Mrs. D's Corner

teaching from the heart, not the books.

color coded student iep binders header

Color Coded Student IEP Binders (Color Coded Classroom)

Do you need an effective, tried and true method to keep track of all of your students’ IEP goals, progress notes, work samples, notes, and everything else?! Enter color coded student IEP binders. This simple system makes it easy to keep track of independent student work, IEP goals and objectives, notes from home, and everything else in-between. Picture this scenario… admin walks into your room at 3:20PM on a Thursday afternoon. Your contract time ends at 3:45PM… but now you have an impromptu parent meeting. The parent wants to see work samples and data on their child, who is in… Read More

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Tips to Avoid Getting Sick as a Teacher

Getting sick can be an inevitable part of any teacher’s life, especially if you work with the younger kids. There are germs everywhere… tables, pencils, doorknobs, papers, shoelaces! Oh, the shoelaces. So how can we, teachers, help ourselves? How can we try our best to prevent getting sick? Here are a few tried and true tips from veteran teachers on my Facebook page: Mrs. D’s Corner. Open the windows and let the fresh air in. Eat well and healthy. Get enough sleep. Eat your fruits and veggies! Wash your hands often. Don’t touch your face or eyes with germ-infested hands…. Read More

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A Substitute Binder for Special Ed Teachers

No matter how hard we try to not get sick, there are days when we need to take a sick day… or even a personal day. But planning for a sub is stressful, especially if it’s an emergency situation. The last thing you want to worry about when you are at home sick, taking care of a loved one, out on maternity leave, or even at a staff development session is how your class and substitute are doing. It’s time to rest easy. Never feel unprepared for a substitute again with this dual-purpose, editable substitute binder for both short and… Read More

tips and tricks for keeping velcro scissors clean

Tips for Keeping Velcro Scissors Clean

Every teacher has a pair of scissors. Every special education teacher has a pair of Velcro scissors. And every teacher has gone through the struggle of having something sticky attach to their scissors, making it difficult to cut anything. Below is a list of preventative measures to take to keep your Velcro scissors all nice and scissory… as well as a few options to try when your Velcro scissors need a good cleaning. You’ll want to use a pair of scissors that are non-stick. And then label the blades “VELCRO” with a permanent marker… that way there’s never any mixup. … Read More

Conferences for Special Education Teachers

Conferences for Special Education Teachers

Teachers are always learning and are always searching for new strategies, instructional methodology, and ideas to help their students learn. Sure, we have professional development sessions provided by the districts and schools we work for… but they aren’t always geared towards special education teachers. Or it’s a slideshow that’s repeated each year. Thankfully there are dozens of national and international conferences that are held every year, and are geared towards special needs teachers, parents, and professionals. Below are a few conferences for special ed teachers, linked with descriptions, that are recommended by fellow special education teachers.  Wright’s Law Sessions –… Read More

work task Wednesday - test tube patterns and colors. mrs ds corner.

Work Task Wednesday – Test Tube Patterns and Colors

Welcome to Work Task Wednesday, a place where we will be talking all about different work task, work bins, task bins… whatever you call them, we will be talking about them! The benefits of using work bins for academic learning centers include promoted independence, practicing transitions, playing and engaging in multiple activities during a certain time-block of the day, cooperating and sharing with others, and an opportunity to provide students with a more hands-on approach to learning. Plus so much else, that’s just the start! The best part about using work tasks in the classroom is you can meet the… Read More

Grading Rubrics for special needs students. grading rubrics for students with disabilities.

How to Give Grades in Special Education

Rubrics allow a teacher, paraprofessional, service provider, and/or admin to break down lessons and skills into competencies and criterion.

moving past the trauma a tribute to teacher anxiety

Moving Past the Trauma and Back to You – A Tribute to Teacher Anxiety

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. Social media makes everything seem so perfect, so idealistic, and for so many… unattainable. Perfect classrooms, teachers so put together, kids always on task working. Seeing these IG-worthy and Pinterest-perfect posts on social media doesn’t always help those of us with anxiety. Over the past couple of months, I have opened up more and more about my journey with anxiety – sharing… Read More

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Classroom Library + Organization for Special Ed

Having a child read is a crucial component of becoming a good reader. It is our job as teachers to provide our students with multiple opportunities to read while at school. Schools come equipped with a school library, but many times students only see the inside of the school library one day a week or less. Classroom libraries should be inviting, organized, and provide students with more than one or two options students want to read. The more books we house in our classrooms, the more opportunities we are providing for our students to read… and read for fun. But… Read More

help your child's teacher. tips for how a parent can help their Childs teacher. how teachers and parents can be a team. parent communication.

