Autism Classroom Resources Podcast: A Podcast for 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 implementing strategies and systems 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 share why you should focus on building relationships with students and staff, the importance of using visuals, how to prioritize tasks for each day, and why you should reflect at the end of the school day.03:41 - How to build relationships with your students in the first few weeks of school08:50 - Ways you can build relationships with your staff even with limited time alone with them10:36 - Why you should be using more visuals than you actually need12:08 - The importance of making a prioritized list of tasks for each day16:12 - Why reflecting on what is working and what is not working is crucial in the first few weeksShow Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode175Resources:Paraprofessional Schedules and Team Building KitFree Classroom Reflection FormJoin the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin 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. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Teachers struggle a LOT with building and leading their classroom teams. I want to structure this month’s podcasts around helping you do both because even if you’re just out of school and surrounded by paraprofessionals with three times as much experience, you need to take the lead. So today, I start with a discussion of the nuts and bolts of building the structure with a classroom staff so they can work as a team.01:48​ - Why leadership isn’t some big, scary thing03:55 - An overview of the first part of the structure you’ll need: the classroom zoning plan06:20 - What a zoning plan doesn’t include and the key to making it work08:00 - The purpose of the lesson plan and setting up the vision for your classroom10:50 - What to keep in mind as you build the classroom structure with your staffShow Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode131Resources:Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin 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. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Today, I’m focusing on setting up the classroom schedule for the IEP. To me, the schedule is the most important and pivotal element of classroom design. It drives the other pieces of the classroom, tells me what the physical space will look like, and is based on the teaching implementation plan. Once the TIP is completed, it’s easier to see what activities are going into the schedule, and once the schedule is complete, the other pieces start falling into place. So, in this episode, I talk about the characteristics of a strong schedule.02:49​ - High levels of engagement with instruction and interaction06:07 - Tying each activity to specific goals and objections for each student07:11 - Quickly moving daily pace and engaging students10:34 - Integrating each student’s goals and objections and your curriculumShow Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode81Resources:Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin 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. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Continuing our five-part series on Building Effective Classroom Teams, this episode focuses on how you, as a team member, are responsible for establishing and nurturing the classroom culture with both the students and the staff. Your tone, your behavior, and your approach can make the difference between a classroom that people tolerate working in each day and one that includes a team of adults working together for the good of the students.Now, this is easier said than done, right? In this episode, I will give you some ideas of how to set the tone for the classroom and what you want it to be, along with some personal experiences that taught me some good lessons about finding positives.Show Notes: https://autismclassroomresources.com/podcasts/ep-2-building-the-classroom-culture/Resources:Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin 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. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

July’s here! It’s an interesting month for us teachers. Everyone tends to slow down this time of year, go on vacation, and relax and chill. But those of us in the teaching world take some time out of our summer to gear up for the new school year. So, to move you forward in that direction, I want to give you some idea of materials I’d prioritize as you sit by the pool and think about how you want to set up your classroom.01:30​ - How I used to spend my summers prepping for the classroom05:12 - Ways to set up your visual schedules06:33 - Making the use of visual schedules much easier (attention, newer teachers!)08:43 - What kind of picture schedule should you use?12:29 - Ways to create materials for independent task work14:09 - Why work tasks are important and the kinds of tasks you want to includeShow Notes: http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode126Resources:Join the Autism Classroom Resources' Free Resource Library Get more information about the Special Educator AcademyJoin 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. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️