEGATE--APPRECIATE

Thank you for joining us for another episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast! If you have a question for the "Ask Us Anything" series or want to share your insights, connect with us on our Facebook group or Instagram. Remember, your dedication to the special education profession makes a significant impact, and we're here to support you on this journey.

Stay tuned for more valuable insights and practical tips in the upcoming episodes. Until next time, go out and have an amazing day!

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

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In the final episode of 2023, I want to guide you through self-reflection with seven crucial questions. As Maya Angelou wisely said, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." This quote encapsulates my approach to working with teachers—continuous growth through self-awareness.

Before diving into the questions, let me share a bit of personal reflection. Last year, I aimed to have a co-host once a month, and I achieved it. The Sped Teacher Small Talk episodes with Paul were a hit. This year, we want to turn the tables and have you ask us questions, fostering a more tailored and helpful series. Ask your questions HERE!!!

Reflecting on my TPT store's growth, I've found success in addressing teachers' struggles, especially with theImpact Statement product line. These tools help teachers navigate the crucial but often challenging section of IEPs. If you haven't explored them yet, check out the freeImpact Statement Sentence Stem Examples

Lastly, as an instructional coach supporting special education teachers, I've seen the immense value coaches bring to educators. If you don't have a coach in your district, start questioning why. Everyone, especially special education teachers, deserves this support to enhance their skills and confidence.

Now, onto the 7 reflection questions for you as a special education teacher:

1. Scheduling IEP Meetings: Do you intentionally set up your annual meetings in advance to ensure a solid IEP and avoid last-minute stress?
2. Communication with General Education Teachers: When scheduling meetings, do you inform general education teachers in advance and send calendar invites?
3. Inclusion of Related Service Providers: Are you including all related service providers in the scheduling process and considering translation needs?
4. Pre-Meeting Input: Do you routinely gather input from all parties before IEP meetings? Here are some forms you can use to collect that data
5. Effective Use of Data: Are you using data to identify strengths, needs, and current performance to create strong PLAAFP statements?
6. Timely Paperwork Submission: Are you following expectations for turning in paperwork and closing out an IEP on time?
7. Accommodations and Modifications: Are you evaluating the need for accommodations and modifications, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach?

After reflecting on these questions, set goals for yourself. Acknowledge your strengths, pinpoint areas for improvement, and commit to intentional growth in the new year.

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• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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What do you use for curriculum in your special education program?
Do you follow what the general education students are using?
Do you use a tried and true program completely separate from the gen ed curriculum?
Do you search for the next greatest lesson on the internet to teach a specific skill?

Today, for the last episode of the Sped Teacher Small Talk for the year, Paul and I dive into the complex topic of curriculum for special education teachers....

What should we be using?
Why is following a curriculum important?
Is it okay to adapt it?
The benefits of breaking a curriculum up to have students work in small groups.
Why some type of curriculum is better than none.

Listen in as we explore the various approaches to curriculum in different special education settings and highlight the importance of finding a balance between adhering to a curriculum and addressing individual student needs and hear how Paul shares about how students thrive with consistent effort and personalized teaching.

Get your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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Welcome back to the Sped Prep Academy Podcast. In this episode, we take a look into how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a game-changer in writing Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals and PLAAFP statements.

Listen in to learn about:

• Common fears about AI in education
• Demystifying AI presence in our lives
• Practical benefits in the field of special ed
• Efficiency- streamline your IEP writing
• Personalization
• Data driven insights
• Introduction to ChatGPT.com
• Steps to Using AI in IEP Writing

Tools such as Chat GPT can enhance our practice and support our students more effectively. Remember, embracing change often starts with a willingness to try something new.

Get your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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Paul and I are taking a break from the heavy topics that often plague a special education department.

Today we chose to tell a few stories from our careers and have a few laughs.

Just a warning...there is a little off-collar humor and language used that not everyone may appreciate.

But hopefully you'll take this episode for what it is...2 teachers who needed a break from the stress of the job.

Get your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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Welcome to another episode of Sped Teacher Small Talk, a segment of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast with my co-host Paul Hubbard!

In today's episode, we discuss a crucial topic that is important for all special education teachers—self-care.

In a profession that demands a high level of emotional and physical commitment, taking time for yourself isn't a luxury; it's a necessity.

Listen in as Paul and I discuss:

• How self-care and self-indulgence are NOT the same thing
• Why special educators need to provide themselves with self-care
• Ways to go about caring for yourself
  • Therapy
  • Talking with a friend
  • Exercise
  • Reflection
  • Enjoying a hobby
  • Reducing screen time

You'll also learn about Paul's comical analogy on the importance of not keeping stress bottled up.

Get your FREE copy of Impact Statement Mastery: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personalized IEPs.

• Expert tips and strategies,
• Easy-to-follow formats, and
• Real-life examples that bring theory to life.

A must-have for every special education teacher and related service provider.

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In this segment of the Sped Teacher Small Talk, we explore the often-underestimated importance of fostering strong relationships between special education and general education teachers. With actionable advice and real-life experiences, we dive into how this collaboration can lead to tremendous student growth.

Topics Discussed:

1. The Power Dynamic: Although you are the expert in all things special education and should have confidence in your role, you should not hold that knowledge hostage
2. Actionable Steps for Collaboration: The importance of time management and communication in preparing for Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings.
3. Legal Requirements and Expectations: Ensuring Gen Ed teachers are included in the IEP process with ample time to prepare, aligning with the same notice given to parents.
4. Value of Gen Ed Teacher's Input: Discussing why general education teachers are invaluable to the IEP process and to students' overall educational experience.
5. Providing Resources: The necessity of equipping Gen Ed teachers with the tools, resources, and professional development they need.
6. Real-world Impact: Examples of how effective collaboration can lead to significant student growth and the stress of not having a good working relationship can take a toll on your mental health
7. Changing Perspectives: The call for special education teachers to view Gen Ed teachers as essential, collaborative partners rather than legal obligations.

Conclusion:
It's so important to understand that both parties (sped and gen ed) each bring unique skills and perspectives to the table. When both parties collaborate effectively, not only do students with IEPs benefit, but the entire classroom environment improves and the overall school culture improves.

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You are not going to want to skip this episode!! Today's guest is Dyslexia & Science of Reading expert and advocate, Melanie Brethour.

Fueled by her personal journey following her son Benjamin's dyslexia diagnosis, Melanie is not just an advocate but a powerhouse of practical advice and actionable strategies. She is the founder of Decoding Dyslexia Quebec and Soar with Dyslexia, and serves as a board member for Teachers For Reading Canada. Stay tuned as we debunk common myths and misconceptions and offer insights on evidence-based interventions for dyslexia.

Episode Summary:

• Common Misconceptions About Dyslexia:
  • Dyslexia is just reading and writing letters backward.
  • Dyslexia only manifests in elementary school.
  • Kids just need to 'try harder' to overcome dyslexia.
• Ongoing Professional Development:
  • The lack of dyslexia training in university courses.
  • The importance of ongoing professional development given that 1 in 5 people have dyslexia.
• Tools and Resources for Teachers:
  • The role of structured literacy approaches.
  • Aligning instruction with the science of reading.
• Creating a Supportive Environment:
  • The role of supportive principals and school administration.
  • The importance of resource allocation and data-driven approaches.
• Effective Intervention Strategies:
  • Early identification and intervention.
  • Importance of universal screening, Melanie uses Acadience for this.
• Things Teachers Should Stop Doing:
  • Relying on 3 cueing and memorization.
  • Using leveled readers instead of decodables for emergent readers.

Resources & Links:

• Google Presentation 1
• Google Presentation 2

Follow Melanie:

• Decoding Dyslexia on Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Linktree

Conclusion:

What an enlightening conversation with Melanie! It's evident that her extensive experience and personal journey have equipped her with unique insights into dyslexia and the science of reading. We hope this episode provides you with a clearer understanding and practical steps for effectively teaching children with dyslexia. Make sure to check out Melanie’s social media and the valuable resources she has shared.

Thank you for tuning in, and don't forget to share this episode with others who could benefit from this knowledge. Until next time!

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In episode 137, we are focused on the topic of supporting teaching assistants. Our paraprofessionals support us as special educators and also provide invaluable support to our students.

So it's time we provide them with the SUPPORT they deserve.

This episode explains 5 strategies to help you be successful in supporting your staff and provides insights into how to actually make it happen.

Tune in to hear more about these 5 strategies:

• Professional Development
• Mentorship and Coaching
• Regular Check-Ins and Feedback
• Emotional Support
• Access to Resources

Of course, fitting these strategies into a busy school day might seem challenging, but it's not an "if" they should be done, it's a "must." Here are some ways to ensure support is given to your staff:

• Be a role model.
• Take advantage of PD days.
• Utilize downtime for short training sessions.
• Facilitate mentorship pairings.
• Integrate quick check-ins into the daily schedule.
• Foster a supportive culture.
• Organize a centralized resource library.

Mentioned in the episode:

Ep #16: Sharing the Love: Why I Don't Use 1:1 Paraprofessionals_____________________________________________________________________________
A resource for you!

A great way to support your staff is through the use of a Paraprofessional Handbook. This paraprofessional handbook will provide you with the structure, information and forms you need to train the parapros in your special education program.

This colorful, fun paraprofessional handbook is completely editable and jammed packed full of beneficial information your paras need to feel prepared to complete all aspects of their job.

Edit the parts that pertain to your specific school and classroom through Powerpoint and print the parts of the handbook you need in color or in black/white. Put into page protectors and put it all together into a binder. Then review this handbook with your paras at the beginning of every school year.

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Hey there, and welcome to another episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast. Today we have a guest joining us and we are going to talk about some back to school productivity hacks…I know some of us are already back in the swing of things here in the 2nd week of August but many of you are still a few weeks to a month out from thinking about back to school but I wanted to go ahead and get this episode out so that you can mentally prepare for a new school year…As we know, the beginning of a school year can be both exciting and challenging….there’s quite a bit to do to prepare in order to get your department and classrooms up and running and whether you are a returning teacher or a brand new teacher I know some of the productivity tips my guest and I share with you today will be of benefit to you.

Our guest today is Ayo Jones, Ayo is an experienced special education teacher, successful instructional coach, and charismatic professional speaker. Driven by her love for all things special education, Ayo provides educators teaching students with complex access needs exactly what they need to survive and thrive. In her nearly 20 years in education, she has coached hundreds of teachers, trained thousands of educational professionals, and developed curriculum for tens of thousands of students with disabilities. She is a regular consultant to multiple school districts and educational support centers throughout Texas and beyond, as well as in West Africa where she does outreach to underserved students.

Ayo is the founder of Noodle Nook, an online resource for teachers in special education, providing tools and strategies for classroom success. She hosts a teacher podcast and YouTube channel, is a published author and course creator, and delivers curriculum to teachers worldwide. Best known for her engaging public speaking, Ayo’s captivating presence and witty delivery have made her a sought-after professional trainer and speaker.

Listen in as Ayo and I discuss:

• Top productivity hacks that are particularly effective for special education teachers as they start a new school year?
• Practical strategies to help prioritize and organize responsibilities
• How to streamline the preparation process
• Collaboration with parents and fellow educators
• Time-saving techniques or tools to manage administrative tasks efficiently

Here is the link for the fantastic freebie Ayo wants to share with you
https://www.noodlenook.net/spedprepacademy
It includes a couple checklists for the one-touch organizational approach as well as ideas on accommodations and supports to prepare ahead of time and links to some great articles on setting up routines and procedures in the classroom. Trust me you definitely want to grab this, even as I was making it, I was thinking “this is awesome”, lol! All you have to do is visit the link www.noodlenook.net/SpedPrepAcademy.

**You can see what that looks like without the optin here: https://www.noodlenook.net/4SPA23 but please don’t share this Get the Writing IEP Impact Statements GROWING BUNDLE!*and become a rockstar at crafting the perfect impact statements for your students today!

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It was my turn to break the rules this week and forego the spinner in order to choose the topic Paul and I discussed.

What did I choose? Impact Statements

Also known as adverse effects, this section of the IEP often gets minimal focus despite its immense importance. 

Listen in as Paul and I examine the reasons why these statements are crucial and discuss how writing stronger impact statements can lead to more effective and individualized support for students with special needs. 

We uncover the hidden potential of impact statements and learn how they can be a powerful tool in empowering education and fostering student success. 

Get the Writing IEP Impact Statements GROWING BUNDLE!and become a rockstar at crafting the perfect impact statements for your students today! 

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I implemented this strategy about 5 years ago and it definitely helped the individuals in my department become a team unit…where everyone felt valued, everyone felt heard and everyone felt appreciated for their strengths and not judged for their weaknesses.This week's episode focuses on implementing a Paraprofessional Interest Survey for your staff. Listen in to learn about how this easy tool can help:

• build a collaborative and inclusive educational environment
• gather insight about interests, strengths, and preferences
• foster meaningful relationships between teachers and paraprofessionals
• assign personalized assignments and offer tailored professional development

Learn about what to include in your survey and then how to use the results to provide continuous support and communication to ensure that paraprofessionals feel valued and heard.

To get started, check out the editable survey template for visual guidance.

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In this episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting Melysa Mei, a passionate preschool teacher from NYC.

Melysa has been teaching for 17 years and is a devoted play advocate. To help spread the play-based love Melysa started her own online business - Pre-K Spot helping other early educators in child-led play-based strategies. With experience ranging from nannying, to early intervention, to classroom teacher she uses her experience and knowledge to support not only her students but fellow early educators as well.

Melysa shares her expertise in creating inclusive, play-based learning experiences for young learners.

Listen in as we discuss:

• benefits of play-based learning, emphasizing how it fosters social interactions, multisensory experiences, and natural engagement
• best classroom practices, including how to incorporates students' interests and strengths into activities
• the importance of collaboration with families and professionals and shared strategies for differentiation to meet diverse student needs.
• the challenges in implementing play-based and inclusive practices and how to overcome those challenges
• and So Much More!

Listen in to gain valuable insight into how a multisensory approach can enhance learning not only in preschool but across all different grade levels.

Connect with Melysa here:
Instagram - @prek.spot

Podcast - Pre-K Spot Talks

And get her free product: Sensory Fillers for a Year

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Piggybacking on the conversation with Paul from episode 131, I want to share about the 5:1 Ratio Principle of Positive Feedback to parents.

Although this principle will apply to any relationship you have (paras, colleagues, administration, home life), today's episode focuses on how to make it work with the parents of your students.

Why does this ratio matter so much? Positive feedback grabs people's attention and motivates them to continue doing well.Having a working relationship with the parents of your students that is positive in nature will make your job so much easier.

Listen in to learn about this principle.

Mentioned in the show:Episode 131 with co-host Paul Hubbard

Parent Communication Logs & Positive Notes

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Talk about a tear jerker!
Today Paul, my monthly co-host, and I discuss the importance of developing strong, lasting relationships with the parents of the students we work with.

Paul shares an emotional story about a the bond he has with a previous student and her mom that conveys the amount of love special education teachers have for their students.

Paul and I both agree that, by establishing active collaboration and open communication between parents and educators, we can positively impact a student's progress and minimize issues on the parent's end.

Throughout the discussion, we provide valuable tips for:

• Effective communication before, during, and after Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings
• Strategies for building trust and partnerships, fostering open lines of communication, and valuing parents' input
• Addressing the importance of providing parents with relevant resources and information and
• Celebrating successes and milestones regularly

Join us in this episode as we discuss how strengthening parent-educator relationships can create a supportive environment and positively impact the special education journey.

Mentioned in the show:Parent Handbook for Special Education

Understanding Percentile Chart

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Thank you to the email subscriber who asked for support with centers at the High School level.

While the use of centers can be applicable and beneficial at any grade level, implementing centers in a high school setting is out of my area of expertise. So I asked Fiona Gonzalez back to the show to discuss this topic.

Fiona is a mod/severe high school transition teacher in Southern California and is also a vocation program specialist. She is in charge of vocational curriculum for the high school and transition students, and organizes and runs the on and off campus work experience programs. Before teaching, she was a paraeducator and an in-home ABA therapist. During her first year of teaching, she discovered that it was hard to find age-appropriate resources that were at the level her students needed, so she became curriculum creator and runs the TPT store and social media accounts at Sped Adulting.

In this episode, Fiona and I discuss centers at the high school level.

• Key benefits of using centers in a high school special education classroom
• How they support student learning and engagement
• Examples of how centers can be effectively implemented in a high school setting
• How to ensure that centers align with the IEPs
• How to manage logistics and ensure that all students have access to centers and meaningful learning opportunities
• Potential challenges or obstacles that special educators might face when implementing centers in a high school environment, and how to overcome them
• Advice to special educators who are considering incorporating centers into their high school classrooms but may be unsure of where to start

Fiona has a free Life Skills Scope & Sequence that includes links to many different activities that can be used for lessons, IEP goals, centers and more.

You can follow her and learn more from Fiona:
www.spedadulting.com

Instagram

Facebook

TPT Store

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Joining us on Episode 129 is Michelle Vazquez, a highly experienced resource specialist and special education teacher based in Southern California. Michelle has been dedicated to the education sector for nearly 14 years, and her passion for supporting special education teachers is evident through her own podcast, 'Stepping Into Special Education.' When she's not spending time in the classroom, Michelle enjoys quality time with her husband and two young boys, often exploring the magical world of Disneyland.

**Today, we are discussing a crucial topic that applies to every one of us: collecting and organizing data in preparation for those all-important IEP meetings.

Listen in as we discuss:**

• Effective methods and strategies for collecting data
• Determining the most appropriate data collection methods based on the specific needs of students
• Ensuring data accuracy, reliability, and consistency
• Common challenges and obstacles faced by special educators when collecting data for IEPs and strategies to address them for accurate and meaningful data collection
• Organization and analysis of collected data for IEPs, including helpful tools and systems to facilitate the process
• Examples illustrating how data collected for an IEP can inform instructional decisions, drive interventions modifications, and track student progress over time.
• Effective communication and data sharing strategies with the IEP team

Get Michelle's Free IEP Meeting Checklist: Before the Meeting

You can connect with Michelle and listen to her podcast HERE!
Podcast: https://pod.link/1634897726

Instagram: www.instagram.com/steppingintospecialed

Educate & Rejuvenate 2023 Live Virtual Event: https://www.wifeteachermommy.com/sp/educate-rejuvenate-summer-2023/?aff=103

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Welcome to the 6th installment of the Sped Teacher Small Talk series with co-host Paul Hubbard, where we dive into a randomly generated topic each month.

This month we are discussing the crux of our jobs as special educators...Writing IEP goals.

Paul uses a great analogy within this episode about how a good goal and strong progress monitoring techniques are like dropping water on the same spot on a rock...over and over and over...And how in doing so, the water will eventually begin to make an impact on the rock.

Listen in as we discuss:

• The importance of having strong IEP goals
• The challenge of generic and non-individualized goals in IEPs
• The purpose of an IEP goal: Guiding instruction and interventions
• Elements of the SMART framework for writing effective goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
• The need for goals that have a meaningful impact on the student's education and personal growth.

Mentioned in the episode:
Sentence Writing Rubric

Tool to help you write strong IEP goals:
IEP Digital Goal Bank

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Welcome to another episode of the SpEd Prep Academy Podcast: "The Power of a Creative Outlet for Special Educators". In this solo episode, I delve into the dynamic world of special education and the integral role that creativity plays within it. We've all felt a bit like Batman, the steadfast, highly skilled superhero always ready to face the complex challenges of the classroom, but we can't forget about our own personal Robin- that refreshing perspective, solace, and sometimes much-needed comic relief.

Join me on a journey as I share about how I pulled myself out of a dark time within my career, found the Robin to my Batman and how having a creative sidekick might be the spark YOU need to overcome the stressful feelings that come with being a special educator.

Listen in to learn:

• The unique challenges faced by special education teachers, which include high levels of stress and the risk of burnout
• The importance of having a creative outlet to mitigate these challenges, provide balance, and enhance personal and professional skills
• Why special education teachers have innate creativity, which stems from the need to cater to diverse learner needs, devise individualized education plans, keep students engaged, and solve unique problems.
• Potential creative options for special educators to engage in outside of the classroom, such as writing, artistic pursuits, crafting, gardening, cooking, music, and more.

