Over my 10 years of teaching middle school, I’ve tried just about every classroom reward imaginable to motivate my students. Famously, middle schoolers are not the most motivated subsection of the population, and I’ve spent far too much time (and money) trying to figure out what will get my students to put forth their best […]
The Best Free Classroom Rewards for Middle School Read More »
Imagine a day in your students’ lives, going from class to class, teacher to teacher, and rule set to rule set like it’s a bizarre game of “Guess Who?” but with expectations. Can you chew gum here? Can you go to the bathroom without a signed scroll and a security escort? Is talking during group
Community Expectations – A Better Approach to Classroom Rules & Social Contracts Read More »
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had one of those “Where did I put that?” moments approximately… five times a day. Teaching special education in middle school means juggling IEPs, paperwork, copies, behavior plans, and the copies I swear I literally just saw! So when I found a system that actually helped me stay
Classroom Organization 101 – Simple Systems to Save Your Sanity! Read More »
If you walk into my classroom, one routine you’ll probably see is students either completing or reviewing exit tickets. I use exit tickets almost every day in my classroom. They’re quick, easy, and provide so much valuable information! Exit tickets help me gauge how well students have understood the day’s lesson, identify areas that need
Classroom Exit Tickets: A Quick Routine with Big Benefits Read More »
As teachers, we hear the same buzzwords all the time; words like differentiate, formative assessment, and scaffolding come to mind for me. We hear these words for good reason – they are things that good teachers do to help students! However, just because we hear them doesn’t mean we know exactly what they mean or
Easy Scaffolding Strategies for Teachers Read More »
With copy limits, limited time, and absent students, printed paper copies of assignments can truly be a hassle! During Covid, a lot of teachers were forced to use digital practice activities, and many have continued to make them a constant in their classrooms due to the many benefits of digital activities! Benefits of Digital Practice
Not Just Another Worksheet – Easy Digital Activities Your Students Will Love! Read More »
Depending on your past experience, some teachers find parent communication one of the most daunting parts of the job! Here are my tips for making parent communication more enjoyable and less daunting! Start Early & Be Proactive I make it a goal to reach out to each family during the first two weeks of school
Tips & Tricks for Stress-Free Parent Communication Read More »
My biggest issue as a resource teacher? Time! It’s the one thing I can never get enough of, so I am all about quick classroom routines that build necessary student skills. Each year, I notice that my students struggle with writing complete sentences and paragraphs. This year, I implemented and fine-tuned a quick daily routine
Paragraph of the Week: Quick & Easy Writing Intervention Strategy Read More »
I have to be honest – the concept of IEP progress monitoring was something I was very unprepared for as a first-year resource room teacher. Creating ways to gather data, organizing systems to track data, writing progress monitoring reports, sharing progress with parents – on top of everything else I was already buried with? I
A Guide to IEP Goal Progress Monitoring: What Special Education Teachers Need to Know! Read More »
As a special education teacher, having a teacher assistant can be a lifesaver! Maybe your school calls them paraprofessionals, teacher aides, instructional assistants, or something else! At my current school, every teacher has a designated teacher assistant – I know, I am SO lucky! My previous school only had a few Instructional Assistants who were
Building a Strong Team: Tips for Setting Your Teacher Assistants Up for Success Read More »
