Mrs. D's Corner

teaching from the heart, not the books.

Lesson Planning for 1:1 Virtual Sessions with Nonverbal Students

Making sure nonverbal students have access and success during virtual sessions is critical. So, how can you plan for those 1:1 sessions to make sure your students are able to demonstrate their understanding and communicate effectively? It takes a little bit of creativity and patience! We have compiled some easy ways to ensure your students are given the opportunities they need to succeed. Choose the methods that will work best for them and you during these unusual teaching circumstances. In the end, remember that you know your students best. Communicating with Non-verbal Students During Virtual Sessions Provide Students with Visual… Read More

Safety Protocols for Student Businesses in the COVID-19 Classroom

When the world changes, so too does the way clubs, events, and fundraisers in school work. Strict guidelines and standards have changed how teachers guide their students – especially when it comes to cooking and running things like coffee carts and breakfast bars. Thankfully, safety protocols for student businesses in the COVID-19 classroom make the experience safe for all students and teachers involved. With some creative thinking and a willingness to step outside the box, students can successfully run many of the cooking-related stands and events that they have in the past. The tips below will help you guide your… Read More

How to Set Up Closed Captioning for Assistive Tech

During virtual learning, it is essential to meet all students’ needs and make sure that the technology that is being used is accessible to them. One of the ways to do that is to make sure that your live and pre-recorded lessons have closed captioning. How do you set up closed captioning for assistive technology? It may be easier than you think! We have compiled a few ways that might be available to you for adding closed captioning to your lessons and live recordings. As always, the method that works best for your school or institution may not be the… Read More

The Perks of Paper/Pencil Data Collection for Special Ed Teachers

Are you Team Technology or Team Paper and Pencil when it comes to data collection? Technology is a way of life now, especially with virtual learning, but there is something to be said for paper and pencil data collection. While technology has given us fast and easy ways to calculate, store, and record data, does it take away from the benefits of paper and pencil work? There are pros and cons to both sides. Ya’ll know I am partial to pencil/paper data collection. You can learn my method here, and you can see the data collection category here for all… Read More

Classroom Jobs for Students in Special Ed

Class jobs give students responsibilities in the classroom that make them feel more included. Non-traditional class jobs are perfect for students who need practice in certain areas or who have an affinity for particular types of tasks. We asked veteran teachers what some of their favorite class jobs for special ed students have been over the years. They came up with a lot of great ideas! See their responses in the post in Mrs. D’s VIPs Facebook Group or summarized below. If you’re not a group member yet, we would love to have you join us! The Best Class Jobs… Read More

Podcasts for Special Ed Teachers

Have a long commute to work? Need something to get your day going or inspire you? Try listening to a podcast! Podcasts are a great way to get in a little personal and professional development without the heavy lifting of having to attend a class or sign-up for a webinar. They are free (for the most part!) and range in topic from everything from financial strategies to teaching tips to serial stories for kids. If you are searching for just the right podcast to entertain you, try one (or more!) of the teacher-recommended podcasts below. Podcasts for Teachers Special Education… Read More

Tops Trends in Teaching Today

Educational trends come and go, but teachers on the frontlines often bear the brunt of them. While some are positive, other trends are short-lived and not as effective as originally hoped. Outside the scope of distance learning, 2020 has already seen its fair share of teacher trends. From classroom designation changes to the rush to assess or diagnose, there are plenty of educational trends that make up a teacher’s day. Here are some of the most prevalent ones in 2020 so far: Lack of Funding Budgets are being slashed, and intervention materials and staff are often cut first. The lack… Read More

Visual Schedules During Distance Learning | SPED Connection

Just because you are teaching virtually doesn’t mean your students don’t need a schedule to follow. They definitely do. And visual schedules are a great way, even during virtual learning, to help students prepare for their day. Welcome to the SPED Connection, a collection of tips and tricks from other special educators all over the world. Because we’re all in this together! Today’s tips come from Heather, who is currently a middle school functional life skills teacher and the author behind Full SPED Ahead. From Heather: “This school year I have signed up to teach virtually all year long. I’ve… Read More

Cooking in the Classroom Q&A | Fun Food Friday

Cooking in the Classroom is one of the best decisions I made as a teacher in the self-contained classroom. There are so many skills you. can practice during Fun Food Friday that no other lessons can do. But maybe you have some questions about cooking in the classroom, especially during distance learning. So today we will be answering all of your questions! Welcome to the SPED Connection, a collection of tips and tricks from other special educators all over the world. Because we’re all in this together! Today’s tip comes from Cortnie, a fourth year, self-contained Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)… Read More