We all need our own personal 'Robin' to balance the 'Batman' within us. As we continue to face the challenges of the special education classroom, let's remember to also cultivate the human side of us and focus on our passions and hobbies outside of those 4 walls of a school. This not only benefits us personally but also contributes to our effectiveness and resilience as educators.

If you are ready (or even just curious) about opening a TPT store but are unsure of where to start, Kamryn Shea VA can help.
Book a FREE consult call and my daughter and I will give you all the details about how to get started selling today!

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Today on Episode 126 of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast, we are joined by Lily Cornielle-Cordero from Teach Empowered.

With an impressive 19-year career in education, Lily has dedicated herself to making a positive impact in the lives of students. She currently serves as the English Language Learner, Equity, and Student Support Specialist in Connecticut, and she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.

Lily's journey in education has been guided by her passion for language and learning. Holding certifications in World Language (Spanish), Special Education K-12, and Administration, she has been instrumental in promoting full inclusion and culturally responsive teaching practices. By equipping educators with the tools and strategies necessary for success, Lily ensures that all students have equitable access to a quality education.

Throughout this episode, we'll delve into Lily's insights and practical tips on how to best scaffold instruction for all students. Her expertise and dedication can be heard as she shares her experiences to empower fellow educators to create inclusive and supportive learning environments.

Scaffolding is a classroom teaching technique in which instructors deliver lessons in distinct segments, providing less and less support as students master new concepts or material.

Listen in as we discuss:

• What scaffolding means
• The difference between scaffolding and differentiation
• Why scaffolding is important for our learners important
• The benefits and the process
• Examples of how it works
• Challenges teachers will face when trying to scaffold their instruction

Connect with Lily:

Facebook page

Instagram

Twitter

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It's not often that we get to hear directly from general education teachers about what they want from us, how we can support them and get ideas about how to work collaboratively together...but today's guest shares all that and MORE!

In today's episode, I'm joined by Johanna Kuiper, a middle school math teacher from Oregon who is on a mission to engage students academically and help them deeply understand and love math.

Listen in as we discuss the importance of inclusion and accommodations in middle school math, and how these tips can be beneficial at any level. We also chat about

• How to support students' unique needs and learning styles
• Different types of accommodations, including instructional accommodations, seating, and assessment
• Collaborating with special education teachers or paraprofessionals who provide inclusion services
• What support general education teachers need from their special education staff
• Common challenges faced when providing accommodations
• Practical tips on how to manage this workload with fidelity

Be sure to check out our guest Johanna Kuiper's Instagram account @misskuiper and website at https://misskuipersclassroom.com/podcast/ for more information on engaging students in math and additional resources.

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Welcome to the 5th installment of the Sped Teacher Small Talk series with co-host Paul Hubbard, where we dive into a randomly generated topic each month.

But because Paul wanted to be a rebel this month, he asked to choose the topic instead of spinning the spinner.

Because the end of this school year is closing in quickly, Paul asked to discuss transitioning students to a new teacher.
Listen in as Jennifer and Paul give helpful tips about:

• Importance of parent involvement
• Having end-of-year conversations with students
• Discussing progress, strengths, and areas that still need improvement
• Giving suggestions for summer practice
• Preparing students for what to expect in the upcoming school year
• Celebrating student growth and achievements
• The idea of having students write a letter to their upcoming teacher
• Paul's personal story as an example of overcoming academic struggles through hard work, motivation, and support from teachers
• The value of collaboration between teachers to ensure the best possible growth and progress for students

And more!

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Welcome to another episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast! In today's episode, we have the pleasure of talking with Laine, a Special Educator and Transition Specialist with over 15 years of experience.

Laine shares her insights on the importance of affirming neurodiversity in the classroom, as well as discussing the evolution of teaching methods and the use of respectful terminology. This episode is packed with valuable information and resources for educators and paraprofessionals working with neurodivergent students. Join us as we dive into this engaging conversation on creating a more inclusive and affirming learning environment for all students.

Listen in as we discuss:

• Understanding neurodiversity
• The importance of affirming neurodiversity
• Respectful terminology in special education
• The evolution of teaching methods for neurodivergent students
• Affirming neurodivergent students in the classroom
• Teaching neurotypical students about neurodiversity
• Supporting paraprofessionals in affirming practices

Connect with Laine:

• Teachers Pay Teachers
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Website
• YouTube

Free Resources from Laine:

1. Sensory Overload Lesson (with video): Free Lesson
2. Neurodiversity Awareness Mini Lesson: Free Mini Lesson
3. Self-Awareness Social Narrative for Autistic Students ("I am autistic"): Free Social Narrative
4. Self-Determination Social Narrative: "What is My IEP": Free Social Narrative

Join Laine's email list for more freebies, neurodiversity info, and helpful tips for Life Skills and Transition Teachers: Sign Up

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I am thrilled to welcome back Maureen Howard from Spoonful of Sped for the second time on the show. Maureen is a special education teacher and was a guest on Episode 96 where we chatted about how to implement student-led IEP meetings. Today, Maureen is here to talk more about how we can help to increase our student's skills even more by helping them run a school store.

In this episode, Maureen shares her experience of running a school store with students who have disabilities. She talks about how the school store not only provides practical experience for the students but also helps them build important life skills such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Maureen also discusses the challenges she faced while setting up the store and how she overcame them. She emphasizes the importance of planning, organization, and collaboration with other teachers and staff members.

Throughout the episode, Maureen shares some practical tips and strategies for setting up and running a school store with students.
Listen in as we discuss:

• How to get started
• What teachers should keep in mind before jumping in
• Other options besides a coffee cart
• The do’s and don’ts
• What to say to those who say they don’t have the time, the space, or the resources to run a store
• Skills/benefits to students from participating in a student store

Overall, this episode is a must-listen for any teacher who wants to create meaningful and practical learning experiences for students with disabilities. So, let's dive in and learn from Maureen's expertise and experience!

Connect with Maureen...
FacebookInstagramWebsiteTeachers Pay Teachers

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

My IEP Impact Statements Growing Bundle will give you the resources you need to make writing impact statements a breeze.***

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Welcome to the 4th installment of the Sped Teacher Small Talk series with co-host Paul Hubbard, where we dive into a randomly generated topic each month.

In this episode, we discuss preventing problem behaviors in the classroom, specifically for students on the autism spectrum.

Paul and Jennifer highlight the importance of understanding that each student with autism is unique and may exhibit different behaviors.

Paul shares his personal experience with having multiple students on the spectrum in his classroom this year and the challenges that come with it. He notes that disruptive behaviors can be difficult for everyone involved and while a one-on-one teaching environment would be ideal, it's not feasible due to the shortage of teachers and aides.

This episode emphasizes the need for effective strategies to prevent problem behaviors in a classroom setting, and it sheds light on the challenges that educators face in providing the best support for their students.

Listen in as Jennifer and Paul give helpful tips about:

• the importance to consider environmental and social factors
• how to help students regulate themselves
• how strategies that work for one student may not work for another, and what works for a student one day might not work the next
• why teachers need to stay flexible and ready to adjust
• and ways to customize a plan for each student

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***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

My IEP Impact Statements Growing Bundle will give you the resources you need to make writing impact statements a breeze.***

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Executive function is the ability to plan, manage, organize, and “do” your life. In other words, it is the ability to prioritize and execute. Executive functioning is not only linked to school but it can be linked to the concept of adulting, which children tend to learn about and work on as they go through school.

Today's guest is Rachel Kapp from Kapped Educational Therapy. Listen in as Rachel discusses:

The Seven Key Points of Executive Functioning:
1. Organization, planning, and prioritizing
2. Time
3. Memory
4. Motivation
5. Managing stress
6. Self-knowledge (metacognition)
about yourself, the more it informs how you approach and execute a task.
7. Sustaining effort and processing

Rachel also share signs that a student is having trouble with executive functioning for school and home.

Connect with Rachel:
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Instagram

Website

Linkedin

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

My IEP Impact Statements Growing Bundle will give you the resources you need to make writing impact statements a breeze.***

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Sharing common IEP goals between special education teachers and related service providers can be highly beneficial for the success of your students. By collaborating on goals, both parties can ensure that the student is receiving comprehensive support across different settings and addressing their individual needs. This approach can also streamline the goal-setting process and make it easier for both parties to collect and analyze data on student progress. Ultimately, shared IEP goals can lead to better outcomes for students with disabilities and improve their overall academic and functional performance.

Today, Rachelle Sikes joins me to discuss the importance of shared IEP goals with related services and HOW to actually pull it off.

Listen in as we discuss:

• How shared goals benefits the student by working on different aspects of the same skill, tag-teaming to work on the same goal, and double the data
• What's involved with choosing a skill that aligns with both of you and writing objectives for related services and academic/functional.
• The perks of having more (and different) data to show progress on the goal and how data can be reported by each provider
• What to remember when skepticism sneaks in
• Examples of shared goals include writing numbers from memory, identifying coping skills in therapy sessions, and answering reading comprehension questions using academic language.

You can follow Rachelle by clicking the links below and check out her TPT store for more resources. Rachelle is also a conference presenter, a National Board certified teacher, and a Master IEP Coach.

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Thank you for listening to the Sped Prep Academy Podcast!

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

My IEP Impact Statements Growing Bundle will give you the resources you need to make writing impact statements a breeze.***

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Welcome to another episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast, where special educators can learn and grow both personally and professionally.

In this episode, we welcome Hallie Sherman, a Speech Language Pathologist from Speech Time Fun who joins us to discuss tips on supporting students with language and effective ways for teachers to work with SLPs in their buildings.

Discussion:

• Importance of speech services in schools and common issues seen with students who receive these services.
• Language's impact on students' academic areas.
• Practical ways to assist students in the classroom.
• What SLPs need from special education teachers to provide the best support possible.

Resources:IEP Impact Statements Growing Bundle by Sped Prep Academy - a bundle that provides resource cards, informational forms, sentence stems, and subject-specific examples for writing individual impact statements based on a student's unique disability and needs. It's a growing bundle, which means that new resources will continue to be added over time - at no additional cost to you once you buy it.

The bundle is available at www.spedprepacademy.com/impact.

Learn about my IEP tips as a guest on The SLP Coffee Talk Podcast Ep. 163

Connect with Hallie:Subscribe to the SLP Coffee Talk PodcastFollow Hallie on InstagramFollow Hallie on FacebookGet the Critical thinking visuals freebie - www.speechtimefun.com/visuals

***Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

My IEP Impact Statements Growing Bundle will give you the resources you need to make writing impact statements a breeze.***

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The spinner gave us a B-R-O-A-D topic this week.

In this 3rd installment of the Sped Teacher Small Talk, we dive into a topic that's super important for all special education teachers: writing present levels of academic and functional performance (PLAAFPs).

Listen in as my co-host, Paul Hubbard, and l explore the importance of accurately assessing a student's strengths and needs, gathering data to support present levels, and translating that information into clear and concise statements for the IEP.

We also provide tips and strategies for writing present levels that are specific, measurable, and relevant to the student's unique circumstances. Whether you're a seasoned educator or new to the field of special education, this episode is sure to provide valuable insights and practical advice for writing effective present levels of academic and functional performance.

Here is the Google Form and explanation video Paul promised...

Google Form Starting Pointhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gMUpczegWdrmZ6T8FogbjNX3IgJ6ai964M_MQnU4lII/copy

Google Doc Report Templatehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1_Ba4k7D-bo6yCVPLrcV07ZuvaUSJ563bvSaInG3BXn4/copy

Tutorial
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B3MBzvE9vwZiVcR1m8xLQUL_cPVo-nwb/view?usp=sharing

And here is a RESOURCE for you to provide more explanation of how to write great PLAAFPs. Present Levels of Performance Cheat Sheets

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Transition planning is a process to help students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) decide what they want to do after high school and then helps them figure out how to get there. The purpose is to help teens prepare to be independent young adults.

Today on the Sped Prep Academy Podcast, Heather Gehrke from SPED with Heather Gehrke and I chat about the best way to facilitate the transition meetings successfully.

Listen in as we discuss:

• What exactly a transition meeting is
• When should transition meetings be held
• Strategies for successfully transitioning a student from one placement to another
• If the student should have a part in the transition process and if so, how
• Tips for teachers to help alleviate the fears parents have when transitioning their child to a new building?

Heather has been teaching for 22 years in both elementary and secondary. She has taught resource room and worked as a behavior interventionist but has spent the majority of her career in self-contained, especially at the middle school level. She is also currently the main trainer for her district around IEPs and the IEP process. She has started her own business to provide educational coaching for other teachers, particularly secondary teachers focusing on functional academics and how to create goals and experiences that prepare students for life outside of school.

She is also Master IEP Coach ®️

Mentioned in the Episode:Impact Statement Bundle
Resources for Transition:Transition Planning for IEPs Connect with Heather:SPED with Heather Website
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There are many transitions that take place within special education...transitioning from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school as well as transitioning out of high school into the real world.

Join my co-host, Paul Hubbard, and I for the second segment of the Sped Teacher Small Talk where we chat about all things transitions.

Resources for you:Transition Planning for IEPs

Career Interest Inventory
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On today's show, we're going to dive into behavior once again.

I feel like it's such a broad topic that we could cover it week after week and it still not be something that very many of us are comfortable with.

So I've got Carly Hughes here with us today from Behind Behaviors, which is her educational consulting company created for families and caregivers of students with unique learning needs in the areas of emotional and behavioral functioning and specialized instruction.

Carly is going to chat with us about helping teachers support student behaviors in the the classroom. Listen in as we discuss:

• Some of the most common things a student might be trying to communicate through behavior
• What to say to teachers who say the child is just “acting out for attention”
• Some quick strategies to address small behaviors before they become extreme behaviors
• How to deal with extreme student behaviors and suggestions for helping teachers once things have escalated?
• How to find a balance between letting a student have some autonomy while maintaining a safe learning environment for everyone

Carly also discusses

• The importance of modeling self-regulation strategies
• Delaying consequences, and
• How to establish a routine that is fair and equitable for all students

You can find Carly on TikTok & Instagram at Behind Behaviors

Shop Carly's TPT store: Behind Behaviors

Facebook: Behind Behaviors Consulting (page), Behind Behaviors Community (group)

Website: Behindbehaviors.com ______________________________________________

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Today we have Robin from Expressively Sped to chat about progress monitoring. I know in my district this is often one of the areas where teachers have a lot of trouble as far as knowing the importance of it as well as how to actually write an accurate description of a student’s progress so I’m happy to have the opportunity to have a talk with someone who understands the struggles of progress monitoring and also has some tips of how to better manage it because it really is an important aspect of the IEP process.

Listen in as Robin and I discuss:

• What progress monitoring is and why it's important
• How progress monitoring relates to the IEP
• How often progress reporting has to happen
• Some effective progress monitoring tools a teacher can use
• Implementation systems/techniques for how to stay organized

**Resources for you:

Monitor IEP goals easily with this progress monitoring system from Sped Prep Academy*Survey Level Assessment for Progress Monitoring*
This free virtual data binder from Expressively Sped allows teachers to organize all of their students' data in one place, with a tab for each student. All IEP goals are reflected in the data binder as well as spaces for trials and data collection. Writing quarterly progress reports and IEP present level updates has never been easier with this virtual data binder!**

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Let's start 2023 off with something NEW!
In order to mix things up just a little bit to provide you with something a little fun…a little lighthearted but still support you by giving you knowledge you can use within your classrooms and programs as special educators, the first episode of each month will be co-hosted by Paul Hubbard.After being a guest on each other's podcast, we decided to team up to collaborate on a Sped Teacher Small Talk segment.For each episode, we will spin the spinner to help us choose a talking point within the field of special education and discuss that topic candidly and provide you resources you can use to increase your skillset as a special educator.

This week's topic is Accommodations & ModificationsListen in as we discuss:

• Difference between the two
• Where should they go within the IEP
• How to ensure they are used in general education
• Why you shouldn't "over do" it
• Making accommodations & modifications individualized
• Getting parents involved

Resources for you:Accommodations & Modifications Resource Ring

Stephanie DeLussey's IEP Toolkit

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Do you use visual schedules within your special education classroom?

Are you updating them often?

Are you making sure they are age appropriate?

Are the students ACTUALLY using them?

All these questions and more are addressed through today's episode with Lisa from the Chalkboard Superhero.

**Lisa is a special education teacher currently working in the high school setting. She has been in the classroom for over 15 years and has worked with a wide variety of students. She has worked in elementary all the way through transitional ages. Lisa has also worked in both residential settings as well as public school settings. Currently she is teaching a 6:1:3 Autism classroom where Autism has become a passion of hers. And she LOVES teaching other teachers about visual schedules.

In addition to her daily role as a teacher, Lisa is also the lead organizer for the Autism Resource Team for her district, started a thriving school-based business with her students making and selling dog treats, advocates for Down Syndrome and juggles all of that with raising 3 young kids and running a successful business.**

Listen in as Lisa and I discuss:

• What a visual schedule is
• The different types of visual schedules
• Why ALL students need a schedules
• How long they should be
• Ways to teach students to use a schedule
• The importance of teaching paraprofessional staff to implement a visual schedule
• The ultimate goal of a visual schedule

SO much good stuff that all special education teachers need to hear.

Find Lisa at her website Chalkboard Superhero. com and follow her on social media by searching Chalkboard Superhero on your favorite platform.

Looking for more support? Get access to the Sped Prep Academy Resource Library

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Ange Anderson (all the way from Wales, UK) joins us on the show today to share her expertise about the importance of play for children who have Autism and other neurodiversities.

Ange specializes in therapeutic and technological interventions and innovations for those who are neurodivergent in schools and  for families in UK.

If that wasn’t enough, Ange has written books about those therapies and technologies as well as constantly writing articles and papers related to therapeutic and technological interventions. She has established a website and a YouTube channel and will respond to parents who ask her to do a video or blog on a specific topic that they wish to know more about.

Listen in as we discuss:

• Why play is so important for neurodivergent children
• DIR that Ange used in schools
• Sensory profiles

You can connect with Ange on her website angeandersontherapeutic.co.uk

If you are looking for a Sensory Profile to use with your students, check out the one I have on TPT.  A Sensory Diet is a carefully designed, personalized daily schedule of sensory enriched activities, equipment and strategies used to help a child feel calm, stay alert and be organized throughout the day.

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**Last week I turned the big 5-0! And you know what? It didn’t bother me near as much as I thought it would. 

In fact...I feel pretty dang good. I love the knowledge I have now and I like being able to say I’m an expert in a field that I love. This past week has given me the opportunity to reflect on life, take inventory of where I’ve been and what I’ve done and I want to use this opportunity to share 50 tips I’ve learned as a special education teacher that you can use to apply to your own life and your own career.

But I want you to know... I’m not just pulling these out of thin air. I truly believe in every single one of these and they come from years of experience, trial and error, observations of others, mistakes I’ve made, successes I’ve had and tears I’ve cried. And I stand behind each one and I practice what I preach. 

Listen in to learn 50 ways to grow as a special educator!!**

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We want our students to be successful in all areas of the curriculum and today we are hitting on writing.

Caitlyn Mitchell joins the Sped Prep Academy Podcast today to talk about how to differentiate writing for students with IEPs.

Caitlyn is the co-founder and CEO of EB Academics, an organization on a mission to provide teachers with engaging and rigorous ELA lessons and she has agreed to come on the show and share how to differentiate writing for students with an IEP.

