• Blog,  Co-Teaching,  Education,  Special Education

    Finding Your Role as a Co-Teacher

    Preface: Most of this post is going to be from the perspective of the special education teacher, only because that is my personal role and what I know more about.  But a lot of these tips can be great for any co-teacher to read. Co-Teaching can be a delicate relationship.  You walk into another teacher’s classroom and you’re ideally supposed to take over half of the power.  It often feels like you are an intruder and you are not even sure if you’re welcome.  A lot of teachers have routines and habits, they don’t want someone coming in and changing everything up. But, your district wants to move toward an…

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    How I Blog with a Full Time Job

    Some bloggers have found a way to make it their full-time job.  This is amazing, but I’m not there yet.  For now, my blog and my TeacherspayTeachers.com store is really my side-hustle and I need to make time where I can to fit it in.  There are some weeks where I get so much done, like this week I’m on school break, and then there are some weeks where I feel like I have zero time to get anything done and everything falls behind! Automate as much as possible There are plenty of things that you can set ahead of time and will run for you.  My biggest tip for…

  • Blog,  Classroom Management,  Education

    What to Do When You Have a Substitute Teacher

    Being out of school can be stressful, I, like many others, have gone into school when I probably should have stayed home because it was just going to be more work to be absent.  Here are some tips to make things easier for you and for your substitute teacher. Have an afternoon routine. If you have a daily routine where you leave your classroom ready for the next day, it will be easier for unexpected absences.  Often the biggest issue with an unexpected illness is that you did not make the copies that you need to make the day before.  You thought you would have plenty of time before school…

  • Blog,  Books,  Reviews

    March 2019 Book Reviews!

    Another slow month, I am definitely going to have to pick it up during April vacation!! But I have two good non-fiction books this month!  I have been reading a lot of non-fiction trying to absorb as much information as I can about self-care and motivation.  This month I didn’t read any fiction books, but I hope to read a few next month!! You are a Badass Every Day Prior to reading this book, I read You are a Badass, also by Jen Sincero.  Jen Sincero has an easy to read style of motivation.  This novel is designed to help you refocus your life, put aside distractions, and work towards…

  • Blog,  Blogging

    Why You Should Switch to ConvertKit

    If you are a blogger, the best thing you can do to grow your business is to grow your email list.  When you are creating an email list, you can choose from several different companies to manage that email list for you.  The best company to manage your email list is ConvertKit. ConvertKit makes everything easier.  They have a comprehensive library of tutorials that are so easy to follow explaining everything from the basics to advanced email marketing. Not only are their basic plans pretty inexpensive, but they also offer a completely free thirty-day trial for you to test out their product before making any financial commitment.   What if…

  • Blog,  Classroom Management,  Education,  Self Care

    What to Do When You’re About to Lose Your Cool

    We’ve all had those days.  The days where you are so frustrated at your class that you feel like you’re about to hit your breaking point.  Don’t let this get to you, it does not make you a bad teacher or person.  We are all human and sometimes we get frustrated with the situations that we are in.  Working with students can be exhausting!  Maybe you’re running off little sleep, and little Susie WON’T STOP TALKING during your lesson.  Maybe you don’t feel good and your class just isn’t listening!  There are so many situations that can bring out the worst in us and you can’t let it get you…

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    The Best Books for Bloggers!

    When I decided that I wanted to start a blog, I tried to start consuming as much information as I could from all sources.  I began constantly other blogs for advice, taking courses on blogging, and reading as much non-fiction as I could.  I came across a few books that really helped me.  Some helped me with the motivation and determination, and some helped me with logistics.  I have compiled a list of my favorite books that have helped me build a successful blog. How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul I read this book a while ago and it gives great practical advice on how to set…

  • Blog,  Books,  Reviews

    February 2019 Book Reviews

    I read my typical three books a month this month and I need to pick it up!  If I want to meet my goal of 50 books this year, I am going to have to get moving.  A little fiction this month and a little non-fiction.  I am trying to make sure that I am reading a variety of books to keep things interesting. It All Comes Back to You by Beth Duke This was my book club book this month.  After a couple of bad months, I was really hoping for a good one and this one was pretty good.  This is the story of a young nurse who…

  • Blog,  Education

    Things to Include In Your Classroom Website

    So you want to start a classroom website?  Here are a few things that you should consider before you begin, and what information you should consider including. Tip to Consider: How Often Will You Update? It is easy to go into creating a classroom website and think that you are going to update it every day.  But, you know yourself better than anyone else does.  Truly, do you think you will be able to maintain that standard?  For some people, it is easy.  Just add it to your daily routine and BAM! But for others, it is just impractical. When you are planning out your website, keep your updating timeline…

  • Blog,  Education,  Special Education

    Special Education Guide: What is an FBA?

    What is it? FBA stands for a Functional Behavioral Analysis.  It is a fancy way of saying we take a LOT of data to figure out what is motivating a student’s behavior.  An FBA can be done when the student is exhibiting dangerous behaviors, but it does not have to be. If a student is consistently falling asleep in class, or doing another task avoidance behavior you can do an FBA for that.  You can use it to determine if there are specific situations or tasks that are prompting the behavior. When do we use it? We perform an FBA when we have a student that has behavior challenges.  The…