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How to Prepare for an IEP Meeting Without Stress
Let’s be honest: IEP meetings can feel like one of the most stressful parts of teaching. There’s paperwork. Data. Scheduling. More paperwork. And the quiet fear that someone will ask you a very specific question and your brain will immediately forget everything you’ve ever known. But here’s the truth, IEP meetings don’t have to be stressful. When you have a simple system in place, you can walk into the meeting feeling calm, confident, and fully prepared… instead of internally panicking while pretending to shuffle papers with purpose. Here’s exactly how to prepare for an IEP meeting without stress (or at least without unnecessary stress). Why Preparation Matters (Yes, It’s Worth…
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The Secret Sauce: How to Create a Positive Vibe in Your Inclusion Class
(Hint: It’s way more than just lesson plans!) If you’re co-teaching an inclusion class, you know the drill. You spend hours meticulously co-planning, differentiating, and modifying, but sometimes, the vibe just isn’t right. The truth is, even the most perfect lesson plan can fall flat if the classroom culture is lukewarm. For our students—especially those navigating learning differences—culture is the oxygen. When they feel safe, seen, and valued, the math clicks and the writing flows. So, ditch the dry manual! Here’s a super practical, fun-focused guide to building a vibrant, positive culture in your ELA and Math inclusion classroom. Part 1: The Foundation—Setting Up for Success Your first step is…
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5 Must-Have Organizational Tools for a Co-Taught Classroom (And How to Use Them!)
Co-teaching is a rewarding but often complex dance. With two teachers, two teaching styles, and double the materials, organization is the bedrock of a successful co-taught classroom. When you and your partner teacher have a shared system, you spend less time searching and more time teaching. Here are five essential organizational tools that will help you and your co-teacher streamline your shared space, materials, and lesson plans, along with practical tips on how to put them to work! 1. Rolling Storage Cart with 10 Large Drawers A Rolling Storage Cart with Drawers and a Wooden TableTop is the ultimate mobile command center. Its utility can’t be overstated in a shared…
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Easy Wins: Start the Year with These Tools
Back-to-school season: that magical time when your classroom smells like Clorox wipes, your email inbox is giving anxiety in 4K, and you’re just trying to remember how to function before 10 a.m. without iced coffee and a morning nap. Let’s be real… no one is looking to reinvent the wheel in August. You need easy wins. Tools that actually work. Things that help you survive (and dare I say thrive?) in those first few chaotic weeks. Whether you’re wrangling eighth graders like me, navigating IEPs, or just trying to remember your computer password, I got you. Here are my go-to tools to start the school year strong — with your…
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Summer Self-Care Ideas for Special Education Teachers
Summer Self-Care Ideas for Special Education Teachers Special education teachers—you made it! After months of juggling IEPs, differentiating lessons, managing behaviors, collaborating with teams, and supporting your students in a hundred different ways… summer is finally here. But here’s the thing: just because school is out doesn’t mean the stress magically disappears. A lot of us carry the emotional weight of the year into our summers. That’s why this time is more than just a vacation—it’s a time to reset so that you can be your best self come the new school year. Here are realistic, meaningful summer self-care ideas specifically for special education teachers (because bubble baths and green…
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Strategies for Differentiating Instruction in Inclusive Classes
Inclusive classrooms are places where all students with different learning styles and abilities are given access to an education. As an inclusion teacher, it is your job to ensure that all students, regardless of their background or ability, have access to meaningful learning opportunities. Differentiating instruction isn’t just a helpful strategy—it’s the cornerstone of success in an inclusive setting. Here are practical, effective strategies to help you differentiate instruction and support all learners in your classroom: 1. Know Your Learners Start with a deep understanding of each student’s strengths, challenges, interests, and learning preferences. Use tools like: Interest inventories Learning style surveys IEPs and 504 plans Ongoing formative assessments The…
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Co-Teaching Models to Use in Inclusion Settings
I have been co-teaching for over 10 years now, and I have tried many different co-teaching models with several different colleagues. Here are some of the most common co-teaching models, what they are, and why they work (and sometimes don’t). One Teach – One Assist What it looks like: This is the most common co-teaching model that I see in practice in my experience. Typically you see the general education, or content teacher, standing in front of the class providing instruction as they would in their non-inclusion sections, and the special education teacher is circulating the room providing assistance to the students who need it. Benefits: This is a great…
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Three Tips to Prep Your Caseload
I am fortunate enough that I leave for the summer with a tentative caseload for the following year. Obviously, kids move in and out over the summer, or parents request specific teams, but I usually know what to expect. This gives me the ability to do some preparations over the summer to get ready. The stipulation is, I only do as much work as I am in the mood for that day. Most days I do very little, but occasionally I will want to get a head start and I will invest a couple hours. Many teachers don’t like to do work for school over the summer because that is…
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Tips for Tracking Data
Tracking data is one of the things that I have struggled the most with. I have tried digital tracking methods, Google Forms, keeping massive work sample binders, just notes, word documents with information, and each method has had its pros and cons. This year I have finally settled into a method that I think is sustainable for me. Here is what I have learned through this journey: Track often The worst feeling is when you realize that you’re approaching progress notes and your data is not neatly tracked. I hate having to sort through and track word samples at the end of the term because I have let it pile…
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How to Organize the IEP Background Section
Filling out the history section on an IEP can get cumbersome, especially as students get older. I have students in eighth grade who come to me with information about their gestation. If there is nothing of note in the gestation that is relevant to the current educational profile of the student, leave it out! This advice is how I write an IEP, your school district may have other expectations and requirements so put their priorities first. I am not an expert, I’ve just been doing this for a while and have seen hundreds and hundreds of IEPs written by different people. History: Use this section to include all relevant information…