Listen in as we chat about:

• Caitlyn'sexperience working with students who are on an IEP
• How to give students choice during writing
• Providing a structured format to follow
• Why graphic organizers are important
• What to do with a student who just shuts down when asked to write

Caitlyn mentions a resource she feels would help you support your learner in becoming a stronger writer within any setting. This free Writing Guide is filled with simple and fun activities that will transform your students into rockstar writers. Get it by clicking the link below.
ebacademics.com/writingguide

Connect with Caitlyn here:
WebsiteWriting ProgramInstagramFacebookYouTube

Mentioned in the show:
What's Your Special Educator Super Power

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Are you the teacher who writes the same accommodations on every student's IEP?⁠
⁠
🤔⁠ Don't stress...you're not alone (I've been there too)⁠
⁠
But after listening to today's episode you're going to be a pro at individualizing the accommodations and modifications you put on each student's IEP.⁠
⁠
Shelley Kenow is our guest and she tells it like it is...the accommodation and modification sections are part of the IEP and must be individualized and followed just like the rest of the document.⁠

Listen in as we chat about:

• What to say to the special educator who puts the same accommodations on every single IEP they have
• Why it's important to PERSONALIZE the selection of accommodations and modifications
• Who should be a part of the selection of the accommodations & modifications
• Recommendations for what to do if a general education teacher isn’t providing them
• Whether a student HAS to use a listed accommodation or modification or not

⁠
Shelley is the author of Those Who “Can’t…Teach: True Stories of Special Needs Families to Promote Acceptance, Inclusion, and Empathy.

She has her own Livestream called #nolimits where she interviews people who society has placed limits upon but who have busted through those limits.
She had the great honor of interviewing Dr. Temple Grandin, Xavier DeGroat, John O’Leary, ABLE participants, Mentra founders and have surpassed the 100th episode.

You can email her at shelley@shelleykenow.com to get the Accommodations and Modifications guidelines and checklist for ensuring each one is individualized.

And you can connect with her here!
YouTube
FacebookJoin her Facebook GroupLinkedinInstagram

https://www.shelleykenow.com

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Are you burned out to the point of walking out?

Before you do, listen to Episode 106 of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast to learn about the different opportunities special educators have outside the 4 walls of a classroom.

There are other options for you. Today's episode breaks these options up into 3 categories…

1. Creative outlets
2. Leadership roles
3. Actual positions

For some of the suggested careers, a transition isn't tricky. Classroom experience and your existing degree may be more than enough to obtain a different role within your school system.

**If you are a special education teacher who loves their job but feels burned out by the stress that comes with it, don't feel bad. There is ample opportunity to transition into a position that is just as essential but less draining. 

If any of these sound like a good fit don’t be scared to start having conversations with people to see what you can make happen.**

Learn more about becoming a successful special educator at
Sped Prep Academy.com

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Does your meeting room look like the inside of a prison?

You can do better my friend!

So you might be thinking…who cares what my IEP meeting room looks like…it has functioned well for years and it gets the job done…and while I agree that what the room looks like is not going to have any affect on your IEP paperwork itself, it definitely could have a large impact on the relationship you are wanting to build with the parents of your students. **Parents may be feeling very overwhelmed and in need of some comfort during these meetings. Just the fact that they have to attend a meeting like this one to begin with is a lot to process and then when you add all the other factors...it’s just too much. 

Take these 4 steps to make improvements to your conference room or IEP meeting room:**

• Warm up the room (visually)
• Keep it cool
• Be accommodating
• Use anchor charts

Listen in to this episode to learn more about supporting your parents with just a few tweaks to the meeting room space.

Mentioned in the show:

Get the FREE percentile chart HERE

Check out the other anchor charts in my TpT store

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Ep 103: New Special Educator Question & Answer Series- Part 3

Today is the fourth and final part (for now anyway!) of a series where I chat with brand new special education teachers and give them the opportunity to ask a veteran teacher ALL the questions.

Today's questions are asked by Erika who is a student teacher preparing for a career as a special educator.

Listen in as I help her learn about:

• What to expect from the first year as a student teacher
• Positives and negatives
• What to know that hasn't been taught in school about the field
• Top tips for goal writing for IEPs

Mentioned in the show:

Sped Prep Academy TpT Store
Survey Level AssessmentIEP Goal bank

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Ep 103: New Special Educator Question & Answer Series- Part 3

Today is the third part of a series where I chat with brand new special education teachers who have had the opportunity to ask a veteran teacher ALL the questions.

Today's questions were submitted by Debbie who was unable to join me in person to record the show but I wanted to get her answers to her. I know if one person has these questions, others are bound to as well.

Listen in as I help her learn about:

• The 3 pieces of advice I have for new special educators
• Moving into general education after working in Sped
• How long it takes to write and IEP
• IEP websites & data bases
• How to work with aides when problems arise

Mentioned in the show:

Sped Prep Academy TpT Store
What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizIEP Goal bank

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Ep 102: New Special Educator Question & Answer Series- Part 2

Today is the second part of a series where I chat with brand new special education teachers who have had the opportunity to ask a veteran teacher ALL the questions.

Unfortunately, today's guest, Elyse, was unable to join me in person to record the show but I wanted to get her answers to her and what better way than to share them with everyone.

Listen in as I help her learn about:

• The back to school process for communicating with classroom teachers about the IEP’s of their students
• Advice for back to school night
• How building schedules work with IEP minutes?
• IEP outlines or agendas
• Who runs the IEP meetings

Mentioned in the show:

Sped Prep Academy TpT Store

Paraprofessional Handbook

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Ep 101: New Special Educator Question & Answer Series- Part 1

Today is the first of a 4 part series where I chat with brand new special education teachers who have a million questions about where to even begin in this overwhelming field. 

When I started out, I really don’t remember all the questions I had…I just jumped right in and soaked up all the knowledge I could from my mentor. There wasn’t social media or podcasts or blog posts for me to use as a resource so I was just thrown in and expected to swim.

So I think it’s really cool to be able to reach out to other teachers who are just entering the profession and be able to provide them with the support and answers they need to help them start a new year and be successful in the process.

Listen in as I answer questions from Jenn Burnand.

So the first guest is Jennifer Burnand and she has 5 or so questions for me to answer, so let’s get started.

Mentioned in the show:

Paraprofessional Handbook
Student Data Notebook

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WE'VE BEEN HACKED!! ⚠️🚨

😂😂😂

To celebrate the 100th episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast, Paul Hubbard from the Special ODDucation Podcast has taken over the airways and is hosting today's show.

Paul is one of my biggest fans and I knew I could depend on him to be entertaining and to sum up what he found as the most beneficial information from the show.

Listen in to hear Paul's 5 favorite episodes and the take-aways he gained through 1-0-0 Episodes!!

If you'd like to be a guest on the show, just email me at jennifer@spedprepacademy.com

Take the quiz to find out your Special Educator Superpower when it comes to leading your staff. Take the fun quiz at www.spedprepacademy.com/quiz

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Ep: 99 Surviving the Back-to-School Scaries

The beginning of a new school year can bring both feelings of excitement and stress. For a first year special education teacher, a veteran teacher who is moving to a new district or even someone (like me) who is starting a new position within the same district...things can get overwhelming quickly. 

Through today's episode, I hope to provide support to those of you who aren’t pumped about going back to school because of the extreme amount of work that’s ahead of you and hopefully give you a little boost of motivation to help your year start off smoothly.

The whole point of this episode is to show you that back-to-school doesn’t have to be scary. When you implement self-care strategies and make intentional moves to reduce stress, the scaries will soon be forgotten.

**Guess what!! Next week is Episode 100 and you are not gonna want to miss it!

Mentioned in the show:**What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz

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Ep 98: The Benefits of Criticism

Today I want to chat about something that is difficult for everyone, including myself, but is something, I feel that helps mold us into better teachers and better humans overall and that is criticism.

A few weeks ago, I had my phone in my hand when a review of my Facebook Page came in. It was 5 stars and that made me smile but as I began to read it, that smile quickly faded.

The review said…

“I highly recommend the website for resources for paraprofessionals. However, I would not recommend the podcast. The host spends a lot of time down playing the role of a para, and telling how she believes her role is superior to the role of a para. I would not want to be a para working alongside this host in a classroom setting.”

I’m not going to lie…that stung a bit. I have always considered myself an advocate FOR paraprofessionals…someone who fights for their equality…someone who works hard to make them feel seen and heard. Heck I even spoke to the Kansas State Legislature about the importance of paying paraprofessionals more. So to hear that my words are not conveying that message was upsetting.

Now, I share this story with you for a reason. As a teacher (just like every other profession), you will be critiqued at some point in your career and there are a whole bunch of different emotions people feel when they are criticized. But I want you to know that being criticized, even though it’s hard, it can often be very useful to help you grow or improve something you do. Today's episode goes through 6 ways of how to let criticism benefit you.

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Ep 97: Using Task Boxes as Independent Work Stations

Today’s guest is someone I’ve looked up to for a long time, both as an teacherpreneur and as a colleague within the field of special education.

Jennifer DeBrosse of Positively Learning has been in education for over 25 years working in the inclusion setting, resource room, and most recently as a special education instructional coach.Like myself, she’s all about supporting other teachers. She works diligently to give special educators their time back - from getting organized and streamlining systems to increasing student engagement and independence.

**And speaking of independence, Jennifer recently featured “Independent Work Systems” as a topic of the month on her social media accounts and that’s what today's episode is all about.

Listen in as Jennifer and I discuss:**

• What a task box is
• How to organize your task boxes
• What types of skills are good for task boxes
• What to use to store your task boxes
• How to take data?
• What procedures/rules/routines should be put into place to make them independent
• How to train paraprofessionals in the task box system
• Where to get the materials for the task boxes

And MORE!

You can connect with Jennifer and learn more from Positively Learning
Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

TikTok

Website

Teachers Pay Teachers

Get her free FREEBIES here:
Free Webinar:

https://webinarkit.com/webinar/registration/62cbfa0bdc8d1245ca04f0dd

Free Student Checklist:

https://positivelylearningblog.com/student-checklist-for-independent-work/

Check out these Products from Positively Learning!

Task Box Dollar Club:

https://task-box-dollar-club.teachable.com/p/task-box-dollar-club

Task Boxes Anytime Bundle:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Task-Boxes-Special-Education-Bundle-for-Independent-Work-Systems-100-Sets-7110230?st=b9ec090db828282e94ad5f35741f25da

Also mentioned in the episode:What's your special education superpower quiz

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Ep 96: How to Implement Student-Led IEP Meetings

I just created a new resource for this very topic and want to share it with you!
Student Led IEP Meeting Presentation Template

Today’s guest is Maureen Howard from Spoonful of Sped. Maureen is a high school special education department chair in Virginia and is about to start her 8th year in the field. She is passionate about working with older students and enjoys thinking big picture about the skills students need during the transition to adulthood. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Special Education with a focus in Transition and studies the IEP process and teacher experiences when supporting student involvement. She has taught 3 college courses in special education as an adjunct professor, she develops materials that are used countywide for instruction, and has served as a guest speaker for several trainings or podcasts, presented nationally at conferences.

On this episode, Marueen and I discuss...

• What a student-led IEP meeting looks like
• What the benefits are
• What successes Maureen has seen with student led meetings
• What downfalls she's seen
• How teachers can start the process of helping their students lead the meeting
• And MORE!

Want to learn more from Maureen?
Connect with her here:
Facebook

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Website

Teachers Pay Teachers

Here’s a free invitation you can give to your students in student-friendly language to invite and include them in their upcoming IEP meeting. There are also invitations they can fill out and deliver/send to the members of their IEP team. This is surely a great way to make the IEP process student centered!

This is an adapted book to help you teach your students the different parts of their IEP. The book uses student-friendly language to explain hard to understand components of the IEP. A one pager is included for students that can access the text altogether and a presentation deck for you to share with the class as a whole or print for your classroom library.

This is a digital presentation that you can co-create with your student to use during their upcoming IEP meeting. Add pictures of their team members and their interests. Follow up with pictures of them at their jobsites or list their strengths in a table. End with their career goal to drive home the purpose of meeting together as a team. This will put students first and give them a voice in this important process.

*DON'T Forget to shop the TPT hashtag sales*

Wednesday, July 20-Saturday July 23 search #christmasinjuly22

Monday, July 25 search #spedsummer3deals
Tuesday, July 26 search #spedsummer2deals
Wednesday, July 27 search #spedsummer1deals
Thursday, July 28 search #spedsummerhalfoffdeals**

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Ep 95 How to Organize IEP Files

Have you ever received one of "those" IEP files?

Sure it’s a file filled with all the pertinent information that a special educator needs to have…the IEP itself, meeting notices, testing information, copies of progress reports, documentation between the teacher and the parent but...there is no rhyme or reason to the items placed within making it a nightmare to get an easy depiction of the child.

If you've taught special ed for any time at all, you know what I'm talking about.

Having organized files is is a skill that needs to be learned by all so that you don’t end up being “that teacher” who sends an unorganized IEP file to another teacher.

Today's episode discusses:

• Why organization is better for our brains
• How disorganization adds to our stress levels
• Why being organized can lead to success and
• My suggestions for organizing your files

Within the show I mention the special discount you can receive on my course...
The Ultimate Paraprofessional Training Guide

Regularly $97, you can get the course for $49 as a friend of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast!
Click here to find out more!

Also mentioned...
Take the "What's Your Special Educator Superpower" Quiz

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Episode 94: The Benefits of Using a Goal Bank

One of the ways special education teachers can be successful in their jobs without running themselves ragged is through the use of goal banks.

In fact, I created a digital goal bank just for you! Get it here!

Jen Murphy from The Sped Collective is joining me today to talk about how she streamlined the IEP writing process and learned not to overcomplicate the job and part of that approach involves using goal banks.

Listen in as Jen and I discuss:

• What a goal bank is
• What the benefits are
• Who should use one
• What naysayers think (and why we disagree)
• What to look for in a goal bank
• Writing a SMART goal
• And more!

If you'd like to get a copy of a free goal bank from Jen you can find that
HERE: IEP Goal Bank for K-8 math

You can also find in depth goal bank for each grade at The Sped Collective TPT store Here

If you want to connect with Jen, you can find her on the following platforms:
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
TikTok
Sped Collective Website

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Episode 93: What Parents Want Special Education Teachers to Know

Supporting our parents should be high up on your priority list. One way to do this is to provide parents with a Parent Handbook. This handbook is the perfect introduction into the confusing world of Special Education and will show your parents that you want to work together with them to give their child the best possible education.

**Today’s guest is a special one because not only does she work within the field of special education, she is the mom to a son with autism which gives her an in depth insight into all things special education…the IEP meetings, the services provided to her son and so much more.

This episode is set up a little differently than my other guest interviews in the fact that I’m not going to be asking Markeisha specific questions but instead giving her topics and just letting her tell us what she, as a parent, has to say. I’m hoping that through her words and her insight of having a different perspective, that we as special educators can take her words to heart and make significant improvements in the way we engage with and support our parents.**

Listen in as Markeisha and I discuss:

• Draft IEPs (yes you should send them!)
• IEP meetings
• Inclusion
• Pull out services
• Transition
• Discipline

You can connect with Markeisha with the links below and recommend her services to the parents of your students.

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

Website

https://markeisha-hall-a7ed.mykajabi.com/empowered-parent-newsletter

https://www.markeishahall.com/iep-training-parent-coaching

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Episode 92: 3 Ways to Prep for the School Year Before You Step Foot in the Classroom

Today's show talks about next school year.

I know...I know...but hear me out!

I'm not trying to stress you out by making you think about next school year when you just finished last school year.

The purpose of this episode is just the opposite.

If you are anything like me, the last thing you want to think at the end of one school year is the next school year…but yet…if you’re honest with yourself… it’s always there…it’s like this little nagging voice in the back of your brain saying things like…”You know..if you would do such and such, it would make things so much easier” or “You should have done XYZ last year…”

We want to turn our brains off during the summer months but teaching is at the core of who we are and we are constantly seeking better ways to improve our craft…to be better than we were the year before.

Alyssa Shanahan from Simply Special Ed is here to help you make just a few preparations before the school year that will help you out immensely next school year so that some of the stress of heading back in the fall is taken off your plate.Listen in as we discuss...

• The benefits to preparing for a new school year
• The 3 steps to prepping for a new year
• Creating your dream schedule and modifying it once school start

**Alyssa is a former severe special education teacher and current curriculum developer who loves teaching new and veteran special education teachers how to be successful in the self-contained setting.

You can connect with her here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplySpecialEd/**

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplyspecialed/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/SimplySpecialEd/_created/

Website: https://www.simplyspecialed.com/

Webinar: http://Simplyspecialed.com/webinar

Course: https://alyssa-shanahan.mykajabi.com/waitlist

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Ep: 91 Teacher to Teacher Leader: Providing Special Educators with a Middleman
On today’s show, we have our first guest repeat. I’m excited to have Heather Cacioppo from Full Sped Ahead back with us to talk about all things Teacher Leadership.

As I stated on an episode or 2 ago, I will be making the change this fall to move into a leadership role within my district to be an instructional coach for all special education teachers. Heather is also a teacher leader within her own right and hopes to make the change to full-time teacher leader in the future and as you’ll hear, it is apparent that she has the skills to make that happen.

Heather is a self contained special education teacher who uses her experience and talents as a business owner, helping other teacher’s grow in this field and has presented at many educational conferences including Educators 2 Educators, The Intentional IEP, Thriving in Sped, Teach It Special, and Master IEP Coach.

Listen in as we chat about what leadership skills and qualities are and the importance of a position like this one and the benefits to special education teachers.

You can connect with Heather here:
https://www.facebook.com/fullSPEDahead

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

https://www.pinterest.com/fullspedaheadtpt/

https://fullspedahead.com

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Full-Sped-Ahead-Heather-Cacioppo

https://wow.boomlearning.com/author/fullspedahead?collection=Decks&sort=publishDateℴ=-1

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Episode 90: How to Lead Without Micromanaging Your Staff

**On today’s show, I’m going to be sharing about a very important role you have as a special education teacher…that of a leader...leading your staff in the day to day operations of a special education department.

But as a leader, it's important you aren't implementing a micromanaging style of leadership.**In this episode, we break down what a micromanager is and what they do to the detriment of the team. We self-reflect to see if this applies to you and if so, what can you do to help you break the habit.

Mentioned in the Show:What's Your Special Education Superpower? Quiz

Episode 67: 5 Differences Between Bosses and Leaders

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Episode 89: The Importance of Being Coachable

Today’s show is all about the importance of being coachable. The best teachers are those who are constantly questioning their practice and reflecting on how to improve. But just like individuals in other fields, teachers need personal and professional coaching. We need someone in our corner who “gets” us… someone who speaks our language and asks us the questions we need to answer in order to unlock our unique strengths and to give us support to improve our weaknesses.

This next school year, I will be starting a new position within my district as an Instructional Coach for Special Educators. Although I'm sad to leave the program I've built with my co-teacher of 27 years, I am looking forward to having the opportunity to COACH!

And what better way to help me teach you than to be working in a position where I’m able to help other teachers (just like you) full time.If you’ve ever played sports, you know that great coaches can help you change the way you play the game. It’s not that they take over your spot and play for you, but they teach you how to be more aggressive, how to work smarter, and how to get you to a place where you know what to do even when they are not around.

When relating this to education, specifically special education, When you are “in it”...when you are living the life of a special educator day in and day out and you are struggling to keep your head above water, it’s so hard to be able to see things we may be doing wrong or things we could be doing better.Listen in to this episode to see how an instructional coach can benefit you and why it's so very important to be "coachable."

Mentioned on the show:
What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz

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Episode 88: 5 Skills Good Special Educators Have

**So by recording this episode, I hope that I’m able to reach those individuals who are ready to go the extra miles that it takes to be a good special educator. After doing this job for almost 3 decades, I feel there are some essential skills that special education teachers need to either have, or learn quickly so that they can set themselves up for success right away and have a long, fulfilling career in this field.

Listen in to hear the 5 skills that "good" special education teachers have.

Mentioned on the show:*Special Education Teacher Starter Kit*The Special Education Teacher Starter Kit** incudes 491 pages of everything a special educator needs to get started and be successful in this field.

Included are 14 of the most popular products from the Sped Prep Academy store...all of which were created by a veteran special education teacher who knows how hard this job can be when you don't even know where or how to start.

And best of all...when you purchase the bundle you save $35!! That's a lot of savings. So what all will you get??

Also mentioned:
What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz

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Episode 87: 3 End-of-the-Year Organizational Tips for Special Educators

As we are wrapping up yet another school year, I know better than anyone how easy and how tempting it is to just want to be done. 

