Cognitive Impairment Communication
Behavior / communication

Cognitive Impairment Communication

Providing a safe, loving school environment is essential for students with more severe disabilities/cognitive impairments.  I have had the pleasure of teaching students with disabilities such as Autism, Down Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Developing a method of communication is an essential life skill that needs to be developed and practiced constantly.   … Continue reading

Teacher Conference (Dominican Republic)
Teacher Inspirations

Teacher Conference (Dominican Republic)

Dominican Republic – Teachers Conference Willow Creek Community Church Our mission to help the teachers in the Dominican Republic is: To NOT make the teachers dependent on our lessons for learning, our manipulatives or our approaches, but instead to teach them methods where they can use their own creativity, and tools that fit their cultural needs … Continue reading

Modified Kindergarten Math Activites
Math

Modified Kindergarten Math Activites

A math disability, like other learning disorders, can stand in the way of child’s potential to succeed. Developing assessments to track student progress along with repetition and engaging activities helps students become more excited and successful when it comes to learning math skills. Fun Math Activities Modified 1:1 Math Correspondence Number and Counting Activities 1)    … Continue reading

Kindergarten Common Core Comparison Tracker
Literacy

Kindergarten Common Core Comparison Tracker

Special education programs facilitate academic progress by tailoring instruction to the individual needs of students, which can veer from the general education common core academics. When materials and content are adapted and the pace slowed down, we often see a gap in content the students are missing from the general education. To help keep the … Continue reading

Supports for Behavior Disorders
Behavior / Classroom

Supports for Behavior Disorders

Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Assessment Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence  (ABC) Assessment is a direct observation tool that can be used to collect information about the events that are occurring within a student’s environment. By examining the 3 components (antecedent, behavior, consequence) together the teacher can start to understand why the behavior happens. The assessment is used to organize information and provide … Continue reading

Have I Earned My Free Time?
Behavior / Classroom / Social Thinking

Have I Earned My Free Time?

Whole Classroom & Individualized Behavior Management in one! I base my classroom behavior around earning “Free Time” by using a chart in the front of the classroom.  Each student EARNS their 5 minute free time breaks AFTER each lesson.  Free time is set with a timer and is always 5 minutes in length.  The students … Continue reading

Special Education Behavior & Classroom Management
Behavior / Classroom / Sensory / Social Thinking

Special Education Behavior & Classroom Management

In developing a positive learning environment, a teacher needs to base their classroom management foundation off of the following two concepts: individualized behavior management and whole classroom management. Together these two concepts create an effective discipline in the classroom. In special education classrooms, students display many different types of behaviors such as ADHD, Autism/Cognitively Impaired, … Continue reading