Parents, How to Help Your Child’s Teacher

As teachers, we need to work very closely with parents of the students in our classrooms. Together we make a team, and as a team we all need to be on the same page. While there are 1,001 ways teachers can help keep parents in the loop… there are 1,001 ways that parents can help their child’s teacher as well.   This list of tips was curated by special education teachers in Mrs. D’s VIP Facebook Group. Parents, here are a few ways to help your child’s teacher. Make sure the phone number the teacher has for you works (or email!)…. Read More

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First Year Teacher Tips for Special Ed Teachers

As a first year teacher, or as a teacher starting a new special ed position, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Between all of the unknowns and all of the things you want to prep now to be a little more prepared once school starts, you may not be sure where to start. Thankfully, the VIP teachers from Mrs. D’s VIP Facebook Group put together their best advice for new teachers or teachers who are starting a new position or in a new school. If you are more of a paper-pencil-cross-it-off-the-list type of person, you can find these tips and suggestions… Read More

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Gift for Teachers or Paras – DIY Emergency Snack Kit

A teacher gift or para gift, a unique one, not just the standard mug or flowers (which are and always will be appreciated, don’t get me wrong!), but something that was really thought provoking for the giver… truly means so much as the receiver. There is an entire week in May to celebrate Teacher Appreciation and support staff has a day of appreciation as well, but sometimes it’s nice to be appreciated as a surprise. In the teaching world, there are some people who just get you. And I don’t mean they just get you as a teacher, I mean… Read More

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Interview Questions for Paras and Support Staff

No special needs classroom is complete without support staff, and it always feels good to be prepared for an upcoming interview. Interview questions range, especially when it comes to being special education staff. Stress no more! Get ready to feel confident and prepared at your next interview for a special education paraprofessional position. Below is a list of 65 (and growing!) interview questions for paras, and a few questions you could potentially ask the interview team. Tell us more about yourself. What is your background with students with special needs? What led you to apply for this position? What makes you the best… Read More

As special education teachers, we often are not provided with appropriate resources to assess our students current levels of learning. Or the resource we are given doesn’t meet the needs of all of the learning styles in our classroom. We always make it work though. Learn more about literacy assessment at Mrs. D's Corner.

Assessment in SPED – Literacy + Language Arts

As special education teachers, we often are not provided with appropriate resources to assess our students current levels of learning. Or the resource we are given doesn’t meet the needs of all of the learning styles in our classroom. We always make it work, we’re superheros! But it’s time to use our superhero strengths for something else. This Literacy Assessment bundle includes all of the parts needed to assess your students on the early elementary skills needed in grades K-3, with all the data sheets needed to collect baseline data and show progress on the mastery of the skills. You… Read More

poppy craft - a fine motor craft for Memorial Day that you can use as a bulletin board display

Poppy Craft for Memorial Day

Remember, honor, and celebrate Memorial Day with this fine motor poppy craft that you can use as a bulletin board display. It’s no secret that I am an Air Force Sister and Daughter. My dad and brother served in the AF, so when the additional opportunity (I say additional because our troops should be celebrated and praised EVERY day) comes for us to give our thanks and remember, I go all out. When my brother went through Basic, I had my students create cards and write letters for me to send to him. I have always taught 2- or 3-week… Read More

interview questions for special education teachers to prepare for an interview

Interview Questions for Special Ed Teachers

Whether you’re fresh out of college or a veteran teaching who needs a change, it always feels good to be prepared for an upcoming interview. Interview questions range, especially when it comes to being a special education teachers. We do so much and it rarely feels like we have enough time in a day… let alone enough time to thoroughly explain our teaching procedures and strategies in a one hour interview. Stress no more! Get ready to feel confident and prepared at your next interview for a special education teaching position. Below is a list of 58 (and growing!) interview questions for special… Read More

Yes, I Left Teaching in the Middle of a School Year

For whatever reason, there is this enormous stigma of leaving your classroom mid-year. It’s even bigger if you’re not leaving to move to another classroom or district. I’ve read countless blog posts and social media threads about teachers essentially giving up on their kids if they leave the classroom, regardless of personal circumstances. And I woke up today feeling like now is the time to share my story. At the end of every school year, we have to determine if we want to sign our contracts to return next school year. So many of us are burnt out… teaching in… Read More

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Data Collection for Special Ed Teachers

Data collection for special education teachers doesn’t have to be laborious, tedious, or an all day task. As a self-proclaimed data nerd, I am here to tell you that it’s possible to collect data daily and weekly without feeling run down or overwhelmed by all the things. I’m here to tell you that there IS a simple way to collect data that is efficient, stream-lined, and so simple that you can have paraprofessionals and regular ed teachers help you! #forreal Before you shoot the messenger, hear me out. It took me YEARS. Yes, y.e.a.r.s. to figure out this system. A… Read More

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