There is so much going on at the end of a school year…field days, parties, assemblies, yearbook signings, finishing up reports and paperwork and you get to the point that you are exhausted and ready to pack up and head out. **But think about this instead...
If you could just take a couple of hours in the spring doing a little prep work to prepare for the next school year and you got to come back in the fall all organized and ready to go...would you do it?

I sure would! In fact, I've changed camps on this one.Instead of shoving things into a closet, piling items into tubs or stacking materials onto shelves, I've made these 3 adjustments to help get organized and be in a better frame of mind come fall. Want to know what the 3 things are?

Listen in to the show to find out.   

Mentioned in the show:**What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz

Student Data Notebook

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Episode 86: End of School Year Stress: 5 Ways to Calm the Chaos

Are you about to pull your hair out with the end of school year chaos? It's a crazy time of the year for special education teachers. We are having to wrap up paperwork and report on progress. We are finishing up testing, communicating with parents and planning for Extended School Year. But it’s very important to take intentional steps and make a concerted effort to keep your kids engaged and having fun during this typically unstructured time of year because if your students aren’t interested in what’s going on, you are going to have some behavior problems and see some discipline issues that you'd rather not have to experience.

On today's episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast **I chat about things you can do with your students to calm the chaos of the end of a school year so that you and your students can end the year on a more peaceful note and finish strong. I know right now it’s hard to keep students engaged in their learning and wanting to participate in their education.

Listen in to hear 5 ways to calm the chaos and end your school year with less stress.

Mentioned in the show:**What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz

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Episode 85: Post secondary success for students with special needs

This week's guest is Fiona Gonzalez from Sped Adulting. Fiona is a mod/severe high school transition teacher who is in charge of vocational curriculum for the high school and transition students and organizes and runs the on and off campus work experience programs. During her first year of teaching, she discovered that it was hard to find age appropriate resources for her students so she began creating curriculum herself. What started as Fiona’s need for creating resources for her own classroom turned into something bigger than she could ever imagine. Her resources have helped thousands of teachers all over the world with their lesson plans and hundred of thousands of students reach their goals to greater independence. This year she has been nominated as Special Education Teacher of the Year at the EDU Choice Awards happening this summer.

Listen in as Fiona and I discuss:

• When to start the transition process
• How vocational training can help ease the transition from high school to real world
• Suggestions for partnering with community agencies
• How to incorporate age appropriate lessons
• What elementary and middle school special education teachers can do support a high school special education teacher’s job
• Essential skills all students should know to help them be successful at a job post-secondary

Learn more from Fiona:
https://www.spedadulting.com

https://www.instagram.com/spedadulting/

https://www.facebook.com/spedadulting

Sped Adulting on Teachers Pay Teachers

Also mentioned on the show:

What's Your Special Educator Superpower? Quiz

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Episode 84: Supporting Parents Outside of the Classroom with Autism Consultant Molly Johnson

When you hear the words special educator does your brain immediately go to a teacher within a classroom setting who is managing a caseload of students, providing individualized instruction and supporting student’s cognitive, behavioral and physical needs?

Yep…mine does too. But being in the classroom isn’t for everyone and having A degree in special education can actually prepare you for a wide range of jobs outside of teaching. My guest today is here to share one of those jobs. Molly Johnson is an Autism Consultant and provides a Membership for parents looking for support with behavior and skill development. Molly left the classroom a few years ago and through her experience as a teacher she is able to provide services to empower parents to confidently support their child’s individual needs.

Molly and I discuss:

• What exactly is an autism consultant
• How to get started as an autism consultant
• How to help parents understand their child’s challenging behavior and support behavior needs
• Some things parents can start implementing today to have a positive impact on their child’s behaviors
• The role the environment plays when it comes to challenging behaviors
• How visual supports play a role in an autistic child’s environment
• How parents can get started with visuals

Connect with Molly

https://www.instagram.com/theautismconsultant/Share her Membership information with your parents who are looking for more support with behavior and skill development.
https://www.theautismconsultant.us/autismactionplans

Also mentioned in the show:

10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

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Episode 83: The Benefits of Implementing a Therapy Dog at School

Today’s episode is all about the benefits of having a therapy dog at a school. You might be thinking…if you are doing the pros, shouldn’t you also do the cons?So, yes I’ll talk a little bit about the downside but really, the cons are so minimal and so easily fixable that they aren’t really cons at all and do not tip the scale in the slightest if you are trying to weigh pros and cons.My district has 3 therapy dogs who are based out of 3 different elementary buildings, with my dog Tucker being the most recent. If you are interested in implementing a therapy dog at your school...it is possible to get it done.Listen in as I share about the benefits of having a therapy dog:

• Physical benefits
• Cognitive benefits
• Social/Emotional benefits

Get the Therapy Dog Implementation Guide that I talked about in the show HERE!

Also mentioned in the show:

10-Step Guide to Begin Creating aTEAM Culture With Your Staff

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Episode 82: The Benefits of Sensory Fidgets

Did you know that a very high percentage of all humans fidget. I challenge you to think of someone...a colleague, a spouse, a friend, or maybe even yourself.. and you will probably see people bouncing their legs up and down, turning pens over and over in their hands, chewing on things, doodling, picking at their lower lips, pulling at their beard, twisting their hair, popping their knuckles – and doing these things completely unconsciously.

What if fidgeting with an object helps a person stay focused when doing a long task or sitting still and being attentive? What if it was seen as a positive thing?

As special educators, we often give our students with ADHD and sensory processing disorders benefit fidgets but on today’s episode I wanted to dig into this a little deeper and learn about the actual benefits sensory fidgets play in the lives of our students.

Today’s guest is Alexis Welch from the TPT store and blog The Peachy Speducator and I can’t wait for you to hear this episode. Alexis shares the benefits of sensory fidgets for students who need that type of multi-sensory input and gives us ideas on types of fidgets, personal preferences and so much more.

Alexis and I discuss:

• The benefits sensory fidgets provide to students
• What makes a good fidget toy
• Some of the foundational skills students need to have
• What a special educator should say to a general education teacher who says they are just toys and not needed
• How to know what fidgets each student prefers
• Recommendations for fidgets

Mentioned in the show:

10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

Amazon fidgets:

Fidget Variety Pack

Stretch Fidget Strings

Spiky Ball 10 Pack

Fidget Cube

App Store:

Search “sensory fidget no anxiety” - available for iPhone and iPad

Sensory Diet Planning Guide from Sped Prep Academy Connect with Alexis!www.thepeachyspeducator.com

https://www.instagram.com/thepeachyspeducator/

https://www.facebook.com/ThePeachySpeducator

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1343366226032234

https://www.pinterest.com/thepeachyspeducator/_created/

https://www.teachersp

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Episode 81: How to Write Better PLAAFP Statements for Your IEPs

I'm just going to say it...If you are writing "No concerns" as the only 2 words in a statement on a Present Level of Performance section, it's time to step up your game.

**The PLAAFP (Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance) is the starting point for the whole IEP and it holds the GOLD! These statements hold so much valuable information because it’s where the special educator can try their best to sum up a living, breathing child into a few short pages.

And that’s not an easy feat. Or at least it shouldn't be!**We have to do a better job of completing these sections. If an outsider were to read your IEP, would they get a good picture of your student just by reading the PLAAFP?

Today's episode explains the ins and outs of writing great PLAAFP statements and includes examples of what to say when there really isn't much to say. Using "no concerns" just doesn't cut it.

Listen in to learn about:

• What should be included in each section
• What shouldn't be included
• Where to gather the information from
• Who to get input from

And

• Listen to the end to hear my most important piece of advice when it comes to writing your PLAAFPs

Mentioned in the show:

10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

Survey Level Assessment

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Episode #80: 3 Things I Wish I'd Had as a New Teacher

I am an avid podcast listener myself and the other day I heard a fellow entrepreneur talking about Teachers Pay Teachers and how if you have a store and you don’t promote your store or you don’t let other people know about your products then you are doing a disservice to them.

For me, I’ve always tried to intentionally keep this podcast and the TpT stores separate. I might mention a product every now and then but for the most part it has been intentional that I don’t sell to you and the reason I’ve done that is because I’m not a salesperson…I’m a teacher.

My mentality has been, if you want it you’ll buy it and if you don’t you won’t and I’m okay with that.

But then that podcaster’s words stuck in my brain.

Doing a disservice.
And I think I’m starting to finally understand it. If I have things I’ve created that could benefit you and make your life easier and even make your job even a little less stressful…and I’m not telling you about it…I AM doing a disservice to you. I am failing you as a mentor.

How can I possibly expect you to grow professionally and personally if I’m not sharing with you how I have grown professionally and personally in the field of special education.

So on today's episode, I share with you 3 of my all-time favorite products and describe in detail how they've helped me overcome hurdles within my position as a special educator.

Paraprofessional Handbook

Survey Level Assessment

Student Data Notebook

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Episode 79: Help Your Students & Families Get a Good Night's Sleep

Did you know that 80% of autistic children have difficulty sleeping?How many times as a special educator have you heard “He just isn’t sleeping well” or “He goes to sleep and then wakes up in the middle of the night” or "It’s going to be a rough day today because she didn’t sleep well.”

Often, Autistic children find it hard to sleep because of sensory sensitivities to their sleeping environment. And that’s where today’s guest comes in.

George Bailey is here to chat with us about something I had never even seen a picture of before but feel like this idea has been living somewhere deep in my brain forever! So I could not be more excited to start sharing this idea with my student’s parents and to let you in on this amazing product as well.

George is a co-founder of zPods which are beds designed to increase sleep quality and have a profound impact on Autistic and neurodivergent children and their families.George and I discuss:

• How the idea came about
• The components of the bed and the reasons behind them
• Success stories
• Cost & solutions
• How to communicate to parents

So much good stuff in this episode and I can't wait to start the conversations with the parents on my caseload!

And guess what...!? There is a VIP discount, which you can learn about on their website. They are selling the first 288 Made in USA beds at an over 40% discount, shipping included.

Connect with George and learn more about Z-pods beds:
www.zpodsforsleep.com

www.zpods.tech

https://www.facebook.com/zpods

https://www.instagram.com/zpodsforsleep/

george@zpods.io

Mentioned in this episode:

10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

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Episode 78: How to Explain Achievement Test Results to Parents

Have you been in this situation at an IEP table?

It's your turn to explain testing results to parents and you don't know where to begin or how much to include. Your face is red, your neck is splotchy, your pits and palms are sweating and you're positive you're going to be fired on the spot as soon as the meeting is over.

Yep! Been there, done that!

For most special education teachers, summarizing achievement tests is a requirement and it's an aspect of the job that can be very overwhelming, especially when you don't have experience and have never been taught how to do it.

So on today’s episode, I share with you how to confidently and effectively summarize the results of achievement testing for parents during an IEP meeting. Listen in to learn about how to write a report based on these 4 components:

1. Background
2. Results
3. Observations
4. Recommendations

You'll also receive tips on how to word different aspects of the report and how to confidently present your findings to the parents.

Mentioned in the show:JOIN THE BOOTCAMP- Learn how to level up your IEP table gameGet the Understanding Percentiles Visual for Free Get it on TPT:

Woodcock Johnson Report Templates and Cheat Sheets

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Episode 77: How to Plan for a Resource Room

This is part 3 of a 3 part series on how to run a resource room.
Today is all about how to make plans for working with students as a resource teacher. As a resource teacher for 27 years, I have changed and modified the way I've done this more times than I can count but the method I currently use works very well and allows

Inclusion:

• Collaborate with general education teacher
• Choose your framework
• Discuss standards and lessons to be taught

Resource Room for LD:

• Base your plans on the amount of time you have with students
• Structure your activities based on the amount of time students are pulled
• Use a mixture of:
  • Spiral review
  • Standards instruction
  • Independent instruction on missing skills
  • IEP goals

Resource Room for ID, Autism, DD, etc.

• Use task box system
  • Example: 20 boxes per week, 4 per day
• Switch out activities often
• Students work for a reward or free time
• IEP goal boxes

If you haven't listened to Ep 75: How to Set up a Resource Room and Ep 76: How to Schedule for a Resource Room, make sure you go back and listen to those as well.

Mentioned in this episode:

10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

Sped Prep Academy Episode 75

Sped Prep Academy Episode 76

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Episode 76: How to Schedule for a Resource Room

This week’s episode is part 2 of a 3 part series on how to run a resource room and today we're talking about the HOW when it comes to planning for and developing a schedule that works for you.

Scheduling for a resource room, when you have so many different moving pieces, can be one of the most frustrating aspects of being a sped teacher. You have to consider...

• Student services and minutes
• General education teacher schedules
• Specials schedules
• Related services
• Dealing with multiple grade levels
• Building routines and policies

And so on and so on!

Within this episode, you will learn you how to schedule for a resource room using a framework that has effectively worked for a department with 2-4 teachers and up to 10 teaching assistants.And then once you have your schedule just the way you want it (of course you hopefully know it will change like a million times before the school year is over!), I will teach you how to make a cover schedule for when you or one of your teammates are absent. **What a timesaver this has been for the last 5 years!

Mentioned in this episode:**

10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

Editable Google Paraprofessional SurveySped Prep Academy Episode 16

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Episode 75:

**This week's episode is to follow up on last chat with Amanda Wilp from The Primary Gal where she and I talked about the tips for running a resource room.

There was so much that we didn't have a chance to talk about so I'm continuing this conversation for 3 more episodes.**

Today is part 1 of a 3 part series on how to run a resource program. We are going to talk about how to set one up, how to schedule for it and how to plan for the students who have resource services. I’m only going to focus on one aspect each week and this week I want to explain what setting up a resource room looks like.Let me just start by saying there is no wrong way to do this. You are going to want to set it up to meet your needs and your student’s needs and every resource room will look different from the others. But there are some components to a resource room that I feel should be included in all of them.

Depending on the size of the room that is assigned to you, you might have larger areas which would allow for some of the components to be on a larger scale or even incorporate some extra things, but even with a small room, these components are doable.

**Listen in as I share the 7 main components of setting up a resource room and the 3 additional pieces that are encouraged but not must haves.

Mentioned in the show:**Sensory Diet Planning Guide

10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

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Episode 74: Tips to Running a Resource Room

We have a special guest on the show today and she’s so special, I actually recorded her episode not once…but twice! 😂

Amanda Wilp and I talked one evening for over an hour and it was just the best conversation because we have so much in common and chatting with her came easy and natural…but once we were done we realized I had not pressed record. I was so mad at myself but Amanda was gracious and kind and offered to record it again with me the very next evening. What a trooper she is!

**Amanda is an elementary special education resource teacher known in the Blogging and TPT and world as The Primary Gal and has an active Facebook Group called The Resource Room to give special education teachers ideas, support, and inspiration.

Amanda loves working as a resource room teacher. It is truly her passion and what she loves to share with others. While working in this role, she saw a need for interventions that were quick and effective, but she didn’t want to sacrifice her students’ progress. So she created her own!

She now shares her routines and interventions with other special education teachers to help save them time and see results in their students too!**Amanda has shared a free week of Interventions and you can get that HERE

Listen in as we chat about Tips to Running a Resource Room! (I know that’s why we got along so well is because we were speaking each other’s language!)

• What a resource room is and how long kids stay in there
• Curriculum used for a variety of levels
• The importance of daily routines and procedures are still important
• The components that are a must-have within a resource room
• How we progress monitoring
• The teacher’s role vs. the para's role

**Mentioned in the show:

Sign up for Amanda's webinar HERE**!This webinar is perfect for:
-New SPED Teachers, who need help getting started
-Experienced SPED Teachers, who are looking to save time
-Experieneced SPED Teachers, who need a bit of a reset

Amanda has shared a free week of Interventions and you can get that HERE

Connect with Amanda on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM

Also mentioned in the Show:10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

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Episode 73: How to Support Students with CVI

Have you ever heard of the acronym CVI?

I hadn't! Even after over 2 decades of teaching, I got to learn something new from today's guest.

Today’s guest is Melissa Chalme from Special Achievers and she is joining us to chat about a topic I had absolutely no knowledge about before our talk. And for me, when that happens, I’m like a kid in a candy store, because I am such a nerd when it comes to learning new things.

**Melissa shares with us how to support students who have been diagnosed with cortical visual impairment…also known as CVI.

Listen in as we discuss:**

• What exactly is cortical visual impairment
• How it differs from other visual impairments
• Characteristics of CVI
• How to adapt materials
• Types of accommodations to make within the classroom
• Examples of ways to modify the curriculum
• And how to support paraprofessionals to work with students with CVI

**So much great knowledge!!

And I even learn there's such a thing as matte lamination! Mind blown lol**

Mentioned in the show:

Digital Paraprofessional Handbook

How to Have Courageous Conversations

Survey Level Assessment

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Episode 72: How to Teach Literacy using Story Based Instruction

Mentioned in the Show:10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

Today’s guest on the show is Laura Hackwell but you might know her as Miss Lulu Special Ed.

Laura is a former middle school self contained special education teacher who has just recently moved into a coaching role for other special education teachers as a district life skills coordinator. She is passionate about helping special education teachers balance functional skills and academic instruction so they can maintain high expectations without getting overwhelmed trying to teach #allthethings. She strongly believes that all students, including those with disabilities need to be able to access age-appropriate literature. This increases reading interest, reading skills, and the understanding of literacy components that are required by the state standards. Laura knows that when a child is reading well below their grade level peers, they do not always have the same opportunities to access literature. Story Based Literacy is an excellent way to provide students with disabilities access to state standards and grade level texts.

Today, Laura and I chat about story based literacy.

Listen in as we discuss:

• What story based literacy is
• Why it's beneficial for special education teachers to teach
• What skills are included
• What it looks like in a special education classroom
• How to implement it with student who have limited communication
• Ways to incorporate the paraprofessionals
• Examples of books to use

Laura shares more information about how she implemented SBL in her classroom. Check that out here.

You can connect with Laura here:
Facebook
Website
Instagram

And get a differentiated literacy unit for Charlie & the Chocolate Factory HERE

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Episode 71: Including ALL Students Through Modified Play & Leisure Skills

Get the 10 Steps to Creating a Team Culture with Your Paraprofessionals [For Free!]

Today’s guest on the show is the face behind ABA Speech with Rose.

Rose and I sat down for a chat about play. Okay…it’s not that simple but it is a topic that was a lot of fun to talk about because it’s something that gets taken for granted. Sitting down and playing a board game might sound easy enough, but for some students the rules and stipulations of the game are preventing them from being included. Rose breaks down the why and how to modify play and leisure skills to enable learners of all abilities to join in.
Rose and I discuss:

• Informal or formal assessments to uncover some potential areas of interest
• Techniques or strategies to use for collaboration with general education teachers
• How to support the paraprofessionals in the area of modified play
• Examples of games & how to modify them
• Examples of goals

Rosemarie Griffin, is an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She owns her own private practice, ABA SPEECH which offers therapy services, courses, consultations and products geared towards helping autistic students find their voice. Rose is also the host of the Autism Outreach Podcast, a weekly show all about autism and communication. She is a sought-after speaker who enjoys connecting with audiences at the local, state and national level and she is passionate about the mission of ABA SPEECH, which is to help all students become more independent communicators.

You can get Rose's Free Goal Bank for social skills HERE

Connect with Rose!!
Instagram
ABASpeech.org

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Episode 70: The Steps to Take Before & After an IEP Meeting

As special educators, we all most likely have a good understanding of the importance of the IEP meeting but today we’re going to back up to help teachers understand that there is a lot of work to put in BEFORE the meeting and there are even things to do AFTER the meeting that you may not be aware of.

In today's episode, we are chatting with Whitney Lowrey from Rooted in Resource.

Before the IEP Meeting:

1. Fill in the IEP calendar at the beginning of each school year (Here is Whitney's)
2. Schedule the IEP meeting with the parents at least 3 weeks in advance (or follow your district's requirements)
3. Send out teacher and parent input forms (digitally or paper/pencil)
4. Send home the draft IEP about a week before the meeting (or follow your district's requirements)

After the IEP Meeting:

1. Finalize the IEP (type in comments/changes/additions made during the meeting into the IEP system)
2. Send home a copy of the finalized IEP to the parent
3. Give the teacher a copy of the snapshot
4. Send the original IEP with signatures to the district office
5. Adjust any schedule changes
6. Communicate changes with paraprofessionals
7. Update goal data sheets

You can get Whitney's meeting organizer here!

