Whew! Can you believe that the new year is basically here? There were several times during 2021 that I wasn’t sure we would make it to January 1st, but here we are, all survivors! Actually, more than survivors, rock stars! I am so proud of all of us for overcoming the bouncing between virtual and in-person, quarantines and no quarantines and just establishing some normalcy for our students.

In this week’s episode I want to reflect on 2021 and share some of my favorite episodes from the year of the podcast. There was so much good that happened and I think it is important to spend a few minutes reflecting on that before we move forward into the new year.

In this episode you will learn:

• About the best episodes of 2021
• How to use board games in your classroom for learning.
• How to use a digital planner (created just for special education teachers).
• About how much I appreciate each one of you!

Links and Resources

Cultivating Exceptional Minds Blog 

Cultivating Exceptional Minds Podcast

Connect with Dawn

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Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Subscribe

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

Whew! 2021 has been hard y’all! I am literally counting down the hours until winter break. I love my kids, but I am tired! I have been thinking a great deal lately about how to prepare for 2022 and to make sure that I don’t experience the same kind of burn out.

In this week’s episode I am sharing some ways that you can set boundaries for yourself at school. We all want to do our best, but to do that we need to be our best. 

In this episode you will learn:

• The benefits of leaving work at work.
• How to not feel guilty about taking your personal and sick days.
• How to say no.
• About using your commute to recharge.

Links and Resources

Digital Planner for Special Education TeachersDigital Planner Freebie

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Subscribe

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

Tis’ the season…of giving! Does your gift list seem a little endless? You want to give everyone something special but sometimes you just run out of ideas. Especially for your paraprofessionals or the therapists (OT, PT, Speech, etc) who are in and out of your room making your life so much easier. 

In this episode I am sharing some ideas that are budget friendly for all of these amazing colleagues. Each gift is thought out and sure to be loved.

In this episode you will learn:

• The perfect gift ideas for those colleagues who share your classroom.
• How to stretch your budget and still give meaningful gifts.
• How to make each gift unique and personal.

Links and Resources

Amazon Shopping List

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Subscribe

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

Working with parents in the special education process can go several different ways. The parent can be supportive of the teacher, they can be indifferent to the journey or they can be a thorn in the teacher’s side. So how do we help build the rapport necessary to make the parent a true supporter of the process? 

In this week’s episode I am chatting with Elaine Krift. She is a parent of a child with autism and is BCBA certified. I had the pleasure of having Elaine’s son in my class a few years ago and having her support made a world of difference. She is sharing with us what this journey looks like as a parent. She also adds a few pointers on working with related staff through the IEP.

In this episode you will learn:

• The benefits of making the parents a part of your team.
• How to offer help for the parents, not just the student.
• How to give the parents necessary praise.
• About helping parents advocate for their children in the right way.

Links and Resources

Fostering Independence in Kids

How to Foster Student Independence

Autism Speaks

Let Me Hear Your Voice

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Christmas Digital Slide Freebie

Christmas & Holiday Bundle

Christmas Tree Adapted Escape Room

Teacher Stickers & T-Shirts

Subscribe

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

This week’s podcast is a little different! I have some super special Black Friday sales going on and I wanted you to make sure that you knew exactly what you are getting! 

So listen in and find out what is included in each special this week.

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Ultimate Sales Page

Subscribe

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful! 

Alternative Communication can feel so overwhelming. There are so many different options and it seems impossible to understand them all or have a good grasp on how to best use them with your students. 

In this week’s episode I am chatting with Lucy from The Alternate Way to Pre-K. She is sharing her expertise in AAC Devices and giving 3 different steps on getting started.

In this episode you will learn:

• The benefits of collaborating with your speech therapist
• How to adapt based on how your student is progressing.
• How to take matters into your own hands.
• About different types of AAC devices.

