Do you invite students to be active participants in their IEP process?   This time of the year I am busy preparing for annual reviews .  Writing multiple IEPs is a lot of work for me, but the biggest contributors to this process are my students .  I am always so impressed by how serious my 4th grade students take this process.  Because of this process and hearing my students' voices, we have been able to create better IEPs that reflect what THEY tell us they need....

It is really important for teachers to include books that provide mirrors (books where students can really identify with the characters) and windows (books where the students can see into the lives of those that are different from them).  A book that may be a mirror for some, may be a window for others. Books that include characters with disabilities and illnesses are so important to include in our classroom and home libraries.  They provide windows AND mirrors, often at the same time, for ourselves and our children.  Through the magic of reading, our students can learn about others and be more accepting and inclusive. ...

As a parent, heading into an IEP meeting is overwhelming.  Even well-seasoned parents of children with special needs get nervous before walking into a meeting where the sole purpose is to dissect what their child can and cannot do.  There are some things that special education teachers can do for parents to elevate some of the anxiety that comes with attending IEP meetings. ...

Special Education teachers are the masters of data collection!  At times, collecting data can be overwhelming, especially when you sometimes have to outsource the collecting to other teachers, specialists, or teaching assistants. Tracking accommodations is necessary to make sure an IEP is being followed and can be helpful in determining which accommodations should be added to or removed from the IEP.  Believe it or not, collecting data on accommodations and modifications does not have to consume your life! ...

It is back to school season again!  Special education teachers around the country will have a stack of IEPs in front of them with various dates and loads of information to process and remember.   Don't get overwhelmed.  Get organized! ...

Co-Teaching can be one of the most rewarding, yet challenging experiences.  The co-teaching partnership is kind of like a marriage and usually it's an arranged one!  Often, two teachers are partnered up without knowing much about each other.  Administrators dealing with staffing issues may not be able to look at teaching styles and personalities before pairing teachers up. Here are some tips on how to make your co-teaching relationship a successful one! ...

As a special education teacher, I have to collaborate with several adults throughout my day such as related service providers, general education teachers, parents, administration, special area team members, etc.  Through being a self-contained teacher, a push-in provider, and a co-teacher, collaborating with other adults is one thing that does not change.  With each new position, I have had the privilege of working with great teams of paraprofessionals. Working with paraprofessionals in your classroom can be challenging but when done correctly, everybody benefits - especially your students.  It takes a lot of effort to make your classroom team work together collaboratively.  Here are some important things to remember that I have learned along the way: ...

With back-to-school season here, it's a great time to start thinking about implementing student led goals in your classroom! One thing I have found is that students work so much harder when they have created their own goal.  They put forth even more effort when they are involved in the progress monitoring.  And, boy, do they celebrate their success harder when they reach a goal they set for themselves.  Feeling that success makes them crave more! ...

Last year was my first year teaching Read180 in a few years.  I love Read180 and what I have seen it do for my kiddos so I was excited to get a chance to implement it again.  But...the book projects included with the program are B-O-R-I-N-G!  Sure, some of them are pretty good, but the directions can be questionable and I find myself using the same two projects over and over with my class.   My students started to get frustrated (beyond frustrated) with the repetition so I promised them that one of my summer tasks would be to create new book projects, just for them.   I mean, who doesn't just LOVE working on school stuff during summer break?  You know we all do it! These book project ideas are a break from the traditional book report and can be used with any book! ...