Connect with Whitney!InstagramTeachers Pay TeachersFacebookPinterest

Mentioned in the Show:10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

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Episode 69: How to Welcome a New Student and Their Family to Your Classroom

Today’s episode is dedicated to something I imagine a lot of special educators take for granted because it's something that occurs often but not so often to really think about the procedures you have in place when it does happen.. And that is what to do when you get a new student on your caseload.

Now, it could be that you know the child is coming ahead of time which gives you plenty of time to plan and prepare properly. Some parents are highly aware of the need to inform the incoming school about their child’s needs, but sadly that’s not always the case.

Luckily…today’s guest has done the prep work for us.Fabiana from the Autism Advantage is here to share her steps and processes of what to do to make a new student and their family feel welcome and helps us put together a plan of action for the next time you receive a new student.

Listen in as she shares how she...

• Meets with parents/family to build trust
• Gets to know the student and their preferred activities
• Works collaboratively with her staff to ensure a smooth transition
• Engages and includes other students to prepare them for a new classmate

You can learn more from Fabiana on Instagram and find her resources at the Autism Advantage on TPT

If you are needing a handbook to guide parents through the special education process and provide them with information in layman's terms, this Parent Handbook in English and Spanish is the perfect companion to creating a successful, long-lasting relationship with your parents.

Mentioned in the Show:10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your Staff

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Episode 68: 4 Ways to Set Your Paraprofessionals Up for Success in the New Year (or anytime!)

HaPPy NeW YeAR!!

This is the first episode of 2022 and I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling good. I’m feeling like I had a very restful break as far as being a teacher goes and now I’m ready to jump into this new year of teaching with the motivation and the initiative I need to finish out yet another school year strong....and I want the same for YOU!I want you to come back from your time off recharged and refreshed and ready to make some intentional decisions that will improve the relationships and team culture with your staff.

So on today’s episode, I want to share with you 4 quick ways to set your staff up for success during this new year as well.

1. Get to know them better including their strengths and weaknesses
2. Communicate your expectations
3. Provide individualized training using their strengths and weaknesses
4. Expect mistakes

By putting these 4 things into action immediately, you will begin building a stronger, more cohesive team for you and your staff.

Mentioned in the Show:10-Step Guide to Begin Creating a TEAM Culture With Your StaffParaprofessional Interest Survey (Google Form)Paraprofessional Handbook

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Episode 67: 5 Differences Between Bosses and Leaders

I was out in public one day a long time ago and ran into one of the paraprofessionals who worked within my department and she introduced me to her husband as her boss. Now, I was probably 10-15 years younger than her and I hadn’t been teaching for very long when this happened so it hit me weird…Me? A boss?

That’s not something that I ever thought I would be called when I was growing up and went to college. I never envisioned myself as someone’s boss because I didn’t go to college to be a boss.

In fact, that word…boss…has a bit of a negative connotation for me because growing up I would always hear things like “Don’t be so bossy” or “ That girl in your class just bosses everyone else around.” I have even said it to my own daughters…don’t be bossy to your sister or don’t boss your friends around.When you use the word boss as a noun…it doesn’t sound so bad. It means a person who is in charge of a worker, a group, or an organization. So by definition, I guess I am the boss. I make their schedules. I write their lesson plans. I complete their evaluations. They report to me if they are sick…so it makes sense that they refer to me as their boss.

But as a verb, to boss means:

• to be master of or over
• manage, direct or control
• to order about, especially in an arrogant manner

So quite literally “to boss” means to tell employees what to do in order to control them.

These two definitions butted heads within my brain for quite a while and I spent many years trying to work out my role within our department. And it became evident throughout the years that a boss is not something I wanted to be. I wanted to work on the front lines with my staff. I wanted to build a team culture and I wanted to be seen as a leader instead of a boss.

So today…I want to dig into this a little deeper and explain the differences between the two and hopefully give you some good information on what you can do to become a good leader for your staff.

1. Leaders roll up their sleeves and help out
2. Leaders teach, not scold
3. Leaders offer equality
4. Leaders listen, then speak
5. Leaders lead, bosses push

These 5 differences seem simple enough, but simple does not always mean easy. True leaders make a commitment to assess their management styles, understand these key differences and then make a concerted effort to put these good leadership characteristics into action.

**So when making that commitment to becoming a leader versus being a boss, the one thing that I have done above anything else is to learn. I am and always will be a lifelong learner and self-improvement is one of my top priorities when it comes to learning things. I guess I just feel like if I’m not open to learning and growing then how can I expect my staff and the teachers I mentor to do the same.

Here are just 3 of the books I have read to help me become a better leader (affiliate links)**Shifting the Monkey: The Art of Protecting Good People From Liars, Criers, and Other Slackers (A book on school leadership and teacher performance)Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization

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Episode 66: The Importance of Giving Back: Why You Should Mentor Other Special Educators

In the spirit of the holidays, today's episode is all about giving back.If you are listening to this episode at the time of its release, then you know Christmas is just a few short days away and so I wanted to focus on something that I feel can bring the spirit of Christmas to our departments and our programs when we return to the classroom in January.Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 10 years (or in the case that your district doesn't struggle with this issue), it is most likely well known that the field of special education has always seen more than its fair share of struggles to find certified teachers to fill empty positions.

Because of this, many of those empty positions are being filled with non-certified individuals. These individuals are beautiful souls who are ready to take on this profession with gusto and who are ready to put in the hard work of being a special educator…and then this happens.

They have no freaking idea what they’re doing.

They have no background in disabilities…they have no training in how to work with children who have special needs, they don’t have a clue what the paperwork means and why it’s important that it is done correctly.

In fact…they don’t even know what they don’t know.

Given these many challenges, these new special education teachers need support and guidance from an experienced special education mentor to learn the ropes.

**Now…when I say mentor, I am not speaking in any formal capacity. I’m talking about being a guiding light to another educator who is struggling. I’m talking about going above and beyond, and out of your way to help someone who needs help. I feel it is MY job, no I feel it is OUR job to provide them with all the support they need.

In today's episode, you'll learn why providing mentorship to new teachers who haven't been properly trained is SOOO important and I'll explain in detail the 3 steps to take when mentoring another teacher:**

1. Provide emotional support
2. Provide ideas (when asked)
3. Help to reduce frustration

But before you get all sassy with me and say, "I don't have time to help anyone else, I'm barely surviving myself." Just know that I get it.

And it’s not my intention to add even more work to your already full plate. I just want you to remember what it was like being that first year teacher and how much you would have appreciated having someone who volunteered their time to help you learn and grow and when we can give back to others in that same boat…it feels remarkable.

So in the spirit of giving, it is my hope that when we all go back to school in January that we can, at the very least, give a little of our time to help someone else out.Follow me on Instagram
Sped Prep Academy
and check out the What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz mentioned in the show

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Managing behavior might very well be one of the hardest aspects of being a special educator.

Luckily, collecting data on those behaviors doesn't have to be difficult.

Today’s guest is Caitlin Beltran and we're talking about all things dealing with the how, when and why of collecting behavior data.

Listen in as Caitlin and I chat about:

• What behavior data is and what is it used for
• The different methods of collecting data
• What a data collection session looks like
• Some roadblocks to obtaining good data
• And The steps she takes to teach paraprofessionals how to take data?

If you have ever bought behavior products off of TPT before, it’s likely that you’ve come across her store...Beltran’s Behavior Basics. She has over 200 products in her store where she creates resources to help teachers track and manage student behaviors. dealing with everything from

• ✏ IEP Goals & Objectives
• ✏ Behavior Data Sheet
• ✏ Behavior Management
• ✏ Digital and Paper Data Trackers
• ✏ File Folder Activity
• ✏Social stories and so much more

You can find the products she mentions in the show here:
Paraprofessional Binder: Reviews various types of behavior data collection as well as skill acquisition elements.

Guide to ABC Data: Walks you through the process of taking this type of data with both digital & paper data collection options.

Special Education Data Sheets (Paper) Varied data collection

Digital Behavior TrackerAnd get her freebies here:

FREE ABC Digital Tracker (Google Sheet)

Behavior Data Tracker Google Form

Connect with Caitlin here:
TeachersPayTeachersInstagram: @BeltransBehaviorBasicsFollow me on Instagram
Sped Prep Academy
and check out the What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz mentioned in the show

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Episode 64: Assisting Teachers with Assistive Technology

How is it possible to go through 27 years of teaching and not be more knowledgeable about assistive technology??

I thought I was doing what I needed to for my students by determining if they needed special pencils or scissors. Or maybe they needed a large button keyboard or a slant board for writing. But I was today years old when I found out that there is sooooooo much more to assistive technology than I thought.

When I heard this quote, “At least one person on the IEP team must have some knowledge about assistive technology because you cannot consider something about which you know nothing," it really hit home.

And I think there might just be a lot of truth to that statement for many special educators.

As a part of IDEA, the IEP team is required to “consider” the Assistive Technology needs of every student receiving special education services regardless of the type or severity of their disability.

On today's episode, Rachel Kuberry, an Assistive Technology Specialist for a public school system in Massachusetts, shares with us so much good information. She digs into what that "consideration" should look like, who it's for and why it's important.

She answers questions about:

• What Assistive Technology actually is
• The different types of assistive technology
• What an AT assessment/evaluation looks like
• And the barriers to providing assistive technology like we should

Throughout the show, Rachel drops little value bombs on us and shares so many great resources.

Check them out below!

AT Consideration ChecklistAssessing Students’ Needs for Assistive Technology manualby WATI SETT Framework as developed by Joy Zabala - an example worksheetYou can connect with Rachel on Instagram
Exceptional Special Ed Email her atexceptionalspecialed@gmail.com

And listen to her podcast Exceptional Special Ed on your favorite podcast streaming tool

Follow me on Instagram
Sped Prep Academy

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Episode 63: The 3 Things I Refuse to Teach Without

Let me ask you a question...As a special educator, what are 3 things you absolutely would refuse to do your job without?

Like dig your heels in, clench your jaw, die on this hill kinda things?

I would absolutely love it if you’d message me on Instagram with your top 3. I’m just truly curious as to what they’d be. Maybe I’m missing something and you can try to sway me to add a 4th to my list.

I was reading a blog post the other day about the things special education teachers MUST Have in their classroom and not one of the 3 things on my list even made their top 10...so it got me thinking...am I in the minority and if so WTH??

Because friends I have been in this profession WAY too long to sacrifice my sanity by not having these 3 things...

1) Administrative support

**2) A system for collecting progress monitoring data

3) A paraprofessional binder**

Listen in to today's show to hear why these 3 made the non-negotiable list and learn from a veteran teacher why they are so important.

Mentioned in the Show...What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizThe Paraprofessional HandbookThe Survey Level AssessmentKindergarten Digital Survey Level Assessment1st Grade Digital Survey Level Assessment

Follow me on TPT and Instagram

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Episode 62: The Importance of Showing Gratitude (even for the hard stuff)

This episode is being released just the day before Thanksgiving and so I thought what better of a time to show gratitude than Thanksgiving.

I feel as though the majority of us don’t show gratitude enough and by going back through last week's episode and re-listening to Paul's words, it has definitely helped open my mind that showing gratitude and feeling gratitude for the things in my life is an amazing way to cleanse your brain from all the negative energy that just comes from being a human being.

So within last week’s episode, Paul expressed a whole lot of gratitude for some of the people in his life that made the biggest impact...teachers. And I think you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t have a story about a person in their life who helped them...who pushed them...who believed in them.

Paul talked about how grateful he was for having individuals in his life that showed him that he was intelligent in spite of the struggles he was having in school. People who believed he could be successful in a career that he never imagined himself being in. And by him telling his story, it made me remember a quote by a very inspirational teacher named Rita Pierson. She says, “Every child deserves a champion; an adult who will never give up on them. Who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.”

And I know that’s why Paul has so much gratitude for his teachers and mentors...because they gave him a champion...someone to look up to and someone who believed in him.

But being grateful doesn’t always have to be about something positive in our lives. We can feel grateful for tough situations or challenging things in our life! Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that trying to be grateful for these trials in your life requires effort especially in really difficult times. But the more we choose to live in the discipline of conscious thanksgiving, the more natural it becomes, and the more our eyes are opened to the little things throughout the day that were previously overlooked.

And that is exactly what happened with Paul’s story which is what got me thinking so much about my own gratitude and what made me want to do this episode.

Throughout this episode, I chat about how to get your mind right about being grateful and showing thanks for the things, whether good or bad, in your life.

Here's some helpful tips:

1. Set time aside each day to make a list of what you are thankful for. Start with the tiniest details, and write down even just one thing.
2. Tell other people “thank you” when they do something kind for you.
3. Don’t allow other people’s bitterness or negativity to influence your inner peace.
4. Anger, disappointment, failure, and frustration are parts of life, but don’t let them become your default emotions.
5. Build gratitude around you with small, daily, unexpected, undeserved acts of love, compassion, grace, and forgiveness.

I hope you enjoyed this episode and I hope you will intentionally carve out some time to count your blessings.

Mentioned in the show:

What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz
Every Kid Needs a Champion youtube video

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Episode 61: A Special Teacher

Wowza!! Grab your Kleenex before pushing play on this one!What an amazing and impactful episode this is.

This week’s guest is another fellow podcaster and special education teacher. I didn’t have any idea when I created my podcast that there were so many podcasts hosted by special education teachers, but this podcaster has a different story from the majority of us.

Paul Hubbard is a special education teacher, but he is able to see the field of special education through a different lens than most of us because he has some of the same characteristics as some of our students.

Paul's story is both heartwarming and inspirational. Listen in as he shares how he was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia and how the power of just a few key individuals in his life put him on a path to eventually become a special education teacher and help students just like him.

His story really hits home and makes you stop and think about what kind of impact you could (should) be making on your students and I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to share Paul’s story with you.

Paul Hubbard has provided over 30 Professional Developments on technology integration in his school district. He is a Google Certified Teacher pursuing his master’s degree in educational technology. During the remote learning, Paul initiated weekly video announcements to promote a sense of normalcy with students school wide. He now produces daily announcements, and has become a role model for all the students in his school through career education, reinforcement of expectations, and positive lighthearted fun. Paul also has written and received over eight educational grants for his classroom and school. In his free time, he works on restoring his 130-year-old home with his wife Brianna, and puppy Lilo.

I’d love it if you’d connect with Paul:

Follow him on Instagram or
Listen to his Podcast: Special Odducation

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60 5 Things I Wish I'd Been Taught in College

As a teacher leader and someone who provides support to other special educators both online and throughout my district as a department head and through providing professional development to teachers...I hear this All. The. Time.
I wasn’t taught that in college.And the sad truth is that they are right. They weren’t taught a lot of things in college that they are having to deal with today and it’s very aggravating. Imagine if a doctor were to say..."Sorry I can’t treat that sore throat because I wasn’t taught that in school." Or if an electrician said, "Your house may or may not burn down because I wasn’t taught how to fix that in school." And just as 2 examples...both doctors and electricians are taught while actually working within their field. They have clinical experience and hands-on training that help prepare them for when the unexpected happens.

It’s frustrating to me because we need to know. We need to be told about all aspects of the job so that we can better prepare ourselves for what we will actually experience instead of having to figure it out on the fly and spend 5 years or more struggling. We need to experience a meltdown and see how an experienced teacher handles it. We need to see someone put together a schedule and plan instruction groups. We need to see how to progress monitor and organize data. It’s really no surprise that the burnout rate for special educators is so high We literally were not adequately prepared for this job.

So I thought I would begin to try to let you in on the biggest holes your college preparation classes left.

This episode discusses:
1) Dealing with behavior
2) Managing paperwork
2) How to work with a variety of students at one time
3) Supervising paraprofessionals
4) Scheduling

**I truly believe our college preparation classes drop the ball in so many areas when it comes to preparing special educators for the real world. Hopefully this episode will help teachers who are struggling with these aspects of being a special educator.

Mentioned in the Show...**

Episode 43 with Sasha from the Autism Helper
Episode 56 with Nicole from Adaptation Station

Paraprofessional Handbook

How to Write an Effective IEP Digital Notebook

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Ep. 59 The Letter I Wish I'd Had as a 1st Year Special Education Teacher

As a veteran special educator, I can look back on my career and think, “Holy crap...I have come a long, long way since that first year.”

In fact those first 5 years were pretty cringy if I say so myself. I think I was still trying to fit into some kind of mold of what a special education teacher should look like based on the perception of special educators as a society.

Those first few years were so hard and so overwhelming for a certified special education teacher who had taken all the required classes that I cannot even begin to imagine how hard it is for teachers these days for the teachers who are not highly qualified, OR not qualified at all really.

Many of the teachers working within the field of special education don’t have ANY background in education, much less special education and the number of these interim instructors is increasing drastically due to high attrition, Covid and burn-out.

So if there’s one thing I can do on my end having a platform like this podcast, it’s to educate. I wrote a letter to my 22 year old self telling me what I wish I would have been told waaayyy back then. Hopefully this letter will help you see that it’s okay to struggle. It’s okay to go through tough times. And I want you to know that you are not alone. There are so many people out there who have gone before you who can support you with whatever you need.

I know that writing this letter helped me put into words all the frustration I have felt throughout the years with this profession. The ups and downs...the wins and losses...the tears and the laughter. All of it...the good the bad and the ugly are what have made me who I am today and I wouldn’t trade any of it. I just wish I could have been given some heads up about the way things really were instead of coming into with rose colored glasses. And that’s why I wanted to share it with you...so that you could feel my struggle and know that you aren’t alone in yours. Together, we can push through and become the amazing teachers we were intended to be. **Listen to this episode to hear the letter that is receiving great feedback and lots of love from special educators all over the country.

Mentioned in the Show...**

Sped Prep Academy. com/quiz

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Ep 58: The Why and How of Building Relationships with Parents

If you aren't building strong relationships with the parents of your students...you need to begin to make an intentional effort to do so and today's episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast will tell you why and how you should go about it.

This episode includes a story about how a typical IEP meeting with a parent became a very emotional and memorable experience for both the parent and myself.

The story that I share made me realize just how much of an impact we, as special educators, can actually make in the lives of our kiddos when we build strong relationships with their parents.

And once you've built that relationship, those parents will always see you as someone they could depend on...someone who helped their child succeed.

Look...I know how hard it is being a special educator. I get it. You sometimes have many, many students on your caseload and you are just wanting to get through this meeting so that you can move on with your day. In the midst of juggling paperwork, lesson planning, managing behaviors and of course actually teaching...sometimes we can easily forget the group that can provide us with significant support as teachers and case managers---parents and families.

Here are a few tips I discuss in more detail within the episode:

1. Smile
2. Communicate often
3. Ask questions
4. Help them understand

This Parent Handbook can be found in my TPT store. It guides parents through the special education process and gives them information in layman's terms. Also included are forms that help parents be an active participant in their child's IEP meetings.

Included in the handbook:

✅Parent rights are explained

✅The Special Education Process is explained

✅Personal Directory

✅Child Find Information

✅Evaluations

✅Placement

✅Least Restrictive Environment

✅IEP

✅Program

✅Services

✅Supports

✅Frequently Asked Questions

✅Resources

This FREEBIE will help you explain percentiles to parents by providing a visual to help pinpoint exactly where the student falls when compared to their peers.

Mentioned in the Show...

Sped Prep Academy. com/quiz

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Episode 57: Why Evaluating Your Paraprofessionals is a Must-Do

I'm riding solo this week to bring you a public service announcement...

EVALUATE YOUR PARAPROFESSIONALS on a consistent and frequent basis.You see...I am a reflective teacher through and through. I will take a 20 minute car ride home in complete silence processing the events of a day and trying to figure out what went right, what went wrong and how I can improve.

When I get my evaluations from admin, I use their words...heir comments and suggestions...as fuel to the fire within me.

