Data collection on IEP goals is one of the most important tasks a special education teacher takes on because it helps us plan for interventions and monitor student progress. But it is also one of the most tedious tasks we do!  Over the years, I have created a system for organizing my IEP goal progress monitoring that has made it easier to set up, implement, and even delegate!  The first step is designating a binder for each student on your caseload. I prefer using colored binders because I color-code each of my students' materials each year.  In the very front of the binder, I include an IEP at a Glance. We use IEP Anywhere so they luckily create this for us! I also include any essential medical or behavior plans for that student.  Then, I get pocket dividers for each subject I will be monitoring. This is a great way to organize the different subjects but my favorite part is the pocket. This is where I store all of my work samples. Then, at the end of each quarter wh......

Do you find yourself getting frustrated with your paraprofessionals during large group activities? Sometimes you feel like you are swimming in a rocky ocean all alone... and other times you can't hear yourself give directions over the level of verbal prompts happening. 🫣😬 Typically this boils down to a couple things... lack of training and communication. Remedy this common struggle with these tips: Set Clear Expectations : Define roles and responsibilities for paraprofessionals during large group activities. Clarify their support tasks, behavioral strategies, and communication protocols. Bright Rainbow Editable Paraprofessional Role Sheets Team Communication : Foster open communication between teachers and paraprofessionals. Regular meetings ensure everyone is on the same page and can discuss any concerns or improvements. I liked to meet with my team weekly to discuss current questions or concerns and discuss lessons for the week ahead.  This helps paraprofessionals feel heard, c......

Each week in my special education classroom we do cooking and craft extension activities related to our thematic unit. We have had a lot of fun over the years with all of our different projects! Each week, we use a visual recipe for students to follow along. On the front, are icons for all of the ingredients and supplies. On the back, are picture-supported directions for each step of the recipe.  Are you interested in implementing some thematic cooking activities in your classroom? My Visual Recipes for the Entire Year resource has 50 different visual recipes that can be printed and ready to go each week!  My paraprofessionals are in charge of planning our thematic cooking and craft activities each week. This gives me an awesome opportunity to be on "the other side of the table" assisting students and seeing how they all do with group activities without the stress of managing the group as a whole. I love switching it up like this and giving my paras something special that th......

The holiday season is my absolute favorite time of year outside and inside of the classroom! My students and I always have so much fun celebrating the holidays.  Check out some of my favorite December activities: ELA Ideas Read The Gingerbread Man. I love this  version  retold by Mary Sandel from the Fountas and Pinnell intervention collection because it is predictable for making picture-supported sentences and easy enough for my emerging readers to read the text.  My favorite Christmas books are: Clifford’s Christmas by Norman Bridwell The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell by Lucille Colandro In addition to using picture-supported sentence boards, I also have an old lady doll that I have students take turns feeding throughout the story. I just print an extra copy of the sentence board at a larger scale, laminate and cut out the pieces, and then pass them out to each of the students as the story starts. It is a great interactive activity and really builds joint attenti......