We all use visual supports in our everyday lives, we just don’t realize that’s what we’re doing. Visual supports tell us where to sit at a concert or what rooms we aren’t allowed in at a restaurant. Using visual supports in your special education classroom helps your students understand expectations in the classroom like they help us understand expectations in the community.

There are ways that you can use visual supports in your classroom to make the most impact. In today’s episode, I am sharing the importance of using visual schedules, why you should have behavior-related visuals around the room, and how to keep your room and visuals organized.

01:57 - Why you need to have your visual schedules in place and why you should have a backup

04:26 - What questions to ask yourself to determine where in your classroom you need more visual supports

07:56 - How I use a variety of behaviorally related visuals around the room

09:23 - Why you should have cubbies, bookshelves, and cabinets labeled

11:58 - My tips for storing visuals in an organized fashion

Show Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode177

Resources:

• Check out SitSpots
• Grab your free Pumpkin Mini Schedules
• Shop my Visual Supports on TPT
• Get more information about the Special Educator Academy
• Join the Free Facebook Group

If you're enjoying this podcast, could you please take a quick moment to leave your review on Apple Podcasts? It would mean the world to me and will help spread the word to other special educators. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Building strong relationships with parents as a teacher begins with having great communication and showing that you truly care about their child. Having positive interactions with parents is key to building these relationships and successfully working with families. My guest today, Michelle Vazquez, is sharing some incredible insight on how to build relationships with parents as a teacher.

In this episode, Michelle is sharing ways she communicates regularly with families and tips for contacting parents with not-so-good news. Plus, how to build relationships with parents as a teacher when students are just getting qualified for special education.

Grab Michelle's FREE IEP Meeting Checklist here!

02:31 - Michelle’s background and what she is currently doing

06:36 - Strategies she uses to build positive relationships with families at the beginning of the year

11:20 - Michelle’s tips for contacting parents when you have to deliver not so good news

19:50 - How she supports families when their children are just getting qualified and during the qualification process,

28:27 - Ways Michelle builds relationships with families after they’ve had a negative experience in the past

Show Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode176

Resources:

• Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library
• Get more information about the Special Educator Academy
• Join the Free Facebook Group

If you're enjoying this podcast, could you please take a quick moment to leave your review on Apple Podcasts? It would mean the world to me and will help spread the word to other special educators. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What can you do in the first few weeks of school to help create a more smoothly operating classroom for teaching special needs students? I often talk about the importance of putting strategies and systems in place in order to ensure your classroom runs efficiently and implementing some very basic strategies in the first weeks of school can help set you, your staff,  and your students up for success.

The first few weeks of school are crucial for getting students used to your classroom and how things work. In this episode, I am sharing why you should be focusing on building relationships with students and staff, the importance of using visuals, how to prioritize tasks for each day, and why you should be reflecting at the end of the school day.

03:41 - How to build relationships with your students in the first few weeks of school

08:50 - Ways you can build relationships with your staff even with limited time alone with them

10:36 - Why you should be using more visuals than you actually need

12:08 - The importance of making a prioritized list of tasks for each day

16:12 - Why reflecting on what is working and what is not working is crucial in the first few weeks

Show Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode175

Resources:

• Paraprofessional Schedules and Team Building Kit 
• Free Classroom Reflection Form 
• Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library
• Get more information about the Special Educator Academy
• Join the Free Facebook Group

How can you change a negative rapport between a student and a staff member into a positive rapport? Is it even possible? Today, I am sharing an episode from inside the Special Educator Academy where I dive into the research behind ways to change negative rapport into positive rapport with your students.

We all know we need to build relationships with our students and pair ourselves with reinforcements. But what does that really mean? In this episode, I am helping make the concept of building rapport between students and staff in the classroom a bit more concrete by sharing three ways you or your staff can build positive rapport with your students.

03:51 - How to pair yourself with reinforcement to build positive rapport with students

10:42 - What responsivity training is and how it can help build relationships

16:29 - How to use turn taking and reciprocity with students

20:07  - What ways the Special Educator Academy can help you with special education and autism training!

Grab the transcript and resource links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode174

Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library: https://autismclassroomresources.com/free

Want more information about the Special Educator Academy? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com

Join the Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/specialeducatorsconnection

Is it possible for your job as a special educator to be easier while your teaching is more effective? The simple answer is yes! I am so passionate about using my knowledge and experience to help other teachers thrive in their special education classroom with as little stress as possible. I created the Special Educator Academy to provide incredible educators with the support and confidence they need to bring joy back to their classroom.

The Special Educator Academy is filled with courses, printables, trainings, resources, and more! There are workshops that you can request special education professional development from your school for completing and monthly training themes just for Academy members. Join me as we dive into all the amazing benefits of being an Academy member!

02:25 - What Lightning Trainings are

03:09 - How you can use Quick Win videos to learn new strategies as well as train your staff

05:18 - How we use SEA Paths to make getting exactly what you need easier and more user friendly

07:25  - What to expect with the monthly themes inside the Special Educator Academy

08:16 - How our loyalty program works and what perks you get for being a member

Resources:

• Grab the transcript and resource links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode173
• Learn more about SEA here and join with a free trial!
• Join The Special Educators Academy without the trial (monthly payments).
• Join The Special Educators Academy without the trial (annual payment)
• Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library.
• Join the Free Facebook Group!