And it is in my humble little opinion, that all teachers should be willing to have an open mind to constructive criticism so that they can improve. And what better way to improve than to receive consistent and frequent input on what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong (or not as right.)

For the most part, you paraprofessionals want to learn. They understand they don’t know everything you know because they weren’t formally trained, but many of them are open to constructive criticism and want to improve.

When it comes to evaluating paraprofessionals, I have a strong opinion that evaluating them 1 or 2 times a year based on district requirements is NOT good enough.

If you are responsible for evaluating your paras, I beg you...make your evaluations more often, more meaningful and more intentional.

Today's episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast talks about a different way of providing that feedback to your paras.

The rubric I've used for the last 5 years looks something like this..

1. The headings along the side are:
2. Work ethic
3. Student interactions
4. Ability to provide instruction
5. Behavior management skills, and
6. Their relationships with their colleagues.

When ranking them, a teacher is able to choose unsatisfactory, needs improvement, meets expectations or exceeds expectations. At the bottom, it gives a total score and has a place for strengths, weaknesses and a goal.

All teachers, special education and general education, who work with this para are given a rubric to complete. Once we have them all back, we sit down and go over their strengths and weaknesses and set some goals for the next 9 weeks. We reiterate over and over that this evaluation is not intended to be a negative thing...it’s not intended to be used as a basis for dismissing a para. It’s only a tool to help them improve.

By doing evaluations in this manner and this often, you are building a culture of team improvement...everyone has strengths and weaknesses and we are all here to help each other be the best we can be.

You can find the rubrics here:
Paraprofessional Handbook from All Things Jenn

Paraprofessional Handbook from Sped Prep Academy

Evaluating Paraprofessionals (Stand alone product)

Mentioned in the Show...

Sped Prep Academy. com/quiz

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Episode 56: How to Support Your Staff When Dealing with Significant Behaviors with Nicole from Adaptation Station

On today’s show I have a special guest who, if you hang out on the teacher gram and follow other special educators, I bet you’ve heard of her. Nicole Morris has her Master’s Degree in special education with graduate certificates in Applied Behavior Analysis and Adapted Curriculum. She spent 6 years as a self contained teacher for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and then 2 years ago transitioned into a position with a behavioral clinic while working to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has a blog, a podcast and a Teachers Pay Teachers store all under the name Adaptation Station.

Nicole and I sat down and had a chat about all things behavior from how I can help my staff figure out the function of the behavior, what’s important to remember during a breakdown to suggestions of reinforcers...and so much more. It was truly my pleasure to be able to pick her brain and I know it will help you too.Nicole and I discuss:

• What does function of the behavior even mean and what the main functions of behavior are
• How to help your staff figure out why a child is doing the things he’s doing
• What is important to remember when teachers and paras are in the middle of an outburst
• The different types of reinforce
• What interventions are recommended to use with a child who displays extreme behaviors

You can connect with Nicole here:https://www.instagram.com/adaptationstation/
http://adaptationstation.net/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adaptation-station/id1477777888

Check out this blog post that Nicole wrote to walk you through what an ABC data sheet is and provides you with a free ABC data sheet you can use in their classroom.

Mentioned in the Show...

Sped Prep Academy. com/quiz

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Episode 55: How to Make the Move from Gen Ed to Sped

Today’s guest is Bristol Bale. Bristol is a colleague and friend of mine from the district where we teach. Bristol was the 2019 Teacher of the year for her school, has also served as grade level chair and worked to create science and math curriculum for the district. She serves as head of the science fair for the district, and is the girl’s wrestling coach for Liberal High School.

Bristol began her teaching career as an elementary teacher and we worked together for several years where she was always one of our go-to homeroom teachers for our resource students. And the reason we always wanted to place our students in her classroom is because she truly has a heart for students who struggle more than others. She developed strong relationships with our students and we could always depend on her to follow the accommodations and modifications that were put into the IEP but she also went above and beyond...figuring out ways the child learned best in her classroom, implementing flexible seating for them before it was very popular and basically just being a great support to the special education staff.

Now Bristol serves our district as a special education teacher, having completed her endorsement this past year. We get to work together on a whole different level and although we don’t teach within the same school, I have no doubt that Bristol will see success within her new role.

So I wanted to have her on the show today to talk about making the transition from being a general education teacher to being a special education teacher and have her walk us through how she made the decision to change, the process she had to go through and the ups and downs of her decision.

Bristol shares with us...

• What made her decide to make the transition to special education
• The process she had to go through to get your special education credentials
• The biggest challenges with the move
• Her biggest wins and how it has totally been worth it
• Recommendations for someone who is considering making the move from gen ed to sped

Mentioned in the Show...Ultimate Guide to Training Paraprofessionals

Sped Prep Academy. com

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Episode 54: Making the Move from Para to Teacher with Jade Gilmore

Have you ever had an amazing paraprofessional who you know, just by watching them work with the students, that they would make an excellent teacher?

In the special ed world, it's likely you've encountered this situation and it's almost like a double edged sword.

On one hand, you are happy that they are taking the leap into a new career and on the other, you're devastated because you won't have them to depend on anymore.

Today’s guest is Jade Gilmore. Jade holds a very special place in my heart and I couldn’t be more excited to have her on the show. Jade started out her teaching career as a paraprofessional in my department and she was AMAZING. She was great with the kids, she was able to monitor and adjust lessons, she was dedicated to her job and the students absolutely loved her. But there came a day when she approached Mendy, Dane and I as her supervisors and asked us if we would support her in completing her degree. And I’m not going to lie...I was so disappointed about losing her as a paraprofessional because she was that good. But on the other hand, she was made for this and anyone who watched her work with kids could see it and so I was also extremely proud of her and we all encouraged her to make it happen.

So I wanted to have her on the show today to talk about what it was like to transition into the role of a classroom teacher after being a paraprofessional. I think this is an important topic for you as a special education teacher to hear because it’s likely it will happen to you one day if it hasn’t already and I want you to understand the process so that you can support your para on their journey to being an educator as well.

Mentioned in the Show...
Special Educator Superpower Quiz

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Episode 53: How to Prepare Families for Transition and Beyond

I'm not going to lie...I learned a whole lot of information today and I'm a little jealous of my guest. Working in the area of transition where I would get to prepare students to move from the world of school to the world of adulthood sounds so rewarding.

On today's episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast,we will be chatting with Heather from A Love of Special Learning about all things transition. This is not an area that I know a lot about because being a K-5 teacher, it isn’t a section of the IEP that I currently deal with.

With that being said, my state mandates that IEPs begin addressing transition by the age of 14 so when I used to have 6th graders, it was possible...uncommon, but possible...that I would have a student who was sneaking up on their 14th birthday and I had to begin the transition process on my IEPs. So I have done the basics for it and I actually have a product in my TPT store that uses student questionnaires and parent surveys to begin the transition process.

Transition Planning for IEPs

But Heather is going to help us truly understand how to begin the process of preparing families for transition and beyond.
Heather talks about...

• How to engage families in the transition process
• How the transition process applies to students other than just those in high school
• When IEP teams should begin looking at transition
• How to prepare and support the students through the process
• Suggestions to help parents move through this difficult & confusing time
• and Resources that can help facilitate the process more smoothly

Heather lives in Chicago and teaches special education transition and serves as a transition facilitator for her program. She is the teacher-author behind A Love for Special Learning on Teachers Pay Teachers with resources for consumer math, life skills, and transition. Heather has created the Confused to Connected Professional Development after realizing how undergraduate and graduate programs don’t adequately prepare educators with understanding available benefits or how to support students and families in accessing community and government benefits. Having seen first hand how vital benefits, services, and supports are to long term success for her students and their families, she knew she had to help other educators by sharing her process with others.

You can connect with her here:

Instagram- @ALoveForSpecialLearning

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/ALoveforSpecialLearning/

Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/aloveforspeciallearning/

Website- https://www.aloveforspeciallearning.com/ And if you are interested in continuing your learning with Heather you can find out more here
Resource- Informal Transition Meeting resource: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/IEP-Transition-Plan-Parent-Meeting-Conversation-Guide-Special-Education-4876234

Freebie: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xxnj7IN_TJ5-x9W27GOBJ3hjjckK4IKZ/view?usp=sharing Mentioned in the Show...

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Episode 52: The Power of Playing Games in the Classroom

Let's have some FUN!! Today’s show was so much fun to record and it just so happens to be all about having fun! On this episode, we are chatting with Nicole Manley from Teaching in a Top Knot about how to implement game playing in a special education classroom. Nicole shares all the pros of playing games with your students from...learning social & emotional skills to incorporating content to teaching those life long lessons of how to be a good loser and a graceful winner.

And then she also gives us tips of how to address some of the challenges that come up with game playing like managing student behaviors during this more unstructured time, how to pay for the games in your classroom and what to say to others when they tell you you’re students can’t be learning because they’re playing.

After recording the show, I got to thinking about how playing board games with kids at home is most likely a lost art in a lot of families because of technology. Kids gravitate to those fast paced, instant gratification activities like video games and phone apps instead of old-fashioned board games and card games, but there are only so many skills you can learn while engaging in technology.

That's why implementing game playing within your classroom is so super important!
Nicole shares with us...

• What role playing games in the classroom has
• The social & emotional benefits
• Challenges teachers might face as they implement game playing in the classroom
• How to get set up and stock your game closet
• How to support academic content through the use of game playing
• And MORE!!

Tune in to hear all about the benefits of game playing in the classroom!

Nicole was named Teacher of the Year for her district by the local Lions’ Club. She was also recognized as Outstanding Teacher by the PTA and as a leader for individuals with disabilities by GASELPA. Nicole is active in special education reform at the district level and is a charter member serving on the Special Education Advisory Committee where she helped to create her district’s Special Education Manual. Nicole is responsible for single-handedly getting her school recognized as a Unified Champion School by Special Olympics Southern California. As part of this program, she hosts an annual Abilities Awareness Week on her campus. A week-long event that includes lunch activities, classroom learning, unified games and sports and raffles. This event receives support not only from teachers, families and administration but also from local businesses.

You can connect with Nicole on Instagram

And check out her TPT store to find resources to support the games in your classroom

Mentioned in the Show...Resource Library

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Episode 51: How to Get Excited for a New School Year

Today’s episode is all about making the 21-22 school year a great one!During a "normal" school year, there seems to be two camps when it comes time to head back into the classroom each year.

• The first group includes the teachers who are stoked for a new school year. They are in their rooms early July putting everything together, making plans and decorating their rooms to be Pinterest worthy.
• Then there are those, and I have always been in this camp, who want to squeeze every drop out of their summer vacation and don’t prep or plan for a new school year until they are on the clock to do so.

But it has been my experience that even for those teachers who don’t seem ready to head back to school, once they get there, the excitement of a new year kicks in and we do what we teachers do best...

We prepare to make the school year exciting and fun for our students.

We do this because it’s in our blood and it’s in our hearts. We know teaching is a demanding profession. We juggle policies, co-workers, administration and parents all while trying to do what is in the best interest of the students. But in spite of all the hardships that come with being a teacher, It is encouraging to know that the majority of teachers look forward to starting the process all over again every August & September. And that’s where today’s guest fits in.

Mandi Nash from The Nerdy Speducator is a middle school self-contained special education teacher. She has trained under state department officials in the areas of special education compliance and special education law and is currently working towards becoming a certified Master IEP Coach.

Today Mandi shares with us...

• Her favorite part of starting a new school year
• What routines and procedures she puts into place before the students arrive
• Suggestions for those who might not be quite ready to head back just yet
• And how to regain the excitement for each new school year

You can definitely feel Mandi’s excitement about getting back into the classroom and hopefully some of that excitement will wear off on you as well.

Mentioned in the Show...Resource LibraryBack to School Parent Brochure Connect with Mandi:Instagram

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50 Tips for Having a Successful School Year with Dawn Ellis

Having today's guest on today’s show is so exciting for me because I have a brand new online friend! Dawn Ellis is the face behind the brand Cultivating Exceptional Minds and we have so much in common. From podcasting to TPT to Sped to Teachers of the Year Finalists, Dawn and I connected instantly and made plans to continue our virtual friendship.Dawn has been teaching for over 12 years in elementary and preschool special education and has an Educational Specialist degree in Special Education. She has worked with inclusion, resource, severe/profound and autism units throughout the years. She has been a state finalist for Teacher of the Year, as well as other awards within the district.

One of her most noted accomplishments is starting a school garden that was accessible and maintained by our students in the self-contained special education classroom. When not teaching, she too is a podcaster. She has a podcast specifically designed for special education teachers, Be The Exception, to gain weekly tips to use in their classrooms. She also maintains a blog, TPT store, and a social media presence as Cultivating Exceptional Minds where she creates and shares time saving strategies resources and even stickers for special education teachers.

Today, Dawn shares with you the tips she has as a veteran special educator for getting a brand new school year started off on the right foot.

Dawn shares:

• Where should a special education teacher start
• How to set up your classroom or space
• How to communicate the information from the IEP to general education teachers
• What veteran teachers do at the beginning of a school year to get organized for the data collection process
• Ways to prepare your paraprofessionals for the beginning of a school year
• And more!

Mentioned in the Show...
Shop the Back to School Bonus Sale at my TPT storesAll Things JennCaffeine Before ChaosSped Prep Academy Connect with Dawn:https://www.instagram.com/cultivatingexceptionalminds

https://www.facebook.com/cultivatingexceptionalminds/

http://cultivatingexceptionalminds.com/

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Cultivating-Exceptional-Minds

https://betheexception.libsyn.com/

https://etsy.me/2ZVvayT

Look what she has for us!!

TIME SAVING TECHNOLOGY HACKSGrab these extensions and short-cuts to help you save time on the computer so you can work even more proficiently.

Digital Special Ed Planner
Tailored specifically for special education teachers, The Exceptional Teacher Simple Planner is a digital resource designed to help you organize and prioritize your caseload, lesson plans, student data, and important weekly planning tools.

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49 What Your Paraprofessionals Want From a Supervisor-Part 4

Today’s episode is Part 4 and the final part of the Paraprofessional Interview series that I’ve created to go along with the launch of my course The Ultimate Paraprofessional Training Guide.It's only open a few times a year so check it out before next week!

If you haven’t listened to all of the episodes in the series, go back to episode 46 and begin getting caught up. Each week in August, I interviewed a different paraprofessional and we chatted about their experiences in the classroom from what they need from their teachers to what training they desire to what support they crave.

Today’s guest is the quiet powerhouse, Anali Chacon.

Anali works as a paraprofessional within my department and is such a joy to get to supervise. There is no limit to what this girl can achieve once she sets her mind to it. She is passionate, creative and funny and we don’t know how we will ever replace her once she becomes a teacher herself.

In this last installment of the Paraprofessionals Tell All series, Anali shares

• The importance of being patient
• Going directly to the source to provide support
• How general education teachers might need a little support in how they utilize paras
• And how the paraprofessional binder has been a resource she can go back to over and over again

Mentioned in the Show...Ultimate Paraprofessional Training Guide

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48 What Your Paraprofessionals Want From a Supervisor-Part 3

Today’s episode is Part 3 of the Paraprofessional Interview Series.Each week in August, I will have a different paraprofessional come on the show to talk about their experiences in the classroom from what they need from their teachers to what training they desire to what support they crave.

And all of this coincides with a live masterclass to teach you all about the secrets to running a successful special education department. And you’re not going to want to miss it!

Within this class, you will learn

• the most simple & effective strategies to help you navigate how to work with your staff
• how to cut down on time spent dealing with issues and
• how best work together for the benefit of the students.

If you are a new special educator, a veteran special educator or are someone who works within the related service field and supervise paras...this class is for you. Even the best special educators struggle at some point in their career when it comes to effectively managing paraprofessionals and this class will have something for everyone.

So if you are ready to get your department lined out just in time for a new school year to start, all you have to do is go to www.spedprepacademy.com/masterclass to get signed up. It’s free and so what do you have to lose? Again that’s www spedprepacademy.com/masterclass and sign up for which day you prefer.

Today’s guest is the super spunky Sheila . Sheila is a current paraprofessional in my department and has an ever-ending amount of energy. She embraces each day with a smile and a positive attitude and our department just wouldn’t be the same without her. Let’s listen as Sheila tells us why she became a paraprofessional and what things as teachers we can do to support her in her role.

Sheila shares:

• What makes a good leader in her eyes
• How her supervisors and general education teachers can best support her
• And why using a para binder is beneficial to paras

Mentioned in the Show...The Need to Know Secrets to Building a Successful Department MASTERCLASSThe How-To Guide for Training Paraprofessionals Waitlist

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47 What Your Paraprofessionals Want From a Supervisor-Part 2

Today’s episode is Part 2 of the Paraprofessional Interview Series.Each week in August, I will have a different paraprofessional come on the show to talk about their experiences in the classroom from what they need from their teachers to what training they desire to what support they crave.

And all of this coincides with my course The How-To Guide to Training Your Paraprofessionals. Now the cart doesn’t open until Aug 21 but you can get on the waitlist now and receive all the information once it opens. All you have to do is go to https://www.spedprepacademy.com/waitlist and sign up. It’s that easy.

With it being back to school season and for all of us who work within the field of special education whether you are a teacher, or an administrator or a related service provider...working with paraprofessionals is a large part of your job.

And having taught for 26 years, I have had lots and lots of experience of working with paraprofessionals...and it can be a very stressful part or it can be a very rewarding part. And if I had to guess, I’d say that most special education teachers feel that way.

It takes time to learn how to be a good leader and it takes a certain mindset to be able to acknowledge that these paraprofessionals, or paras or assistants whatever you call them...they are important to our success as special educators and we couldn’t do our jobs without them.

Today’s guest is Nikki Lawder. Nikki was a former paraprofessional in my department before moving to work in a nearby town that put her in the same district as her children and man has she been missed. Nikki was one of the best and that’s why I asked her to come on the show today so that she could share her viewpoint on being a para and what she needs and wants from her supervisors.Nikki shares:

• What makes a good leader in her eyes
• How the strength of the teacher makes the para stronger
• What paras need from their supervisors
• And why using a para binder is beneficial to paras

Mentioned in the Show...What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizThe How-To Guide for Training Paraprofessionals Waitlist

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46 What Your Paraprofessionals Want From a Supervisor-Part 1

Best. Guest. Ever!

Ok...I might be a tad partial to today's guest but it's for a good reason. Today my daughter, Kamryn, joins us to share her experience working as a paraprofessional.

This interview with Kamryn kicks off a full month of chats with paraprofessionals and if you haven't figured it out yet...it's my favorite topic to teach on.

All of us who work within the field of special education, whether you are a teacher, or an administrator or a related service provider...working with paraprofessionals is a large part of your job.

And from experience...it can be a very stressful part or it can be a very rewarding part.

Through this 4 part series and leading up to the launch of my course, The How-To Guide for Training Paraprofessionals, I want to help you learn how to support your staff so that you can all be on the same page this coming school year.

Paraprofessionals have become an indispensable resource in our schools and classrooms. They provide individual and small-group instruction to students, they assist teachers in meeting the needs of special education students by following the IEPs, and even offer behavioral support and supervision.

And just like there are many different components to what a paraprofessional does, there are also many different personalities and different strengths and weaknesses,

However, it has been my experience that they all seem to have one thing in common...their desire to serve and work with students who have special needs. And that’s where this month’s guests come into play.

Each week in August, I will have a different paraprofessional come on the show to talk about their experiences in the classroom from what they need from their teachers to what training they desire to what support they crave.

Today, Kamryn and I discuss

• Why she chose to become a paraprofessional
• How not all special educators are equal in their ability to lead their staff
• What makes a good leader and a good paraprofessional
• What paras need from their supervisors and
• How a handbook like this one would have beneficial during her year as a para

Mentioned in the Show...What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizThe How-To Guide for Training Paraprofessionals Waitlist

I hope you enjoy listening to this episode with this special girl and gain some insight into how to better support your own staff.

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45 Supplement Your Teacher Salary as an Adjunct College Professor

As I was leaving college with my Bachelor's Degree in December 1994 (Holy crap that sounds so long ago!) I told myself that somehow, someday I would teach college myself. I had a couple of amazing professors who inspired me to dream that big dream at the ripe old age of 22.

