Writing lesson plans can be a daunting task. When we go through graduate school, we learn many ways (some of them way too long) to write appropriate lesson plans for all levels of learners. There’s not only one way to write a lesson plan. Here’s a...

(please keep in mind that certain parts of the IEP differ depending on the state) Writing an IEP can be a daunting task, even for veteran teachers. Here is a Guide to IEP Checklist and tips to drafting an IEP for your students. The checklist...

They teach us about collecting data and documentation in our graduate courses, but they don’t prepare us for how much data we need and what exactly needs to be documented. The answer is, EVERYTHING. In our profession, everything needs to be...

I stood and looked around my classroom at the aftermath around my Life Skills Special Education classroom. There was a handful of my hair on the ground. My hands were full of old and new scratches, fresh from that morning. I touched my stomach,...

The other day I was asked a question by a new teacher. She was being expected to allow students who were coming back early from another class to sit with her during her planning period. It was something the students had done before she started...

In an earlier post I wrote about stress and not letting what you can’t control overwhelm you. As a new school year is starting and I am already hearing how completely overwhelmed many of you are, I feel like I need to write this to remind you all...

My first years of teaching I spent HOURS AND HOURS looking up lesson plans for teaching functional life skills, making materials, looking for special education lesson plan templates, adapted materials that were age appropriate, & so much more....

The first year is always the hardest. You’re getting used to new routines, new procedures, how to work with and deal with other adults, and how to be responsible for molding and guiding your students. Here are a few things to keep in mind.  ...

There are a lot of things that you can attribute to a successful classroom; your instruction, relationship with students, your ability to manage the classroom and difficult behaviors, and so much more. Of all the classrooms I have taught in, one of...

I know this is probably a controversial statement, but hear me out. Academics are of course important and should always be the driving force behind what we do in the classroom, BUT teaching life skills is what will essentially lead to independence...

As parents, we want to know everything our child has done at school that day. What went well or not so well? Did they have a good day? Did they learn anything? But we rarely ever get that many details, even from our verbal, typically developing...

The first year of teaching (and every year after, if I’m speaking honestly) will always bring emotional ups and downs as the school year continues. I know, you’re trying your best and going above and beyond to be a great teacher and do right by...

Are you worried because your coworkers have told you that you have “very difficult parents”? Yes, it’s true. In our profession we will encounter parents who are not so easy to work with. BUT there is also a way you can take action, to prepare...

The first year of teaching is almost the most difficult year a teacher will have in their career, but also the most unforgettable. It is so difficult to prepare for all the new experiences you are about to go through: being in front of and teaching...