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Helpful Tips to Start the Year


Oh my goodness the first week of school is such a struggle in special education rooms that focus on functional academics.

We are battling lack of sleep, lack of schedule, and lack of social interaction….and that’s just the teachers:)

Our kids have been off schedule all summer. The students have been waking up later and going to bed later. They have been following the rules of their home…which are totally different that the rules of school. And to boot they haven’t been expected to do academic work for months. Their adrenaline kicks in along with nerves; it’s the perfect storm for craziness.

I thought I would share a few helpful points I live by at the start of school years that lessen the chaos.

TIPS

1st Set the schedule before school starts. Have it planed out to the minute as best you can. Have each student scheduled with the adult that will oversee them at that time & IEP goals plugged into it

2nd Make sure everyone in the room is on the same page. Meet with your para educators and talk through the schedule. Make sure that everyone is clear on who is responsible for all the different pieces of the day, since there are 5 billion.

3rd Hold the Schedule. Hold to that schedule until you know what isn’t working and why it’s not working. We have a tendency to change schedules too quickly without knowing exactly the cause of the issue which sends us into a viscous circle of change. My staff hears me all the time say no matter what “Hold the Schedule” It’s one of the most important things you can do to support settling in your students.

4th Get your Peer Mentors up and Running. Quickly train and pair your peer mentors. I find that the faster you can get them working with your students the faster they pick things up. You can adjust, model, and support as you go.

5th Pair your students very carefully with the peer mentors. Every one of our kids have different needs and personalities and in order to best support that learning they need to work with students who fit personality wise with them.

6th Social Skills Training-- As you see behaviors crop up, make sure you have a time during the day planned where you can teach the social skills necessary to help lessen those behaviors.

7th System for Feedback--Organize input from others so you can handle issues quickly and efficiently that come up... as they always do. I have two notebooks on my desk one for para’s to write in about changes, or concerns, and a notebook for peer mentors for questions, training requests, or issues. In this way it’s documented and I can make sure at my weekly staff meeting, and training sessions I can make sure each of the issues are addressed.

8th Sub Plans--Have a really clear set of sub plans that are typed up and set out …just in case. I have a binder kept on my desk. I include information about each of my students, the daily schedule, and a write up of my responsibilities during each period. In addition to the school schedule and information. I tell them what is expected. If it’s their first time in the room, really they are just an added adult who should be watching to learn about my students so the next time they may be able to help out more. Many substitutes either don’t know this is ok, or are uncomfortable with it. I find if I give them permission to let the para educators be in charge they are much more likely to come back.

9th Give yourself a break. This is a messy process. It will not be perfect. You will need to make changes and that’s ok. As long as you are reflective and thoughtfully working forward to make your classroom calm, caring place that is focused on learning, you are doing a good job.

10th Smile, have fun, and enjoy each and every day. If you are having fun, your students will too.

Hang in …..Here We Goooooooooooo!

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