After 26 years of teaching K-6, I got that chance.

I can now put on my resume that I am an adjunct college professor with 2 semesters under my belt at a small community college in the same town where I teach and I freaking love it.

There are a lot of teachers who supplement their teaching salaries with jobs outside of the classroom but I get to supplement mine within another classroom and I would recommend it to anyone who is even remotely interested.

Because teaching is teaching…. And I was born to teach.

And so when I came across today’s guest who also teaches at the college level, I knew we had to talk about it with my listeners.

**Today's guest is Christy DeVito and she has taught as an adjunct professor since 2011. This year, she was honored with the Outstanding Adjunct Award. She volunteers as a club advisor for an education club and has served as a mentor for newer adjunct instructors in the education department.

On this episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast, Christy shares with us...**

• What qualifications are needed to teach at the college level
• What the job description entails
• Duties and time spent preparing for class
• Who would make a good community college teacher
• Challenges & benefits of adjunct professor life

Mentioned in the Show...What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizThe Intentional IEP Summer PD Series You can connect with Christy from from Exceptional Thinkers here
Blog

TPT

Instagram

Facebook

And you can find an free activity she uses with her college students here

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#44 How Self-Reflection Makes You a Great Teacher

Today’s topic is something that I feel has helped me significantly when it comes to having a long and successful career as a special education teacher. We hear so often about the burnout rate and how hard being a special educator can be but we rarely hear about the things that teachers intentionally do to keep them going day after day, week after week and year after year.

I’m a sucker for a good quote and one that I like and aspire to is “We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.”- John Dewey

Now I hit on this topic in episode 37 so you can tell that it is definitely something that I think is highly important….and that is Reflection. Reflection is a core component of effective continuing professional development and is key to becoming a skilled teacher.

A teacher’s ability to reflect on what, why and how they do things, and to adapt and develop their excellence in teaching is the one quality above all that makes a great teacher.

**Today’s guest is Jenny Walmsley from Little Learners, Big Feelings and we dig in a little deeper into this whole reflection piece of the puzzle and Jenny gives us a breakdown of the questions to ask yourself when reflecting and then what to do with that information after you have it.

Together, Jenny and I discuss...**

• What is self-reflection to you
• The importance of being a reflective teacher
• Why reflection is so much more important after this year’s challenges
• How to reflect and what are different options for different teachers
• How to take action on something you reflected on

Well let us know where we can find you and learn more from you…

Mentioned in the Show...What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizThe Intentional IEP Summer PD Series You can connect with Jenny from Little Learners, Big Feelings here
Website

Instagram

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43 The Basics of Behavior with the Autism Helper

This episode is a doozy...and I say that because it’s such a broad topic that every single teacher deals with...whether they are special education, regular education, elementary, middle or high school...behavior is something we all face at some point in our career.

However, as special educators, we definitely see the majority of behaviors in children.

Behavior is one of the greatest challenges a special education teacher faces. It’s what brings us to tears most often...it’s what keeps us up at night...and it’s what can sometimes make us dread going to work each day.

**Today’s guest is Sasha Long from the Autism Helper. She is a board certified behavior analyst and former special education teacher. Sasha works full time as a consultant, writer, and trainer sharing strategies and best practices through her blog, podcast, membership, and online courses. Sasha travels internationally as a speaker and consultant providing individualized training and feedback to parents, educators, therapists and administrators in the world of autism.

Sasha shares with us the basics of how behavior can best be addressed within our classrooms by focusing on...**

• Some of the most common types of behaviors that a special education teacher might witness and what are the differences in them
• The function of the behavior
• What do you do when a parent won’t follow through with the plan at home
• The best suggestions for training paraprofessionals on replacement behaviors
• What to say to teachers when they say things like “You’re just letting him have his way"
• What do you feel are the most effective strategies for effectively managing student behavior?

Listen in as we begin the work of digging into this very broad, very heavy topic and try to break it down into a more manageable pieces.

Mentioned in the Show...What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizThe Intentional IEP Summer PD Series You can connect with Sasha from the Autism Helper here
Website

Instagram

FaceBook

Pinterest

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42 Why Routines & Procedures are Important in Special Education

Today’s show is all about the importance of setting up routines and procedures within a special education program.Both research and experience tell us that...

• it is more effective to build positive behaviors than control negative behaviors and
• that classroom routines can positively affect students’ academic performance as well as their behavior

Therefore, one proactive strategy is for teachers to adopt consistent classroom routines and implement intentional, systemic procedures. And while I feel this is necessary for every regular education classroom, I truly believe that it is more important within a special education classroom or department.

When routines and procedures are carefully taught, modeled, and established in the classroom, children know what's expected of them and how to do certain things on their own. Having these predictable patterns in place allows teachers to spend more time in meaningful instruction.

Many teachers and people in general use these terms interchangeably and while there isn’t a whole lot of difference between them, I do want to point out that they are not the same. A procedure is a particular method for performing a task while routine is a course of action to be followed regularly.

But as I’m sure you understand from working within the field of special education...The same routines and procedures will not necessarily be equally effective with all students. And that’s where today’s guest comes in.

Recently honored as the Distinguished Educator of the Year for 2020-2021,Chaia Harrell has taught special education for all grade levels K-12 and is the face behind the brand All Things Exceptional. She has joined us today to talk all about the importance of setting up those routines and procedures from the very beginning and how to modify and change courses when something isn’t working for a particular student.

In today's episode we talk about

• Why is teaching routines and procedures important for any teacher but specifically for a special education teacher
• What Routines and Procedures Should You Teach FIRST
• How routines and procedures that work well with most students but other students need those routines & procedures modified just a little
• How do you incorporate visual supports if they are needed
• And More!

Want a freebie from All Things Exceptional??
Check out Chaia's list of procedures and things to plan for HERE. It's free!

Mentioned in the Show...What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizThe Intentional IEP Summer PD Series

You can find Chaia on Facebook @allthingsexceptional

And on Instagram @allthingsexceptional

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41 The Importance of a Mentor: How to Last in Special Education

Because you are listening to this podcast, I can assume that your career somehow involves education. And I can assume that because you work in the field of education that you know the crisis our profession faces right now with the low numbers of teachers graduating from college and the high attrition rates education faces as a whole...But if you are a special education teacher or work within the field at all... you probably feel this crisis hitting you smack dab in the face it on a daily basis. The problem, of course, is burnout.

In fact..a study I read suggests that the turnover rate for special educators is 25% every year.

And I think we would be hard pressed to find anyone who works within this field to say they haven’t at least considered leaving the profession. But who can blame them...who can blame us.. for burning out. Anyone would if they had to deal with intense feelings of isolation that some teachers feel, of not having enough time in the day to do the level of work they can feel good about on top of the ridiculous amount of paperwork, sometimes a total lack of affirmation for their hard work or support dealing with extreme behaviors that we don’t feel adequately prepared to deal with. The stories we hear from educators about leaving teaching are consistent and heartbreaking.

**So, as a LIFER I have often wondered what is was within me or within other teachers who have stayed the course so long that kept us going year after year after year.

The other day I came across a teacher named Brandie Emmitt and I realized she had been in the game as long as I had. And she was doing some of the same things as me as far as mentoring other teachers, providing training on how to be an effective teacher and just supporting other teachers in general...So I reached out to her and asked if she would come on to the show to share about what it takes to last in this profession.**Listen in as Brandie talks about

• What it takes to be a good special education teacher
• Why she comes back year after year
• What schools and administration can do to retain good special education teachers and
• Her one piece of advice for staying the course and making a 30+ year career out of this

Mentioned in the Show...What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizThe Intentional IEP Summer PD Series You can find Brandie hereWebsite

Find her on Facebook @newteachersupport

And on Instagram @learn2teachwithbrandie

You can also learn more with Brandie

Learn to write and run IEPs in half the time like a PRO!

Membership community for special education teachers

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40 Incorporating Life Skills Elements into a Resource Room with Heather Cacioppo

As a special educator who primarily runs a resource room with my co-teacher and 7 paras, we do have students from time to time who have more needs than a typical resource room can provide. It might be that they are included within the general education setting for as much time as possible but they come to us for life skills.

We use a task box system and try to incorporate as many life skills types of things as we can but I’m the type of person who is always looking for more effective ways...more efficient ways. So today’s guest is here to help me do just that...to give tips on how to merge the 2 services.

Heather Cacioppo is a life skills teacher who is in her 8th year of teaching but Heather does something that I really wish I would have been able to do after 8 years of teaching and that is to provide professional development to other special educators through her business Full Sped Ahead and has presented at many conferences including Educators 2 Educators, The Intentional IEP, Thriving in Sped, Teach It Special, and she is a Master IEP Coach. Heather also supported Don Johnston in a pilot program for the creation of Readtopia Curriculum and she is featured in their introductory video. Heather has a passion for teaching students and recently found a desire to support teachers that are struggling to stay afloat. Through product creation on Teachers Pay Teachers and her influence on social media, Heather strives to help make teachers feel like they are not alone!
On today's show Heather and I talk about

• The difference between a resource room and a life-skills classroom
• What are the must-haves?
• What should organization and set-up look like?
• What types of tasks should we be focusing on?
• How to train the paraprofessionals

Mentioned in the Show...What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizThe Intentional IEP Summer PD Series You can find Heather hereFacebook

Instagram

Pinterest

Website

Teachers Pay Teachers

Boom Learning

And you can get a free set of labels to use for work tasks to get you started on creating boxes or drawers HERE

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39 Delaying Access to Special Education: How Parents and Special Educators Can Work Together to Prevent It

On last week’s show, I talked all about how to build relationships with parents and how to work together as a team for the benefit of the child so I thought having a parent on the show and getting their perspective and their input would be beneficial. Today’s special guest is Aaron Wright. As the parent of an autistic teenager, Aaron Wright's daughter was initially denied access to special education support. So he began a quest to expose the flaws within the system that harm disabled children and deny them an appropriate education. His award-winning memoir,Thirteen Doors: A Family’s Fight for Equal Access to Education, offers inspiration, hope, and hard-won insight for parents who are determined that their disabled kids get the education they deserve. His authentic perspective allows parents of disabled children to find validation as well as provides a window insight for parents of all children, regardless of their experience with the school system.Within this episode, Aaron and I discuss

• The negative impacts of waiting until a child is older to qualify them for special education
• How a parent can be an advocate for their child
• What compelled him to write his book
• What advice he has for closing the gap between parents and the school system

I can tell by Aaron's story and his Instagram posts, that he is so passionate about helping other parents know their rights and understand the laws of special education to prevent this from happening to them.

**In fact, that's how I came across Aaron was from one of his Instagram posts that said...“The wait and see approach in special education causes undue harm. Why do we have to wait until a child is in crisis before we intervene.”

This statement really stuck with me and caused me to reach out to Aaron to learn how we can begin to support each other.

Aaron mentions that building a relationship with the parents you work with is highly important. This Parent Handbook for Special Education in my TPT store is the perfect opener for new parents or a good reminder for you current parents.

Mentioned in the Show...*What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz* You can find Aaron here https://www.authoraaronwright.com/ or get a Free audio chapter and a pdf of the first 3 chapters of Thirteen Doors: A Family's Fight for Equal Access to Education**

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38 How to Build Relationships with Parents: 3 Tips to Get Them to Know, Like and Trust You

The topic of today’s show is building relationships with your student’s parents and this topic is one that is truly one of the areas that is often overlooked in its importance when it comes to being a great special education teacher.Knowing how to work with parents of students with special needs is just as important as knowing how to help the students themselves and having been a special educator for 26 years, I have worked with a LOT of different parents.

And through those interactions, I’ve found that parents (for the most part) fall in 3 different categories...

1. Very Involved
2. Somewhat Involved and
3. Uninvolved

One type isn’t any better or worse than the other. You can build relationships with all of them and bring the parents into your world so that they can learn to trust that you have their child’s best interest at heart.

But there is one thing all of these parents have in common...they are giving you the best they have. They are sharing their child with you. They want you to love their child as much as they do and they want you to protect them from all the evils in the world the same way they do.

**So no matter where they fall on my little continuum of parent involvement, you need to be building and nurturing that relationship with them so that they get to know, like and trust you and in this episode I go over the 3 best ways I've found to do just that.

Make a good first impression
Open the lines of communication before a situation arises
Educate the parent using everyday language

When you can achieve these 3 things you will be well on your way to developing the kind of relationship that is best for you, the parent and the child.**

Mentioned in the Show...What's Your Special Educator Superpower QuizParent Handbook for Special EducationA Visual to Understanding Percentiles [Freebie]

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37 5 Tips to Becoming a More Reflective Teacher

“Purposeful reflection means not just thinking about our behaviors and their effect on the work we do, but doing **something about it. 'What am I going to do differently in order to better meet student needs'"- Tony Frontier

I have this quote printed on a little card and I keep it in my desk drawer so that I can see it every time I go to get a pen.**In my humble little opinion, self-reflection is a duty you owe to yourself, your students and your school system to put in the effort to become the best educator you can be.

**Reflective teaching is a process whereby teachers build self-awareness and continuously evaluate their behavior and methodologies, with the aim of continued professional development.

It's a cycle where you teach, self-assess, consider new techniques and ways of reaching students, putting them into practice and then repeating and repeating and repeating.In today's episode, I discuss the 5 ways I use to become a more reflective teacher: 1) Student exit tickets
2) Build reflection into your lesson plans
3) Peer Observations (have them observe you)
4) Observe other teachers
5) Mindful processing**Whatever you choose, I just want you to pick 2-3 things and stick with them. Make them a systemic part of how you do business as an educator. Be courageous to accept that you don’t know everything. I promise that if you engage in some type of reflective practice, if you think about, analyze and evaluate your professional practices, you WILL improve as a teacher and even more importantly, your students will benefit as well.

Mentioned in the Show...The Intentional IEP Summer PD Series. Click here to get the details.Sped Prep Academy FREE Resource LibraryEpisode 27 with Stephanie DeLussey

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36 7 Ways to End a School Year: Tips for Special Educators

As special educators, we often have hearts bigger than the typical human, therefore causing us to worry more about our students...about our duties...about next year...well...almost everything really.

But we can't do that to ourselves. We deserve to be able to take a break from our stressful jobs, reconnect with family and friends and decompress over the summer break.

And I'm going to show you how!

Today's episode has me flying solo and giving you all the juicy tips I use to help me close out one school year while intentionally planning for the next so that I can take the summer off guilt free.

You can listen into the show to hear all about how I use these 7 tips to end each year...

1. Have a conversation with each member of your staff
2. Make sure all your paperwork is turned in
3. Make a back to school to-do list
4. Put important items in an easy to remember location (and write yourself a note where it is...just in case the easy to remember location becomes easier to forget)
5. Make a list of students you will have next year and make notes of any major needs of the child
6. Make a note for yourself about the things that need to be top of mind as soon as school reconvenes
7. Get some closure (unlike last year when life went to hell in a handbasket)

If you are a worrier and are constantly thinking about next school year during your summer break, these 7 tips will help ease your stress and keep you organized and ready to go once August rolls around.

Mentioned in the Show...The Intentional IEP Summer PD Series. Click here to get the details.Sped Prep Academy FREE Resource LibraryEpisode 27 with Stephanie DeLussey

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35 AAC for Beginners: Understanding the Basics of Using Augmentative Alternative Communication

I was so excited when our speech and language pathologist recommended to the IEP team for one of my students to get an AAC device.

Before it came, we started her on the low-tech version of LAMP- practicing new words with just a laminated copy. And then it came and it looked so daunting to me. I hadn't been trained on this program and I wasn't sure how to support my SLP in the use of it.

I've been told that one of the hardest parts about using alternative and augmentative communication or AAC devices with children, is knowing what to do with it once you have it. AAC devices are any device that allows a child to use language to communicate other than spoken speech, and it can be tricky to figure out how to incorporate it into a child’s everyday life, either at school or at home.

Today's guest on the Sped Prep Academy Podcast is Ann Hartshorne. Ann works in a Special School in the North Island of NZ and teaches a Junior classroom of students aged 6-8 years. She serves 7 Autistic students - none of them are speaking yet and all who have significant intellectual impairment.Ann shares her knowledge on what AAC is, who determines if it is needed and when it should be used. She also helped me understand that a communication devices is not used as a last resort and does not interfere with a student in obtaining natural speech.

Listen in as Ann helps us understand the basics of using augmentative alternative communication within a resource or self-contained classroom.

Mentioned in the Show...The Intentional IEP Summer PD Series. Click here to get the details.Sped Prep Academy FREE Resource LibraryEpisode 27 with Stephanie DeLussey

There are lots of resources available to support the teaching of AAC. All the major app companies have free downloads and they have great resources that can be used with any system. Some fab places to start are:

http://www.project-core.com/communication-systems/

https://www.assistiveware.com/blog/assistiveware-core-word-classroom

https://www.aacandautism.com/

https://www.aaclanguagelab.co.uk/

You can find Ann on all the platforms as Arohaspecialed

Teachers Pay Teachers

Instagram- Arohaspecialed

Website

If you want to find out more about preference assessments you can access more reading here and more on beginning core words on the website...

https://arohaspecialed.com/2020/06/10/preference-assessment-in-special-ed-5-things-to-know-what-how-and-why-you-need-one/

Free adapted interactive book for core word ‘like’ from herTPT store

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/I-Like-Food-Adapted-Interactive-Core-Vocabulary-Book-4688338

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34 Co-Teaching Within Special Education: The Art of Making it Work

Co-teaching can be a pretty hot topic in the world of special education. Some teachers enjoy it while others have either not co-taught at all or have had a negative experience. For me, I've been on both ends of the spectrum.

Today's guest on the Sped Prep Academy Podcast is Ashley Lutz from Spedtaculardays and she shares how co-teaching can be compared to dating.

Wait...what??

Yep...just like in the dating game, there are going to be disasters, there are going to be MEH relationships where it's fine, but not stellar, and then you'll come across The One...the person who just "gets you". The ying to your yang.

You will have a give and take partnership and work so well together that you'll be the envy of your school.

Who will it be?

• Another special education teacher?
• A general education teacher?
• A speech & language pathologist?
• An OT? PT?
• A paraprofessional?

There are plenty of options for how co-teaching can look and Ashley explains the benefits of working with another teacher, how to address conflict between the two teachers, and gives real life examples of how a principal of a school has made co-teaching an expectation for all staff.

Give it a listen!

Mentioned in the Show...The Intentional IEP Summer PD Series. Click here to get the details.Sped Prep Academy FREE Resource LibraryEpisode 27 with Stephanie DeLussey You can find Ashley on all the platforms as Spedtaculardays

Teachers Pay Teachers

Instagram - Spedtaculardays

Blog

Facebook

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Episode 33- How to De-Escalate: Strategies for Special Educators

If there is one thing within the field of special education that I could pinpoint as the hardest, it would 100% be the behaviors.

And if I was a gambler, I'd put big money that I'm not alone in that opinion.

Today’s show is focused on de-escalation and I’m joined by Kaylan Long from Caffeinated Behavior Change. Kaylan serves her district as the behavior specialist. Throughout the episode you will hear real life examples of how different behaviors were handled as well as background knowledge on what causes behaviors, how we as teachers can begin to identify when a child is escalating and strategies to help de-escalate even the most upset child.Mentioned within the show is the Intentional IEP Summer PD Series. Click here to get the details.Kaylan's credentials:
Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Practical Functional Assessment

Upcoming: 2 courses in the works! - SEL small groups for your Special Education Classroom; Co-Regulation & De-Escalation Where to find Kaylan...https://www.instagram.com/caffeinatedbehaviorchange/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClKISafseEk2mMfAQL_yLJw

https://www.facebook.com/CaffeinatedBehaviorChange

Learn more from her...
De-escalation Strategies for Staff
De-Escalation Prompts & Procedures | Staff & Student Visual Supports
Calming Strategies | Relaxation Sequence
Emotional Regulation: Identifying Emotional Triggers

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Staying organized as a special education teacher is not my jam. I mean, sure, I do have a few systems in place just to be able to keep my sanity, and my amazing paraprofessionals help to keep things picked up and keep the room tidy but when it comes to serious organization, I miss the boat every year.

