STEPPING INTO SPECIAL EDUCATION, Special Education, SPED, Special Ed, Students with Disabilities, Classroom Management

Hey Sped Teacher,

Do you have elementary or middle school students transitioning on to their next school? Are you unsure how to prepare for a transitional IEP meeting?

When students are moving from an elementary school to a middle school or a middle school to high school, it is crucial to have transitional IEPs to help with facilitating a smooth transition for your students with special needs. These transitional IEPs don’t need to ...

Hey Special Ed Teacher,

Are you looking for ways to help your students with special needs manage test anxiety? Do you want your students to be as relaxed and prepared as possible for state testing?

We all have students who overthink and stress out before tests. This can come out in a variety of ways including crying, attitudes, dropping to the floor, etc. This can be gut wrenching to see and seeing them look to you with overwhelm i...

Hey Special Education Teacher,

April is Autism Acceptance Month! Do you have a favorite way to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month? 

Working in the education field, there is an extremely high chance that you have already worked with or will work with a student with Autism. That is one reason I feel it is so important to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month. We are striving to be more inclusive and promote education, understanding, and r...

Hey Sped Teacher,

Are you nervous about an upcoming observation? Do you tend to stress yourself out by overdoing it on your observation lesson plans?

For many teachers (me included!), pressure and nerves come along with knowing you have an observation coming up. I would try to come up with some new and exciting lesson that covered every aspect of a standard. I was a nervous wreck! After a few years, I realized that I didn’t need to...

Hey Special Ed Teacher,

Do you struggle with managing behavior in your special ed classroom? Are you ready to create a better learning environment for your students with disabilities?

When I was in my first couple years of teaching, I was so excited about decorating my classroom, getting my students into the classroom, and teaching them all the exciting lessons I had planned. And then the first days of school came and I had student...

Hey Sped Teacher!

State testing is quickly approaching! Are you starting to prep for the assessments? Does prepping for state testing make you feel stressed out? 

As a new special education teacher, I had no idea how to help my students prepare for the state assessments. Every year, I felt so stressed trying to figure out what to do beforehand so my students would feel prepared instead of confused when they got to the test. After a...

Hey Special Ed Teacher,

Do you feel like you're constantly scrambling to cover everything that needs to be covered in the day? Are you looking for ways to get the most out of your classroom time?

As special ed teachers, our days just fly by! I’ve definitely gotten to the end of the day and wondered what I even got done. Our to-do lists seem to be never ending and trying to tackle everything seems overwhelming. But throughout my yea...

Hey Special Education Teacher,

Have you ever had a student you thought may need a change of placement? Are you curious about the signs that indicate a student may need a COP? 

There are several things that need to be taken into account when considering a change in placement for a student. In my first change of placement meeting, I realized that I did not have nearly enough data to get the student into the appropriate educational se...

Hey Special Ed Teacher,

Are you unsure if you want to teach in a mild to moderate or extensive needs classroom? Are you not really sure what the differences are between the two? I’ve been there and I’m breaking it all down for you today so you can make the best decision possible for you!

There are some distinct differences between teaching mild to moderate support needs vs extensive support needs. Some of these differences may affe...

Hey Special Education Teacher,

Have you thought about the possibility of not returning to your current role next school year? Has the thought of leaving special education altogether crossed your mind? Before you make any decisions, I encourage you to tune into this episode!

Choosing whether to stay or leave is not easy and many factors play into the decision. Research shows that 25% of special education teachers leave their positio...

Hey Sped Teacher,

Are you a special ed teacher looking to choose the right specialty area for your passion? Is deciding which credential is the best fit feeling overwhelming? Do you know the opportunities and responsibilities that come with each credential?

Join me in this episode as I break down the 5 different types of specialty areas in special education. As special educators, it can be confusing and stressful to decide which li...

Hey Special Ed Teacher,

Are you supporting parents of special needs students in the best way possible? Have you wondered if there are things you can do to build stronger relationships with your students’ parents? 

In this episode, we’re diving into 5 things to avoid when building strong relationships with our students’ parents. As busy special education teachers, it can be so easy to forget how important paying attention to the lit...

Hey Special Ed Teacher,

IEP season is here! How do you like to prepare for IEP meetings? What do you do to ensure you have all the documents needed before it’s meeting time? Are you looking for a better system so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute to get everything ready? 

Today, I’m breaking down the 5 steps I take to ensure I am ready to step into my IEP meetings prepared and confident. Having everything collected and ready...

Hey Sped Teacher,

How do you use token boards in the special ed classroom? How do you use token boards effectively? How can it be used to promote positive behavior?

In today’s episode, I’ll share 7 steps to replace behaviors you want to change with your students with special needs! Sometimes, our whole classroom behavior system does not work for every student. This is when extra behavioral support is needed to help our students wit...

Hey Special Education Teacher,

How do you work with parents of your students with special needs? What do you say when you first introduce yourself? How do you keep your special needs parents' relationship going strong?  

In today’s episode, I’ll share how I collaborate and keep a good relationship with my special needs parents! That first impression is crucial in building a relationship with them. I’ve learned a lot of lessons alon...

Hey Special Ed Teacher,

How do you structure your special education classroom? How do you manage your special ed class? What do you do to keep it organized?

In today’s episode, I’ll share my top, tried, and true organization tips that I use in my own sped classroom! After going to two different districts, two different positions, three different schools, and moving into seven different classrooms (yes, SEVEN!)...I’ve made many orga...

Hey Sped Teacher,

How was your 2023 year? Did you learn any new lessons personally and/or professionally? Any upcoming goals you’d like to accomplish for the next 2024 year?

In today’s episode, I’ll be getting personal and sharing the hard lessons I learned in 2023 and some new goals I foresee this upcoming year! Reflecting on a not-easy year can be difficult, but it’s freeing to be open and honest and understand how to better ours...

Hey Special Ed Teacher,

It’s almost time for winter break! Do you have a plan for how you are spending your vacation? Will it be all about rest time? Or will you be catching up on work?

Today, I share the pros and cons of working during your break and what I do during my vacation time! When our winter break finally arrives, all we want to do is….NOTHING!! But before you know it, it’s the day before returning, and we’re in panic mod...

Hey Sped Teacher,

Is your classroom environment feeling overwhelming? Want to feel more organized after winter break? Don’t know what areas to start clearing?

Today, I share 7 areas to begin decluttering your special education classroom! We are so busy teaching and writing IEPs that we sometimes let our classrooms go. Let’s start the new year with a clear classroom and a refreshed mind!

Take Care,

Michelle

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