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. And the first holiday to kick things off will be here before we know it! Keep reading to learn more about how I celebrate Thanksgiving in my special education classroom....

Pumpkin carving can be a fun and educational experience for students in the special education classroom, especially when you plan ahead for success. Whether you're a teacher, parent, or caregiver, incorporating sensory-friendly and accessible activities, such as pumpkin carving, into your fall curriculum can boost engagement and learning. In this post, you'll discover five practical tips to make pumpkin carving a safe, inclusive, and memorable activity for all learners—perfect for your Halloween or autumn-themed lesson plans. Tip #1: Consider Sensory Needs Sometimes a student may not be comfortable touching the pumpkin guts, so you can allow them to use gloves or even put some in a ziploc baggy to let them explore in a less overwhelming way. Sometimes, I had students who would absolutely gag at the sight of the pumpkin guts. I allowed them to do something else during that time like painting pumpkins or using stickers . This activity is not worth that much distress!  Tip #2: U......

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!  I have found that  incorporating cooking activities into my special education classroom offers a hands-on approach to teaching essential skills including:...

The holiday season is a magical time in any classroom, but it can be especially meaningful in a special education setting. Planning December activities in special education means blending festive fun with functional learning goals. Whether you're looking for winter-themed academic tasks tailored to IEP goals, holiday crafts for family gifts, or fun classroom games for the busy season, December offers endless opportunities to engage your students in creative, structured, and joyful ways....

December is my favorite month in the classroom. Yes, I admit it can be a bit chaotic with the holiday parties and overall excitement but it is a lot of fun and there are so many fun themes that we do each year. Each year, I start with our gingerbread theme. Below are my favorite gingerbread activity ideas from my special education classroom. ...

I love October!! It is my favorite month. Fall is here 🍂, decorations are up🎃, and it's my birthday month 🎂!  October is also a fun time in the classroom. Each year we take a field trip to a farm for a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, and hayride! It is a great way to kick off the month.  It is one of my favorite months for our thematic units too. We finish our Apples Unit from September, then go into Fall & Leaves, and end the month with Halloween of course!  Click to find this unit in my TPT store! Click to find this unit in my TPT store! My favorite books for Halloween are Big Pumpkin and The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. One year on our hayride at the farm they did a "spooky storytime" and did the Little Old Lady with props. It was SO MUCH FUN! And was a great way to get the kids engaged.  Click to find this book unit in my TPT store! Click to find this book unit in my TPT store! Some fun Halloween crafts we have done was a group pumpkin pinat......