Links and Resources

Lucy’s Freebie

Dynavox

Project-Core

Connect with Lucy

Lucy’s Alternative Way to Pre-K Instagram

Lucy’s Blog

Lucy’s Alternative Way to Pre-K Facebook

Early Childhood Sped Club

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Subscribe

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

November is one of my favorite times of year for so many reasons as we head into a season of being thankful. There are so many different things happening in my classroom right now, but my very favorite is the Thanksgiving feast.  And what makes it even more special than just the yummy food is that my students plan and prepare the entire event.

It may sound overwhelming to have your students plan such a large meal, much less prepare everything, but I promise that your students’ can do this. And in this week’s episode I am sharing with you how to get it done and all the benefits and fun for your students.

In this episode you will learn:

• The benefits of having your students prepare for a large event by working on chunks at a time.
• How to adapt the prep work if you are still limited on CBI field trips.
• How to include money lessons in your Thanksgiving feast.
• About the fun that you and your students will have with this event.

Links and Resources

Autumn Leaves Escape Room

Pumpkin Emotions Worksheet

Fall Resources Bundle

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Subscribe

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

Do you know the most important thing that you can do as a teacher outside of forming relationships with your students? It is forming relationships with their parents! But how are you supposed to do that when there seems to be so many obstacles in the way...time, language barriers, and so much more.

In this week’s episode I am chatting with Heather from Full Sped Ahead to help you overcome all those obstacles and feel empowered in your relationships with parents. 

In this episode you will learn:

• The benefits of surveying parents as soon as you know your caseload names.
• How to adapt materials to meet parents where they are.
• How to set boundaries with communication.
• About being positive from the beginning so the tough stuff isn’t so hard later on

Links and Resources

Any resources mentioned or can be linked

Connect with Heather

Parent Communication Blog Posts: https://fullspedahead.com/parent-communication/

Parent BTS Form Opt In: https://bit.ly/3iF3sA9

Parent IEP Input Form Opt In: https://bit.ly/3vvjZcy

https://fullspedahead.com

https://www.instagram.com/full_sped_ahead/

https://www.facebook.com/fullSPEDahead

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Subscribe

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

These are the days of pumpkin spice, flannel shirts and crisp, cool mornings. I love fall..both in and out of the classroom. There are so many fun ideas that you can do with your students to help them learn during this time of year. The pumpkin life cycle, cute story books and so much more add excitement to your day. 

In this week’s episode I am sharing some ideas on Halloween fun that is safe for your self-contained classroom. 

In this episode you will learn:

• The benefits of sensory activities during Halloween.
• How to adapt story time into some spooky fun.
• How to turn a pumpkin into an entire lesson on the life cycle of a plant.
• About field trip ideas that tie into your learning objectives.

Links and ResourcesSpecial Education Teacher T-ShirtsHalloween Bundle

Connect with Dawn

Find me on IG

Etsy Shop

TpT Store

Subscribe

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!

So what are wordless books anyway? It sounds like too simple of a question, right? They are actually a little more complex than you might imagine and they can have such a huge impact in your classroom. But how do you use them? What makes them important to special education teachers?

In this week’s episode I am chatting with Hanna Stroud of My Literacy Space to answer all of these questions and more. 

In this episode you will learn:

• The benefits of using wordless books in your classroom. 
• How to target the skills your students need with wordless books.
• How to lower your student’s anxiety with wordless books.
• About the benefits of books with repetitive phrases.

Links and Resources

Halloween Bundle

Hanna’s Freebie Link

Wordless Wonders Webinar

Connect with Hanna Stroud

Hanna’s Website

Hanna’s Instagram

Hanna’s Facebook

Hanna’s TpT Store

Connect with Dawn

Cultivating Exceptional Minds TpT Store

Stick Out Design Co Etsy Shop

Find me on IG

Subscribe

Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Leave a Review

If you are loving the podcast, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other teachers find my podcast and I love hearing what you think about the podcast as well. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what part of the podcast you found to be the most helpful!