Behavior management in the classroom is challenging and when you begin teaching students to accept “no” when they communicate a request, it can be even more challenging. Oftentimes when we are working with students on making a request, we are enforcing every time. In turn, our students then expect to get what they request whenever they request it. As we know, there are times when students cannot have what they would like and this can lead to some challenging behaviors. 

Luckily, there are strategies you can use to help your students learn to accept “no” as an answer. In this episode, you’ll hear one of my Quick Win lessons from inside the Special Educator Academy, where I am sharing 5 ways you can help your students learn to accept “no.” Be sure to check out the Academy for more amazing quick wins like this one!

02:23 - Who these strategies and tools are for

03:15 - Why we want to teach our students to accept “no”

05:38 - Five tools and strategies you can easily implement to help your students accept “no” when they are requesting

17:52 - Join the Setting Up Classrooms Bootcamp starting July 24, 2023!

Grab the transcript and resource links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode172

Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library: https://autismclassroomresources.com/free

Want more information about the Special Educator Academy? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com

Join the Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/specialeducatorsconnection

Finding reliable information and useful ideas for your special education classroom on the internet can be challenging. Instagram and Pinterest are filled with examples and ideas for the classroom and activities but so many of them are not practical. So many teachers get lost in the idea of having a “Pinterest classroom” but we truly need to focus on setting up our classrooms in a way that is most beneficial to our students. 

I love helping reduce the overwhelm so many special educators feel when trying to figure it all out on their own. The Special Educator Academy is designed to help you move past the noise of the internet and get the information and practical systems and strategies you need to meet your students’ needs without the stress of doing it on your own. In this episode, I am breaking down the 6 courses inside the Special Educator Academy and what changes are coming for the academy.

01:27 - A glimpse into school consulting and sharing ideas before the internet made everything so accessible

05:35 - Membership options for the Special Educator Academy

07:08 - An overview of how the 6 courses offered inside the Academy provide special education training for teachers

13:06 - A peek at what new things are coming for the SEA

Grab the transcript and resource links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode171

Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library: https://autismclassroomresources.com/free

Want more information about the Special Educator Academy? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com

Join the Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/specialeducatorsconnection

How can you avoid special education teacher burnout and continue loving your job? One way to prevent burnout is by implementing a framework that sets your classroom up in a way that it almost runs itself. With the CORE framework, the aim is to develop a highly organized classroom with systems in place so that you are not constantly directing staff and students and you can actually focus on teaching.

Teacher burnout is a topic I’ve discussed with several professionals lately and today, I am sharing how the CORE can help prevent special education teacher burnout. I am sharing how it helps to reduce decision fatigue, why you need a one man down plan, and the importance of routines. 

02:11 - Why summer is a great time to start thinking about how implementing the CORE can help reduce burnout

03:08 - How the CORE helps lessen decision fatigue 

05:01 - The importance of having a one man down zoning plan and schedule

06:48 - Why routines are critical in preventing special education teacher burnout

Grab the transcript and resource links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode170

Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library: https://autismclassroomresources.com/free

Want more information about the Special Educator Academy? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com

Join the Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/specialeducatorsconnection

There is no one “right” strategy but most instructional strategies in special education have similar elements to other strategies. Every student is different which means that what might work for some will not work for others. However, with all strategies, we need to ensure we are providing students with enough practice and enough instructional loops to learn the targeted skill.   

In this episode, I am sharing why there is no one size fits all instructional strategy in special education, what elements most instructional strategies have in common, and the importance of instructional loops in helping students learn. I would love to hear your thoughts on instructional loops and the myths addressed in this episode! Hop in the Facebook group and let’s discuss!

02:13 - My background in cognitive behavioral therapy and the importance of the science of education

06:55 - Why there is no one size fits all instructional strategy in special education 

11:01 - Debunking the myth that all children must have intensive discrete trial training

13:28 - What an instructional loop is

19:04 - How the CORE model incorporates different kinds of instruction

24:32 - Addressing the myth that play based instruction is appropriate for all preschool students

Grab the transcript and resource links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode169

Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library: https://autismclassroomresources.com/free

Want more information about the Special Educator Academy? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com

Join the Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/specialeducatorsconnection

Highly structured environments allow for teachers to implement evidence based practices in the special education classroom. As we know, implementing EBPs is key to helping students learn and thrive. That is why the CORE is designed around evidence based practices. The CORE contains elements and systems that when put in place, allow us to provide meaningful instruction that's individualized for our students while automating processes and systems in our classroom so we can focus more on our students.

In this episode, I am diving into the different components of the CORE, how they are beneficial, and using evidence based practice with autism classrooms. If you’d like a deeper analysis of how we use the CORE as well as checklists and tools to help you implement it in your classroom, check out the Special Educator Academy. 

01:57 - What elements and systems the CORE is made up of 

02:51 - What the TIP is and why it’s helpful

04:17 - How to set up your classroom schedule and use it to help create your Zoning Plan

08:51 - The overall goal of the systems of the CORE

13:57 - Why we want to have systems that automate everyday activities

14:55 - How team collaboration helps us make decisions based on the students

17:48 - The importance of the physical organization of the classroom

Grab the transcript and resource links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode168

Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library: https://autismclassroomresources.com/free

Want more information about the Special Educator Academy? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com

Join the Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/specialeducatorsconnection