Primarily Au-Some

from disability to possibity

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Free Resources
  • Professional Development
  • Contact

FIVE Common Mistakes from the Special Education Classroom!

October 25, 2017

As an admin, I visit several classrooms each week. I see great teaching, and I see not so great teaching. I’ve seen several running themes across my experiences. I’ve compiled the five most common mistakes I have seen in the special education classroom, in hopes to help you identify if you’re making any and how you can
fix it if you are! I promise it will make your life easier!
I think this one is HUGE in special ed. classrooms. Visuals should be included for schedules, embedded in classroom expectations, used in prompting, used within instruction and reinforcements, and to help calm        students down. Visuals help promote independence and save time and energy of classroom staff.

 

My biggest pet peeve is staff presuming competence when a student is in crisis or even in instruction. In instruction, I’ve seen many teachers who ask students to read or even complete read aloud’s to students and presume that they know and understand all of the words without any visuals. It’s especially telling when students will complete work, and can’t answer any of the questions. Not always – but in many cases, we’ve broken it down to determining that the student didn’t have an understand what the actual meaning of the words were. Once we help shape that meaning, students have a better foundation to build comprehension on.

During meltdowns, we, as teachers, tend to revert to trying to talk kids out of their melt downs. Why on earth, when we use pictures during instruction for students, and give them visuals galore, do we STOP using them when they are in crisis mode!? We think we can talk them into stopping their melt downs. I’ll let you in on a secret to some- Visuals HELP! Even if we know that our kiddos can understand our words, visuals help to register the action, and many students are able to comprehend pictures before they can receptively understand and follow our words. I could go on and on honestly! But I’ll stop right here. J

 

I interview and help hire new teachers for our classes all the time. Another big mistake I see in interviewing teachers, and visiting classrooms, is teachers not implementing a classroom wide management system. When I ask this question in an interview, I typically get, “well I do different things.” When I press further, they can provide behavior interventions they would do for different students, but don’t seem to understand that even the students who don’t have behavioral issues can be a part of using the classroom wide management system plan.

Classroom wide management plans should be the foundation of your classroom. You can use clip charts, a token economy, behavior economy, any type of system where you are recognizing good behavior and providing a reinforcement for that good behavior across the classroom.Here’s an example of a token board:

 

Some easy websites that can get you started are…
My Classroom Economy 
Class Craft  & many of you are likely familiar with Class Dojo, but it’s worth repeating.
I’m going to do some math for you here. Are you ready?
Down time + a room full of bored students = time for behavioral outbursts.

Do you see what I did there? 😉

 

But seriously, some teachers struggle to realize the importance of having their materials ready at the BEGINNING of the day, and NOT having students wait around while they prep parts of the next activity.
Just as important as being prepared it’s amply import to have a set schedule for students & Staff. It helps everyone know what to expect every day!
I’ve observed in plenty of classrooms where I struggle to not fall asleep, so I can only imagine the poor kids having trouble staying engaged as well. I’ve seen several teachers do the “stand and deliver” In special education- I can ALMOST guarantee you that your students are NOT auditory learners! So ADD some movement, some visuals, and let them get their hands on some manipulatives! Instead of letting students read about planets, having them watch videos, make a solar system model, sing songs, and research about the planets.Do your students struggle with fine motor skills? There’s no rule that says they have to do pencil paper activities everyday. Mix it up. Do some “Turn Its” or some dry erase marker fun. Just that change can make a task a bit more desirable for a student. That’s just one example, but think of how each activity you present can be presented in a different way to engage your students!
Let’s face it. As teachers, we are the decisive factors in our classroom. Haim Ginott said it best:

WHAT we say matters. HOW we say it matters. HOW we react the situations in the classroom matters. If a student only hears, “NO, STOP, DON’T” how do they know what they should be doing?

That’s why we are in this profession. We want to be the difference makers in our student’s lives. We want all the work and interventions that we pour in to them to MATTER. So it makes sense that it starts with us.

 

Filed Under: classroom management, five sped mistakes, token boards, Uncategorized, visuals Leave a Comment

« Data Don’t Lie: 4 Ways to Use Data to Improve Your Teaching
Trauma Informed Interventions »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Grab A Button

Grab A Button

Subscribe via Email

Search

Categories

Latest Products

Latest on Instagram

It's giveaway time! I am giving away one "Ready y It's giveaway time!  I am giving away one "Ready your Room" bundle pack that includes 11 different PDF products to help get you ready for this school year.  See bundle here: 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ready-Your-Room-Prep-for-the-First-Day-8348928

To enter you can: 
1. Like my teacherspayteachers page: 
  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Primarily-Au-some 
2. Like my Instagram page: 
  https://www.instagram.com/primarily_ausome/ 
3. Comment your favorite back-to-school supply below. 

Each task gets you one entry!  Once completed, click the link below to verify and enter the raffle.  You must click this link to be entered!! 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9bdf127d1/?