I like to joke that I’m a type A wanna be because I LOVE organization but fall short in making it happen. I love when things match and when everything has a place and a home and everything always finds its way back to its home at the end of the day, but I usually just half ass it when it comes to this area because I get busy and never seem to put it at the top of my long to-do list.

My desk is a mess and my space can be described as organized chaos. Any time my husband comes up to my classroom, he gets overwhelmed because he is one of those very organized people and he wants to start cleaning up and I tell him not to touch things because he might lose something important 😂.

So I asked Jenn Adams to come on the show to see if she could teach me her systems and turn me into the girl my husband wishes he was married to.

Jenn is the face behind the brand Teach Love Autism and after seeing her blogpost on color coding a special education classroom, I knew that she was a girl I could learn from.

Jenn shares tips for storage, structure and systems as well as the importance of making sure all your staff is on the same page on your expectations of classroom organization.

If you want to connect with Jenn you can find her on social media at Teach Love Autism

www.instagram.com/teachloveautism

www.facebook.com/teachloveautism

www.facebook.com/groups/teachloveautismcommunity

www.pinterest.com/teachloveautism

Jenn suggests a starting point with her Editable Weekly To Do List.

This allows any teacher to create a list of things that need to be done one time or recurring! Use this freebie to change the text to meet your needs while keeping you organized!

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I came across the  teacher Brooke Brown in 2018 when my district began the state redesign process of imagining what our school could look like if the teachers were given the flexibility and freedom to dream big.

A team of teachers from my school drove five hours to meet with this teacher, and I can tell you...she is such an inspiration. She is just bubbly and full of energy and I kinda wanted to be her new best friend.

Brooke is a gifted and talented teacher who has brought light to makerspace with her STEM bins and Maker Mats, her participation in Stem Con and through her huge Instagram platform. She makes me want to redo elementary school again just so I can be a part of her classroom.

But in addition to working with students who fall into the gifted category, Brooke also opens the doors to her Maker Space to students who have Autism and other disabilities and 
She is passionate about STEM being accessible to all kids and incorporated into all kinds of classrooms.

If you need additional tips and tricks of how to incorporate a maker space into your special education program, Brooke is more than willing to continue the conversation. You can reach her at brooke@teachoutsidethebox.com

You can find links to all her products on her website teachoutsidethebox.com and you can follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/teachoutsidethebox/ 

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30 How Special Educators Can Support Their SLPs with Tara from Autism Little Learners

I’m going to have to be honest...I used to be very confused when it came to working with our SLPs. The students would leave my classroom or their general education classroom for usually 20 minutes 2-3 times a week and when they returned it was back to business as usual.

There wasn’t ever much, if any, collaboration between the SLP and myself. No carryover and no reinforcement of skills.

Recently, I finally realize that I needed to be working with the SLP a whole lot more than I was. So when you know better, you do better.

Today’s guest is Tara Tuchel from Autism Little Learners and she talks with us about how special education teachers can better support their speech and language pathologists.Tara shares explains how she co-teaches alongside a special education teacher and how they decide together who is going to directly teach certain skills that can fall under either of their domains.Her advice to special education teachers would be to see if there is a way to get the team together for a meeting at least once a month for things like

• mini-trainings for paraprofessionals
• learning different communication devices
• review behavior plans
• answering questions on how best to support the students

This episode was so needed for myself and I hope you will benefit as well.

If you'd like to get on the waiting list for Tara's Membership you can do that here

If you want to connect with Tara you can follow her on
Facebook
Instagram
Website

**A resource Tara would like to share with you is titled “At Home Visual Supports”. She created it for parents to use at home during the pandemic, but it has also been used by countless SLP’s, special education teachers, and paras to help learn how to implement some of the most simple visual supports in the classroom.

She also has a free mini-training on FB that walks parents and professionals through how to use many of these visual supports.**

FB Live Replay:

https://fb.watch/4Nsgm3GaCW/

Blog Post:

https://www.autismlittlelearners.com/2021/03/7-ways-to-encourage-smoother.html

Freebie on TpT:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-At-Home-Visual-Supports-5377700

And if that wasn't enough, you can find a children's book Tara published titled "My Best Friend Will." You can get a copy here!
Enjoy!

Join us in the Sped Prep Academy® Facebook Group

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29 15 No Prep Fine Motor Activities with Erin from You Aut-A Know

**As special educators, we know the importance of letting a child do things for themselves to promote independence but also so they can develop their motor skills, specifically their fine motor skills.

And luckily, incorporating fine motor activities into a student’s daily routine doesn’t have to be hard. Many toys are designed to develop fine motor skills beginning as young as infants and toddlers. Which brings me to today’s guest, Erin Hagey from the blog You Aut-A Know.

Erin's blog post on 15  no prep fine motor activities caught my eye because that's exactly what I needed... A list of products that can be purchased cheaply and that involve absolutely NO PREP!

The products she shares should be on every special educators’ wish list. Listen in as Erin describes each toy and how they can be easily incorporated into academic skills and communication skills.**You can find Erin's blog post HERE and use her links to get the activities.

Enjoy!

Join us in the Sped Prep Academy® Facebook Group

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028 Tales of Teaching with a Best Friend (and why we highly recommend it!)

**Today’s guest is my ride-or-day...the other half of my brain...the person who makes me laugh every single day...the one and only Mendy Stevens.

Mendy and I met in the summer of 1995 when we were both brand new special education teachers at the same school and since that time, we have worked out of the same classroom for 26 years.

We operate our department as a true team sharing everything from scheduling to supervising paraprofessionals to teaching each other’s students to alternating mornings of who is going to pick up the first Dr. Pepper of the day.

Together we have worked for about 12 different principals, supervised over 80 paraprofessionals and have worked out of 8 different classrooms and have provided services to well over 700 students.

Our husbands are friends and we have gone on family vacations together and our plan is to retire at the same time and we’re pretty sure we’ll end up at the same nursing home one day because our brains are so in sync that we don’t know how to manage without the other.

I wanted to have Mendy on today because I would not be the person or the teacher I am today without her. She has supported me in all my ventures to become a support system to other special educators all across the country through my business and my courses and even this podcast. And even though she is behind the scenes when it comes to the Sped Prep Academy, she is my biggest fan and believes in all my dreams. So I just want to have some fun with her today and reminisce a little over the past 26 years of laugh so you don’t cry chaos.**

Warning: Bathroom stories seem to make us laugh the most

Enjoy!

Join us in the Sped Prep Academy® Facebook Group

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027 Training Paraprofessionals Using a Handbook with Stephanie DeLussey

Using a paraprofessional  handbook to train your staff might be the most effective and easiest way to train paraprofessionals, and today Stephanie DeLussey joins me on the podcast to answer questions about using this training format within a special education department.

Stephanie is the face behind Mrs. D's Corner, The Intentional IEP and the Adapted Book Club and has years of experience as a special educator.

Listen in as Stephanie and I answer common questions received about using a handbook as the training method for paraprofessionals and talk with each other about how best to facilitate this process.

Within the show, we mention a course that I created specifically to train you on how to train your staff. You can find the How-To Guide for Training Paraprofessionals HERE

You can find Stephanie
On TPT
On Instagram
On her website
Join us in the Sped Prep Academy® Facebook Group

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026 3 Easy Ways to Create an Expectation List for Your Staff

**I did not go into teaching special education to be a boss...I went into it wanting to make a difference by teaching the most special population of children, but I soon realized that it wasn’t an option. At the ripe old age of 23, I was officially the boss to my first paraprofessional and then spent the next 20 years trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.

My co-teacher and I have supervised no fewer than 80 paraprofessionals over the years and we have seen the best of the best and the worst of the worst. We have made some lifelong friends and we have made some big time enemies.

Within that time, I felt so much resentment towards different people because I let them walk all over me. I would do their jobs often because I didn’t want to come across as bossy or because it was just easier to do it myself than to deal with the crappy attitudes.**

**Now don’t get me wrong...I can create a list of amazing paraprofessionals who never caused any issues, did their jobs and were a blessing to the department...but that wasn’t because of my leadership skills...it was because who they are as human beings.

Thankfully, my leadership skills have increased significantly through lots of self-reflection, a little luck and some great intentional planning on my part.

In today's episode, I walk you through an activity that I first did 6 years ago when I changed schools and inherited a whole new staff. This activity has been a life-saver for my department and I want to share it with you.

Listen in to learn how to create an expectation list for your staff.*Join us in the Sped Prep Academy® Facebook GroupTake the What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz here*

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025  Supervising Paras with More Experience Than You

Today’s show is based on a quote I came across while reading a book on leadership. It’s from Ralph Waldo Emerson and it states… “The attitude of the leader determines the attitude of the pack.” As a special education teacher I lead a pack....or a team as I prefer to call it. In fact I’ve lead a team for 26 years and I can honestly share with you that I sucked at it for a while.  A long while actually. And because I struggled with it for so long, I had created myths about leadership itself.

**These myths quietly influenced how I conducted myself in the workplace when dealing with the behaviors of my paraprofessionals.

By learning more about my leadership style and course correcting these myths, I have
 changed my attitude about leadership and focus solely on the team aspect. I’m not perfect by any means, but it’s important to me that the staff I lead sees me as fair, approachable and human but I also want them to know that the decisions I make are to the benefit of all of us.

Listen in to see if you have any of the same myths.*Join us in the Sped Prep Academy® Facebook GroupTake the What's Your Special Educator Superpower Quiz here*

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024  Supervising Paras with More Experience Than You

**Working with paraprofessionals can be one of the best and hardest things about being a special education teacher and that’s why I use the Sped Prep Academy platform to focus on it so much.

But it can be particularly hard when you're a newer teacher and working in a classroom that has experienced paraprofessionals. It can feel weird to give a para instructions, directions and guidance if the para has more classroom experience than you or if the para is significantly older than you. 

And when you come into a school system as a brand new teacher and you inherit the staff that worked for the teacher before you, it’s highly likely that you are going to be at a crossroads with respecting their experience and wanting them to respect you as their supervisor.**

On today’s episode, Becca Noble shares how she managed to get through those first hard years as a new special education teacher and shares tips for you to get through tough times as well.Join Becca and I in the Sped Prep Academy® Facebook Group

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023 Supporting Your Paras in the Inclusion Classroom

One of the main roles a paraprofessional plays in almost all special education programs is to support students within the general education setting.

Inclusion is a term used when a student is educated, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the classroom he or she would otherwise attend. It involves brining the support services to the child and our paras need their own support in facilitating the inclusion process.

The less you are doing for the student, the better you are doing your job!In this episode of the Sped Prep Academy® Podcast, my friend Meaghan Garbutt shares how she supports the paras within her district as a coordinator.

We discuss how it's important to provide the paras with consistently scheduled trainings so that they feel listened to and heard.

Our paras can have a wealth of valuable knowledge about a child and their strengths and weaknesses and as teachers, we need to be tapping into this knowledge.

Give it a listen!

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022 How to Show Appreciation to Your Paraprofessionals

I hate the words "JUST a paraprofessional."

There is no JUST about it. These individuals are worth their weight in gold.

Special Education teachers cannot do what they do and be successful at it without the help of the special angels who work in our classrooms...These individuals are my right hand and sometimes 1/2 my brain.

They are able to make strong connections with our students and often know the kids strengths & weaknesses better than I do.

So, because they are so important to my classroom, I want them to feel appreciated often.
But I get bogged down in my days and weeks and often forget to let them know how important they are to me.

Today's guest, Jessica Buckley, is a young, bubbly, creative special educator who helps supervise 15 paraprofessionals and shares with us her ideas of how to show appreciation to the people who make our lives easier.

Products & Links Mentioned:
You can find Jessica's product Paraprofessional Appreciation on her TPT store
Special Little Angels

You can follow her on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook at Special Little Angels

You can get the Paraprofessional Interest Survey HERE

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021 Building Trust Within Your Department with Kara Mease

Paraprofessionals must have knowledge and skills to support our students and they must be good at building relationships with children. Like other educators, a paraprofessional needs to know when to step back and encourage a student to be independent, but also when to step in and provide assistance. Paras must have good time management skills and be able to take direction.

But there’s something else paraprofessionals must have...trust.In today's episode we hear from Kara Mease who has been a paraprofessional with my department for 3 years. She shares what my co-teacher and I did to set her up for success from day 1 usingthis paraprofessional handbook and stresses the importance of being able to trust her supervisors and the desire to have them trust her.

**If building trust within your department has been one of the blindspots you’ve been missing, then I hope this episode has hit home with you.

Speaking of blindspots...make sure you take the Special Educator's Superpower Quiz to get affirmation of the things you do well as a teacher and the blindspots that are holding you up from becoming the teacher you always dreamed you’d be. And who knows...you might get Batman like me which is just pretty cool! Go to spedprepacademy.com/quiz to find out your superpower.**You can check out the show notes at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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020 3 Tips to Become the CEO of Your Classroom

If I had to pinpoint one thing that has made the biggest impact on the success of the special education program at my school, I would have to say that it’s mindset.I know that word is used a lot lately...but there's a reason for it. Your mindset on how you approach a situation can either make or break it.

In the world of special education, making little shifts in the way you think  about your role as the classroom manager will make huge differences in how the department operates as a whole.

When you think about it, being a special education teacher is a lot like being a CEO. Don't believe me?

Listen in to Episode 20 where I compare the two and share 3 tips for becoming the CEO of your classroom.

And if you want to find out your special educator superpower, go to spedprepacademy.com/quiz. It's a short quiz to unlock the super powers you never knew you possessed and the kryptonite that's been holding you back.You can check out the show notes at spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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019 Making the Move to Admin

Whether you are just starting out in your career or have been teaching for a while, you probably at least have some inkling of whether or not you want to pursue an administration job in the future.

For me, it was never in the plan.

I love being a teacher leader but definitely do not have the ambition or desire to become a principal. But for Dane Parcel, a former co-teacher of mine, the opportunity presented itself and he took it.

If you see yourself heading down this path in the future, listen in as Dane shares his journey from the decision to "go for it" to where he is now.

You can check out the show notes at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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018

Super excited to host my first guest of the podcast, Lindsey Gurley.

Lindsey shares her struggles with making the hard decision to leave her job mid-year and accept a position at a different school.

If you are struggling with making this same decision, I hope this episode will give the insight and knowledge you need to make the best decision for you and your family.

You can follow Lindsey on Instagram @msgs_abilities and on Teachers Pay Teachers https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ms-Gs-Abilities

You can check out the show notes at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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017

In today’s episode, I talk about the prompting hierarchy and the importance of teaching it to your paraprofessionals.

A prompt can be a visual, verbal or physical cue. Why Use Prompting with Your Student?

There are many ways to teach children, but prompting is especially effective when working with children with autism. This method:

• Teaches the best way to reach a goal
• Reduces frustration
• Provides support with difficult tasks

As a special educator, even if you’ve never heard of the prompting hierarchy, it’s very likely that you’ve been implementing this process in your classroom all along. It’s probably second nature to help a student complete a task and then slowly back off to let them learn how to do it on their own.

However, it is less likely that your paraprofessionals have this innate ability to know when and how to do this and that’s why it’s super important that you intentionally teach it to them. 

Listen in to learn just how to do that!

You can check out the show notes at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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016

In the world of special education, there are absolutely going to be times when having a one to one para is either necessary or inevitable within your department. I am not arguing the fact that some students need an adult with them all day for either safety reasons or due to behavior issues. 
Instead, I am challenging the scheduling aspect of assigning the same para to the same child all day, every day. That’s where I see a problem.In this episode of the Sped Prep Academy Podcast I break down the reasons why I don't assign paras to individual students and the method we use instead.

You can check out the show notes at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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015 The Responsibilities of a Special Educator-Part 3

This is the final part of a 3 part series on the responsibilities of special education teachers. We have discussed our responsibilities to our students in Episode 13 and our responsibilities to our school in Episode 14.

In today's episode, we take a look at our responsibilities to our administration. This could be your principal(s), special education director or whomever it is that you report to on a daily basis.

In order to have a successful career, be admired by your administration for your hard work and dedication and to develop a strong working relationship with your superiors, I have identified the top 3 responsibilities we have to our administration...

1. Do your job
2. Do your part
3. Stay in your lane

When you can achieve these 3 things, when you fulfill these 3 responsibilities, I have no doubt that your relationship with your administrator will become stronger and a good relationship with your boss doesn’t just help the overall good vibes you have while at work, it can help down the road as well.They’ll think of you. When an opportunity comes up that you might want (or even one you didn’t know about), Your principal will know you and trust that you are the best choice for that opportunity.

Links Mentioned:Sped Prep Academy Resource Library Subscribe & Review
I don't want you to miss a thing! Be the first to know when a new episode is available by subscribing in iTunes HERE!If you would like to support the Sped Prep Academy® Podcast, a review would be so much appreciated! By leaving a review, you are helping fellow special educators find this podcast so that they can become the strong educators they've always wanted to be. To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE and scroll down to Ratings and Reviews. Click "Write a Review" and share with me how this podcast is changing your business!

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014 Welcome back to the Sped Prep Academy Podcast.

This is the 2nd part of the 3 episode series on Special Education Teacher Responsibilities.

In this episode, there are 3 main roles we assume as special educators within our schools 

1. Manager
2. Consultant
3. Facilitator

Listen in as Jennifer explains the responsibilities we have to the building(s) in which we work and how the job can be compared to a child's game of Kerplunk.

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013   The Responsibilities of a Special Educator- Part 1

**This is a 3 part episode for obvious reasons...
A special educator has SO many responsibilities that it would do this topic a disservice to try to cram it all into one short episode.

Today's focus is on our responsibility to our students and breaks it down into 3 main areas**

1. Assessment
2. Planning
3. Instruction

These areas are cyclical...meaning they don't happen independently but instead each one is developed in relation to the other two.

We assess, plan, instruct...assess, plan, instruct and on and on.

As special educators  we serve as an advocate for the child and it is our professional responsibility to work to the best of our ability in that capacity. Assessment, instructional planning, and teaching are all primary duties of that position.

Next week we will talk about a special educator's responsibilities to their school.

Listen in!

You can check out the show notes at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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012 3 Ways to Include Students in the IEP Process

**Welcome back to the Sped Prep Academy Podcast.

Transition IEPs are great for students who are in middle school and high school and need that support to transition into life as an adult with a disability...but what about the littles?

Why can't they be a part of the process as well?**
In this episode of the Sped Prep Academy, I go over 3 EASY ways to include students, no matter their age or cognitive level, how to have an active role in their own IEP.

It’s important that students of all ages and ability levels have input into their IEP. We should be asking them about their favorite subjects in school and finding out what makes them feel successful in these areas. We need to find out what they like and dislike about school so that we can improve their educational experience. By making them a part of the process we are teaching them how to self advocate for themselves at an early age.

Listen in!

You can check out the show notes at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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011  **Welcome back to the Sped Prep Academy Podcast.

In today's episode, I discuss how to presume positive intent within the field of special education. So what exactly does Presuming Positive Intent** mean? 

It means  always starting from the idea that a person means well or is doing their best, 
ℕ𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕤𝕒𝕪 𝕠𝕣 𝕕𝕠. 

And while presuming positive intent carries over into all aspects of life, I share the 5 ways I address this concept within the field of special education.

1. With students
2. With other special education teachers
3. With general education teachers
4. With administration
5. With parents

Listen in!

You can check out the show notes at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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010  **Welcome back to the Sped Prep Academy Podcast.

I'm super excited to have moved into double digits today!!**No one benefits more from working as a team than your students. You’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish for your students when working collaboratively is made a high priority in your building.

In today's episode, I explain the barriers that are blocking a collaborative relationship between general education teachers and special education teachers and go over the 8 ways I have identified as necessary for the two teachers to collaborate effectively within a school year to best meet the needs of their students. 

Within the episode, I mention 2 graphic forms I use when collaborating with my teachers. You can get access to those free organizers HERE

Listen in!

You can check out the show notes at www.spedprepacademy.com/podcast

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009  **Welcome back to the Sped Prep Academy Podcast