Your Teaching Doc

A quick tip to help for the holiday season!

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I finally put words to a piece of my story today - growing up “different,” finding my voice, and the neurodiverse learners who helped shape it.

If you raise, teach, support, or are a beautifully wired human, this one is for you. 💛

🔗 Read it here:
https://my.linkpod.site/Kid-in-the-Back-of-the-Room

Calling all budding scientists, teachers and … you don’t want to miss this!!!

🧪🐚 Milford Lab Open House – Dive Into Discovery! 🌊🔬

📅 Saturday, September 20, 2025 from 9:00am-2:00pm
📍 212 Rogers Avenue, Milford, CT

Join NOAA for a hands-on science adventure at the Milford Lab Open House! Explore an active fisheries lab, meet real scientists, and discover how our research supports shellfish aquaculture and the local ecosystem.

👩‍🔬 Highlights include:
🦀 Touch tanks with animal ambassadors from Long Island Sound
🎨 Fish printing & seaweed pressing
⚗️ Ocean chemistry experiments
🧬 NEW: Oyster health project + bracelet-making activity to help detect disease DNA!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Perfect for families, community groups, and curious minds of all ages. Kids get a passport to stamp at each station—fill it up for a sticker prize!

📸 From horseshoe crabs to mussel shells, science comes alive through interactive exhibits and friendly experts ready to answer your questions. Hope to see you there!

📣 I am THIS old…
I taught sight words with these legendary cards from 1998.
Not an app. Not a smartboard. Just me, a sharpie marker, and a dream. 🧼🖊️✨

Behold: the mighty “Stop” card.
Used for:
✔️ Reading fluency
✔️ Behavior management
✔️ My own sanity

Raise your hand if you ever dramatically flashed this card at a kindergartner like you were directing airport traffic. 🛑🛫

Bonus points if you yelled “STOP! Hammer time!” at least once during a lesson. 😂

I say this 100x a day to teachers!!! Listen to your child’s behavior!! Especially if they are minimally verbal. Show them picture cards even if they rip them up. Most of all… and sometimes it may be hard when they are hitting you… show them LOVE. It may be the only love they see.

If a child is hitting out, refusing to join in, or laughing while doing something unsafe...
It doesn’t mean they’re being “naughty”. It doesn’t mean your strategy isn’t working.
It means they’re trying to communicate — and you're being invited to understand.

In this new blog post, I break down:
✔️What to do when a pre-verbal child suddenly changes behaviour
✔️How to use connection before correction
✔️The sensory needs behind behaviours like throwing, biting or refusal
✔️How to support without making things worse

Read the post here:
https://sensoryclassroom.org/blogs/sensoryclassroom/when-behaviour-is-communication

Extra content:
listen to Podcast Ep 16 – Sensory Behaviour in Class:
watch here: https://youtu.be/XSoU6H2mWdA
or listen here: https://sensoryclassroom.org/pages/podcast

You’re not going backwards. You’re going deeper.
And that matters more than anything x

🌿 Sunday Check-In: How’s Your Teacher Brain Today? 💭

Hey friends! Whether you're lesson planning, laundry folding, or just trying to finish a cup of coffee while it’s still hot—just a reminder: you’re doing enough.

This space was made for YOU—neurodivergent educators, parent-teachers, therapists, and everyone adapting, scaffolding, and supporting with heart. 💙

So let’s check in:

☕ What's one small win from your week?
🧠 Or one thing you’re hoping for in the week ahead?

Drop a note in the comments—tiny or big, we’re here for it. 💬👇
Bonus: If you’ve got a favorite planning snack, share that too 🍿🍫

Here’s to a week of progress—not perfection. 💚

📚✏️ Miss me? I missed you! 💜
I’ve been a little quiet in here lately, but only because I’ve been deep in prep mode for my 30th (can you believe it?!) year of teaching special education—especially supporting our incredible students with autism.

Behind the scenes, I’ve also been working on some really helpful resources for you—things that actually make our classrooms more supportive, functional, and human-centered.

🔗 What’s New?
I rounded up all the goodies in one spot for you:
👉 https://linktr.ee/yourteachingdoc

You’ll find:
✔️ Money Math Freebies
✔️ Virtual Field Trips (great for transition-to-work prep)
✔️ Virtual Sensory Rooms
✔️ Classroom + Self-Care Faves (because you deserve to breathe too)

💬 So tell me—how are YOU getting ready for back to school?
Are you setting up your sensory space, reworking your schedules, or just trying to remember how to “people” again after summer? 😂

Drop a comment below! Let’s share ideas, cheer each other on, and remind ourselves we are not in this alone. ✨

From one heart-led educator to another—thank you for seeing every student,
Ginger

🎉 SCHOOL’S OUT! 🎉

To our incredible teachers:

You made it. Through the early mornings, the lesson plans, the breakthroughs, and the belly laughs—you showed up with heart and grit every single day.

Now it’s your time.

☀️ Sleep in.
🍉 Breathe deep.
📚 Read for fun.
🌊 Do absolutely nothing (and don’t feel guilty about it!).

You’ve earned every second of rest, joy, and sunshine. Thank you for everything you poured into your students and our school community this year. We’re so proud of you. 💙

🌟 To My Fellow Teachers — Whether You're Done or Almost There 🌟

I see you.

Whether you're packing up your classroom, counting down the days, or already dancing your way into summer — YOU DID IT. You showed up. You gave your energy, your patience, your heart. And even when the tank ran low… you kept going.

This year wasn’t easy. The expectations were high, the challenges were real, and yet you kept showing up for your students — in all the ways that mattered most.

So whether you're coasting through the final stretch or already in your flip-flops with a cold drink in hand… this is your reminder:

✨ You made a difference.
✨ You are appreciated.
✨ You deserve REST, joy, and a summer that fills your cup.

From one teacher to another — I see your strength. I honor your heart. And I’m cheering you on as you exhale this school year with pride. 💛