A Fresh Breath on Teaching

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A Fresh Breath on Teaching

Special Education teacher with a passion for making learning accessible for all students regardless

05/12/2022

When wanting a student to stop an unwanted behavior ❌, you need to have an alternative behavior for them to do. ✅

This replacement behavior is whatever you want the child to do instead.

For example:
Unwanted behavior: A child blurts out during the lesson time.

Goal: Have them stop from blurting out.

Replacement behavior: raise hand when the child has something to share. 🖐

With changing behavior it is much easier to do this when there is a different behavior to do instead. This leads to a quicker modification and it is usually much more successful.

Do you use replacement behaviors?

04/30/2022

Are you an elementary special education teacher? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️

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And so much more…

Get this sent directly to your inbox at the beginning of the month by using the link in my profile 👆

Can’t wait to help you get through this crazy teaching world together. 💖

04/26/2022

Fading out this support allows the student to become more independent. This independence can be while doing a math computation or while doing a classroom routine. Either way, slowly pull back on the prompting as time goes on.

Fading out this support allows the student to become more independent. This independence can be while doing a math computation or while doing a classroom routine. Either way slowly pull back on the prompting as time goes on.

Remember that prompting is first hand over hand, then verbal, then visual, then can stop completely. Make sure to pull back prompts a little at a time to not overwhelm the student. 😵‍💫

How do you fade out support?

04/16/2022

✨ Happy Husband Appreciation Day to my husband! ✨

My husband is definitely my rock and partner in life. We’ve been through the ringer a few times over the last 15 years and I’m so grateful that he’s been by my side through it all.

He’s a big reason I’m able to be the teacherpreneur that I am. He’ll spend quality time with the boys, put them down for naps, or take them outside to play so I can get some work done. 👦👦

04/14/2022

During testing season I’m always looking for fun games to play with my social skills groups that I can slip in when there is a bit of extra time. 😁

One of my favorite types is bingo games. 🎯 I like these games because:
⭐ they take up as much time as you need (or do them pretty quick!)
⭐ the engagement is high during this time
⭐ my students always have fun while playing them
⭐ bingo games are a great way to review taught concepts

Here are 2 social skills bingo games that are my favorite: flexible thinking and size of the problem.

These low prep (print, cut, play) games pose scenarios that would happen in real-life for students to either decide if flexible thinking is happening or what the size of the problem is. Such a great way to continue learning in an exciting way that you can squeeze into a small (or larger) chunk of time.

Grab them on TeacherPayTeachers in my store – A Fresh Breath here:
⭐ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Flexible-Thinking-Game-7461021
⭐ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Size-of-the-Problem-Bingo-6871477

04/12/2022

I don't know about you, but with all the testing going on right now, many of my students are bored. And that boredom doesn't just happen when they are testing, it has seeped into other areas of their days as well. 😟

So when I found this great book to read with them, A Little Spot of Boredom, it was a perfect fit. 📚💖

This book does a great job covering what this emotion is. It also gives some real-life examples. Plus it gives ideas of what to do when you are feeling this week to get unstuck.

Have you checked out this great book for your bored students yet? 🤔

03/31/2022

Knowing your students starting points is essential. ❗

Some students don’t have background knowledge, while others do.

Some might know the vocabulary terms that go with the concept, while others don’t.

Making sure that all students have these things before teaching them a new concept is needed. When they have this information, they will do better learning what you are about to teach them. 👩‍🏫

The best way to go about doing this is just knowing your students. And if you don’t know, ask them. There are fun ways to figure out this information, like playing a game together.

It is just like the saying, the more you know, the better it goes. So know more from the start so you can teach them best. 💗

03/26/2022

Have you heard the expression “picking up the rope?” Well, this is similar.

When a student is struggling, arguing with them will only add to the struggle. It will actually make it worse. Like 10x worse. 😱

The student who may not have had an issue with you, will make this issue about you.

It will also negatively impact their emotions. Before they may have just been sad or upset with a situation. But when a teacher 👩‍🏫 argues with them, it turns into anger at the teacher too. And that is much harder to come back from.

Do you pick up the rope or are you pretty good at disengaging? 🤔

03/17/2022

☘️ Happy St. Patrick's Day ☘️

Hope your day was filled with fun. My students and I did some festive math activities that incorporated the holiday today. Tonight I'm making my family an Irish meal to celebrate. 😊

What did you do to celebrate this fun holiday?

03/15/2022

Have students who struggle to not react to a situation right away? Check out this great book in the Ninja Life Hacks series - Impulsive Ninja. This specific book is in the "self management" box set.

Impulsive Ninja is all about using the "superpower of pause" to stop before reacting in a situation. 🛑 It gives some great scenarios that happen within schools (going first during a game at recess is one featured event) and at home (such as a sibling taking things). Then it has Ninja use the power of pause to stop and think before reacting. ⏳

What a great book to read aloud to a student who struggle with stopping before reacting! 👏

Do you have any great books that you routinely use to help teach impulse control?

03/10/2022

These are the words I’m trying to live by this year.

Things are still so crazy. Kids are still in and out of school. Protocols keep changing. In and out of virtual teaching. It has all just been a huge mess. 😢

So, I’m trying to do my best but go home at the end of the day telling myself to ‘let it go.’

Let go of the things I cannot change.

Let go of not being in total control.

And instead enjoy the time I do have with my students. Enjoy their stories. Enjoy their funny comments. Enjoy seeing the light bulb moments that I do get. This is why I entered into the teaching profession. This is what I need to maintain my focus on. And let all the other things go. 💙💛🤍💗

03/03/2022

Did you know that our minds often think in pictures? 🤔

This is why visuals can be an important connection tool. It can help students connect a word with something. When they can form the picture in their mind when you say a specific word, it will help them to better understand the information as well as recall the information.

Make sure to pair visuals with words right from the start. This will give students the most opportunities to make this connection leading to better retention and recalling. 🧠

Do you often pair these things?

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