Do You Teach Halloween?? So for years I was in an elementary public school setting that seriously frowned upon teaching anything relating directly to Halloween. Kids were not allowed to dress up, and we did not have the parades around the track or parking lot I remembered as a kid. I ... VIEW POST
Not Your Average Novel Unit
Do you read novels aloud in your classroom? I taught in a class for students with autism for 10 years. I had students in grades kindergarten through 5th grade. Some students were early readers, some students could not even identify their name. Some of my students could hold an hour-long ... VIEW POST
Being a Good Sport
As I watched the Superbowl on Sunday, I couldn't help but notice the behavior of these "idols" to many and hoping they would live up to their image. For the most part, it was a great game filled with excitement and some disappointment. But, there were some times that emotions ran ... VIEW POST
If Keywords Don’t Work, Then What?
Full disclosure: I used keywords when teaching my students how to solve word problems. I had a K-5 classroom for students with autism. There were so many different learning styles and needs just within my small class. In addition, these students, for the most part, were severely affected. Many ... VIEW POST
Teaching the letter of the week in special ed
Do you use a letter of the week strategy in your classroom? After years of tweaking, I came up with a lesson plan that was not only was engaging but helped students make real world connections. In addition, having a set lesson plan I could use again and again for each letter greatly ... VIEW POST
How to use color coded worksheets in any classroom
Using color coded worksheets is such a quick, easy, and effective way to make the same activity accessible to more students in your class. You don't need anything fancy, just some markers or crayons. You can even use this same technique to add different levels of support using the same worksheet, ... VIEW POST