Community Trip Ideas During Distance Learning

When your students have community experience IEP goals, addressing them during distance learning can be tricky. Check out these community trip ideas that are perfect for distance learning! Enter: The New Look of Community Experience IEP Goals Unlike past years when heading out into the community made addressing community experience goals easy, distance learning requires creative solutions. It may mean bringing the community into the classroom, either in-person or virtually. The good news is that multiple options might work for your school and classroom, so it is just a matter of choosing which one you think is best. Remember, no… Read More

incentives for students during distance learning

Student Incentives for Virtual Learning

Incentives have always been a great way to motivate students to complete lessons in the classroom. Thankfully, they can work just as well for virtual learning! The only difference is that the type of incentives needs to change slightly to accommodate the distance learning aspect. If you are struggling to figure out what type of student incentives to use in your virtual classroom this year, look no further. We have compiled a list of some of the very best virtual learning student incentives below to take the guesswork out of what to use and when. As always, the incentives that… Read More

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What Teachers Wish the World Knew About Being a Teacher

There are few other professions where people think they know it all even if they have never been trained. Teaching is one of them. So what do teachers wish the world knew about being a teacher? A lot! New and veteran teachers shared with us some of the things they wish the world knew about teaching. Some of their concerns were poignant. Some were lighthearted. And some of the things they wish the world knew were born out of frustration at being in an undervalued yet invaluable profession. What Teachers Wish the World Knew About Being a Teacher The Mountain… Read More

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Instead of Calling Your Student’s “Guys!” Try These

Find yourself calling your students the same thing over and over? We asked teachers to share with us some of the things they call their students to help break up the “hey guys!” After you have been teaching for a while, you begin to develop habits and sayings that stick with you from year to year. Whether it’s a particular way of organizing your whiteboard or a phrase that you become known for, breaking out of those habits can be hard! If one of the things you are known for is saying, “Hey guys!” or something similar, we have the… Read More

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How to Collect Data During Virtual Learning

Collecting data can be challenging under normal circumstances, but collecting data during virtual teaching brings with it a whole host of other issues. We asked veteran teachers how they are collecting data during this unusual time and tips they might have for others. While virtual teaching may not be every teacher’s ideal method of instruction, it is possible to gather data on your students and make sure they are getting the support services that they need. If you are new to virtual teaching or struggling to find data collection methods that work for you, check out the tips and tricks… Read More

Back to School Tips Veteran Teachers Wish They Knew Back Then

Going back to school is a process that veteran teachers now know very well. But for first year teachers, it can be daunting. There is so much that a college classroom and books can’t and don’t teach you. Most veteran teachers have a step-by-step process for what we need to do to get ready for the new school year. Thinking back to 10 years ago, when I was a first year teacher (that year I was a 7th grade Middle School Math Co-Teacher in Virginia), I remember being so excited for the school year, to meet my students and decorate… Read More

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Introducing The Intentional IEP

Imagine if you looked at your teacher self 3 months from now and saw a teacher unscathed and overcome with clarity about the IEP writing process and had a system that worked. How would that feel? Flashback to the end of May 2019. I was having a conversation with another teacher friend about how I wanted to help teachers write better IEPs for their students. Not only that, I wanted to help teachers write compliant, rockstar IEPs quicker than ever before so that they can spend less time working, and more time living. After sitting on the idea for a… Read More

Lessons Teacher Anxiety Taught Me

It’s Sunday evening, the weekend time with your precious family is over and it is time to start thinking about the 5 day school week ahead. You have 2 IEPs to write, data to collect for Student A’s Functional Behavior Assessment, math lessons to plan and a BASC report to write.  Does thinking about this make you anxious too? Anxiety is a tough thing to work through, on your own or through therapy. It can take months, years… even then it’s a constant work in progress. As a teacher in today’s society, it can be even harder to handle anxiety…. Read More

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Planning Academic Centers in a Special Ed Classroom

A common struggle in special education classrooms is not being able to get through all instruction and also work on IEP goal skills. Do you share in this struggle?! Because you’re here reading this, I’m going to go out on a limb and say the struggle is real for you too. While centers do not solve the bigger issue at hand, they do help us special education teachers meet the needs of all of our learners, while providing opportunities for growth and student independence. So let’s chat about how to plan academic centers in any special ed classroom. Before you… Read More

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