Self contained classroom lesson plans

Today I want to share with you my special education classroom layout for an autistic support classroom. Inside my elementary special education classroom, I provide an area for the teacher and teacher assistants. I post the daily routine schedule for special needs kids. The placement of the student desks is important to keep them engaged and learning. Another teacher tip is to incorporate an area for centers and independent workstations. A calm corner in the classroom is a must too!

If you are anything like me, the first 10 days are a struggle. You have so many new ideas for the new year, so many things you want to implement, and you feel pressure to start on the very first day. Here’s my number one tip: DON’T. Just don’t. In special education, and more specifically […]

Make lesson planning easier by repeating activities. Keep reading to find out how each life skills activity is different each day.

Welcome back to my blog! In this post I am going to share how I modify the Creative Curriculum to fit the needs of my students. I want to preface this post by saying that my administration is extremely flexible with their expectations of the preschool teachers using the curriculum to its fullest. The curriculum […]

The first two weeks in a special ed classroom are more than academics. Ideas on what to teach, what to practice, and what you should be doing.

Learn which strategies to use with students who are engaging in escape or task avoidance behaviors in special education classes.

One of the most frequent questions I have been asked is how I use Unique in my classroom and how I plan! I have to admit, I am an avid fan of Unique Learning System, however, I do not use ALL components of the unit. I have been using ULS for about 5 years now, enough to have figured out which pieces of the unit fit best with my students. One of the good things about Unique is that they provide you with an abundance of materials. I have not met one teacher yet that is able to use ALL of the…

Here are 20 center ideas that you can use for your self-contained classroom. I have it all listed out for you including pictures

Get all of your students engaged during your morning routine, and plan the first hour of your day only once. Differentiated ideas for any teacher.

Are you wondering how to manage meltdowns in your special education classroom? Today, I talk about 5 deescalation techniques that you can use with your special education students. This blog includes deescalation tips for both antecedent strategies and reactive strategies. One of these meltdown tips is finding tools for sensory regulation. I include a sensory chart to pick what’s best for each child. Hopefully you find these deescalation strategies helpful to manage meltdowns in the…