Sharing my experience in the classroom as a life skills special education transition teacher and providing resources and solutions for fellow educators.

Renting Lesson: Understanding a Lease, Manage Paying Bills, and More! consumer math life skills teacherspayteachers teaching experience transition planning Sep 11, 2023
I’m sharing an in-depth resource review of my most recent Renting lesson unitWhile my original Rent lesson unit covers the necessary basics, this new resource includes all your favorite things but dives a bit deeper into renting.  So, if you are looking for materials to teach...
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4 Small Business Ideas for Students with High Support Needs life skills teacherspayteachers teaching experience transition planning Sep 08, 2023

The mindset that students with higher support needs (aka severe to profound, multi-needs, low functioning) don’t have the ability or interest to engage in vocational training is outdated.   

 

Working 9-5 is not everyone’s dream and meaningfully contributing to...

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Meaningful Vocational Experience for Students with High Support Needs life skills teacherspayteachers teaching experience transition planning Sep 01, 2023
 
 
If you are placing students in community (or school based) jobs and are struggling to find just the right fit for some students with higher support needs, keep reading!  I’m sharing the approach we used in my former program to meaningfully connect students with community...
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Back to School Resources for the 1st Week of School and Beyond life skills teacherspayteachers teaching experience transition planning Aug 01, 2023
 

Whether you feel excitement about a new school year or dread, you have to be prepared or you will be eaten alive (not to sound dramatic, but we all know it’s true).  Knowing what you need to start the first day and week of school and having the time to create and perfect said...

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5 Resume Tips When Applying for a SpEd Transition Teacher Position life skills teacherspayteachers teaching experience transition Jul 03, 2023
Whether you teach high school, middle school, or elementary, when you long to teach transition (special education programming for 18-22 yr olds) you’ll search far and wide for that coveted position.  Since so many schools are interviewing candidates, now seems like the best time to...
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IEP Goal Bank : Transition Skills consumer math life skills resource teacher experience teacherspayteachers transition Jun 13, 2023

Are you tired of ‘Dollar Over’ being your go-to functional math and independent living goal?  Because let’s be honest, how many people carry a $20 bill, $10 bill, $5 bill, and four $1 bills with them at all times?  

 

Are you also over ‘Will develop a...

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Lesson Ideas for ESY for the High School & Transition Life Skill Classroom life skills teacherspayteachers teaching experience transition Jun 05, 2023
By IDEA definition, ‘extended school year services means special education and related services that are provided to a child with a disability beyond the normal school year of the public agency; in accordance with the child’s IEP; and at no cost to the parents of the child.’
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Safety Skills Worksheets: The Comprehensive Weekly Workbook You Need life skills teacherspayteachers teaching experience transition Apr 03, 2023

 

When you think of safety skills you probably think of teaching students to wear oven mitts when using the oven, to not share their personal information with strangers, and to lock the door when they are home alone.
 
You probably embed safety skills into specific lessons (like kitchen...
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Vocational Skills Worksheets for Students with Special Needs life skills teacherspayteachers teaching experience transition Mar 06, 2023
I love routine.  I love having to think 1 time and just automate from there.  It frees up my brain and allows my students to know what to expect and when, which we all know is helpful on multiple levels.
 
Well, I’ve been expanding my ‘weekly’ resources (beyond...
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Transition Plan Student Workbook for High School and Transition Students functional life skills life skills special education teachers teacher experience teacherspayteachers transition Dec 12, 2022

I love a really good transition assessment.  I love when parents/family members give quality feedback.  I love when staff share their ideas and insight about a student’s future.  But, I really love when students are open, honest, and (most importantly) realistic* about their...

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Functional Reading Comprehension Worksheets for High School and Transition Students functional life skills life skills special education teachers teacher experience teacherspayteachers transition Dec 05, 2022

What is ‘functional reading?’ According to me, it’s being able to read and understand enough to get what you want or need AND what you don’t want or don’t need. This includes weeding out the fluff stuff that doesn’t matter.  The fluff detracts you from...

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Transition Assessments for High School and Transition Age Students functional life skills life skills special education teachers teacher experience teacherspayteachers transition Nov 01, 2022

You are sitting down to write a student’s IEP and you get to the Transition Plan section.  You plug in the same phrasing you use to every other student.

 

GASP!!!!

 

You would never do that!!!  You are a better educator than to copy + paste (even if it would save you a...

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Paraprofessional Trainings for Support Staff in Special Education life skills special education teachers teacher experience teacherspayteachers transition Oct 17, 2022

Every school year comes with a lot of excitement, overwhelm, and new support staff to train.  While we may have the best of intentions to provide hands-on training for the newest of staff, schedules may not always allow this.

 

Give your paraprofessionals the training they want and...

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The Life Skills Daily Warm Up Activity Resource You Wish You Had Time to Create functional life skills life skills special education teachers teacherspayteachers transition Oct 03, 2022

You know that starting off each school day with consistent structure, meaningful engaging activities, and skill-focused conversation will really set up your students for a great day. 

 

Well, I always wished I had a daily resource with fresh questions that were life skill related, but...

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How To Teach: Packing Skills & Keeping a Wallet or Purse functional life skills how to teach life skills special education teachers teacher experience teacherspayteachers transition Jan 24, 2022
Importance of Packing and Wearing or Using a Wallet or Purse
As students become teenagers and young adults, being able to hold their own things shows a level of independence. Holding on to a bag and keeping the bag with them as they move from one environment to the next will allow them to...
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How To Teach: Self Advocacy Skills functional life skills how to teach life skills special education teachers teacher experience teacherspayteachers transition Jan 17, 2022
Importance of Self Advocacy
Adults advocate naturally constantly throughout their day, we just don’t come right now and announce that we are doing it (however, we really should). Therefore, advocating for yourself is not something that is typically modelled for our students on a...
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How To Teach: Phone Skills functional life skills how to teach life skills special education teachers teacherspayteachers transition Dec 13, 2021
Importance of Phone Skills
Answering and talking on the phone may be a life line in the case of an emergency. Making a phone call may be necessary to set-up a doctor's appointment. Texting may be the best way to communicate with a manager or supervisor. Phone skills are important for our...
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How To Teach: Doing The Dishes functional life skills how to teach life skills special education teachers teacherspayteachers transition Dec 06, 2021
Importance of Doing the Dishes
If you eat, you create dirty dishes. Since we all eat, about 3 times a day, we are bound to create at least 10 dirty dishes. Washing dishes comes with enjoying the meal, it is a part of the process.
 
Teaching your students how to ‘do the...
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How To Teach: Cleaning Skills functional life skills how to teach life skills teacherspayteachers transition Nov 14, 2021
Importance of Learning How to Clean
Cleaning is a great way for students to maintain their own space AND contribute to their home, no matter if they live with family or in the community. Cleaning skills also cross over into just about every vocational job, so it’s a worthy skill for...
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How To Teach: Time Management Skills functional life skills how to teach life skills special education teachers teacher experience teacherspayteachers transition Nov 08, 2021
Importance of Time Management
Like it or not, being able to manage one’s time is a quality that is often judged. If you are late, then you are lazy, unaware, or unmotivated. If you are early then you are prepared, punctual, and responsible. Being able to manage time is a skill and it...
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