The giveaway ends Tuesday, August 2nd at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be alerted on Wednesday.  Good Luck!
My puppy loves his new treats! & bonus! They make My puppy loves his new treats! & bonus! They make his breath smell better! He chews them right up! I got these new chews as a freebie from the app influenster! Obie loves them, so I’m sure they will become a staple! #FRONTLINEOralDefenseChewy #complimentary @Chewy  @influenster
Children with special needs are some of the most s Children with special needs are some of the most special people I know.  #inspired #iteachspeced
Think about supporting Teacher Gina in her fight a Think about supporting Teacher Gina in her fight against breast cancer! #teacherstrong #ginasfight #teacherssupportingteachers
The 90’s kid is me is soooo excited. #litebright The 90’s kid is me is soooo excited. #litebright #lisafrankforever #youknowyourejealous #bigkid
Every teacher should own this book. Love it! :) #t Every teacher should own this book. Love it! :) #teachersfollowteachers  #iHateReading
@chrissyteigen is a food genius. Got her cook boo @chrissyteigen  is a food genius. Got her cook book for Christmas. I’m in love with her Dutch baby pancakes! Sooo yummy! #reasonsiworkout #abillioncalories #butsogood
This describes my current mood perfectly. #stresse This describes my current mood perfectly. #stressed #becausecoloringinsidethelinesismorestressful
Yes. All day, everyday. Yes. All day, everyday.
Follow on Instagram

Latest on Pinterest

  • Autumn Simple Reading Comprehension {Adapted Book} by Primarily Au-Some
  • Back to School: Prepping for the First Day by Primarily Au-Some | TpT
  • All Done: Editable Visual Schedule by Primarily Au-Some | TpT
  • At School (A Beginning of the School Year Emergent Reader book) | TpT
  • All Done: Editable Visual Schedule by Primarily Au-Some | TpT
  • All Done: Editable Visual Schedule by Primarily Au-Some | TpT
  • The Very Hungry Reindeer (a Mini Reader & Activity Pack ) by Primarily Au-Some
Follow Me on Pinterest

Latest on Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

Primarily Au-some

8 months ago

Primarily Au-some

Some schools have been back to “Normal” for a while, others may still have some precautions in place. IF you need some fun signs to help remind students of rules, check out this set of posters.Heading back? Need some creative ways to remind students of their new rules? Try Memes. :) Link here ---->bit.ly/39KaBZn ... See MoreSee Less

Some schools have been back to “Normal” for a while, others may still have some precautions in place. IF you need some fun signs to help remind students of rules, check out this set of posters.
View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

View Comments
  • Likes: 0
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook Heading back? Need ...

Primarily Au-some

8 months ago

Primarily Au-some

It's giveaway time! I am giving away one "Ready your Room" bundle pack that includes 11 different PDF products to help get you ready for this school year. See bundle here:

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ready-Your-Room-Prep-for-the-First-Day-8348928

To enter you can:
1. Like my teacherspayteachers page:
www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Primarily-Au-some
2. Like my Instagram page:
www.instagram.com/primarily_ausome/
3. Comment your favorite back-to-school supply below.

Each task gets you one entry! Once completed, click the link below to verify and enter the raffle. You must click this link to be entered!!

www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9bdf127d1/?

The giveaway ends Tuesday, August 2nd at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be alerted on Wednesday. Good Luck!
... See MoreSee Less

Learn More

Link thumbnail

Primarily Au-Some – from disability to possibity

www.primarilyau-some.com

from disability to possibity
View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

View Comments
  • Likes: 23
  • Shares: 1
  • Comments: 1

Comment on Facebook from disability to ...

Lol

View more comments

Primarily Au-some

8 months ago

Primarily Au-some

Haha! Yes!Period! 💅🏻 ... See MoreSee Less

Haha! Yes!
View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

View Comments
  • Likes: 1
  • Shares: 2
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook Period! 💅🏻

Primarily Au-some

8 months ago

Primarily Au-some

Here's a free reader to start your year off. www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/At-School-A-Beginning-of-the-School-Year-Emergent-Reader-book... ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

At School (A Beginning of the School Year Emergent Reader book)

www.teacherspayteachers.com

This beginning reader has predictable text to help young readers practice beginning skills. Perfect for Primer or Kindergarten students. This book has both the book in color and black and white. This book goes through a list of things that students are asked to do at school. Print the color for you,...
View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

View Comments
  • Likes: 0
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook This beginning ...

Primarily Au-some

8 months ago

Primarily Au-some

Looking to buy some Sped- Essentials? What would you add? primarilyau-some.com/the-sped-sentials/ ... See MoreSee Less

Looking to buy some Sped- Essentials? What would you add? http://primarilyau-some.com/the-sped-sentials/
View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

View Comments
  • Likes: 0
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook Looking to buy some ...

Load more

Copyright © 2023 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs