Back to School Toolkit for Special Education Teachers

The success of your school year will depend less on the beauty of your bulletin boards than on the structure you put in place to support successful academic performance and positive thinking and behavior. 

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Back to School Classroom Management

The best way to guarantee a successful school year is to be sure you have enough enough strategies in place to provide guidance, support for the behavior you want and consequences for the behavior you do not want.  More »

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Classroom Essentials for the New Special Educator

Starting your career as a special educator can be daunting. Make sure you're prepared with some tried and true strategies and resources for first-year teachers or those who are new to a special education or integrated classroom.  More »

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Seating Plans to Create a Productive Learning Environment

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When you plan your classroom seating arrangement, you make important decisions about your instructional priorities, the way you anticipate students will interact, and the kinds of instructional strategies you will use. Find plans for large group instruction, large group discussion, collaboration and a plan for a self contained special education room. More »

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Positive Behavior Support

Putting a Positive Behavior Support Plan in place can help you have a successful year, especially if you are teaching in a self-contained classroom with special education students. Many children with disabilities also have problems with behavior and Postive Behavior Support Plans help these children succeed.  More »

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Routines and Procedures

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Based on Harry's Wong's book, The First Days of School, routines are the backbone of a well-run classroom. Teaching routines in the first days is a good investment of time, for it helps organize a class around acceptable behaviors, and routines become unspoken rules that help students work productively. More »

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Creating Classroom Rules

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Best practices dictate that rules are simple and few in number. It is essential to include least one general compliance rule, such as "Treat yourself and others with respect." Rules should be broad enough that there may be several procedures that go with the rule.  More »

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Organization Strategies

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Great organization can help you start the year off on a less stressful note. These tips are good for parents and good for teachers, as they help support students with disabilities make the most of their new year. More »

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Consequences Teach Students to Make Good Choices

In order to avoid natural consequences, which can be very undesirable, teachers need to establish consequences for problem behaviors and infractions of school and classroom rules. Effective consequences support learning positive alternative behaviors. More »

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Worksheets, Icebreakers and Other Resources for Back to School

Worksheets, icebreakers and other activities are essential for the first day of school. Printable activities like the ones found here can help you set up a great first-day lesson.  More »

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Bulletin Boards Put Your Walls to Work

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Put your walls to work: bulletin boards should be designed to support classroom management, student achievement and provide some fun!  Planning your walls will also make maintaining a lively learning environment easy.

Starting the Year Right By Being Prepared

These resources can help you start the year out on a strong note and build a learning environment and classroom structure that will help you be successful.

See more at:

https://www.thoughtco.com/a-back-to-school-toolkit-3110667