Some of my favorite memories of teaching stem from my beloved cooking lessons.  It was always a mix of chaos, laughs, near misses, and young adults with special needs scarfing down their deliciously messy plates.  I was actually observed by my assistant department chair, department...

It’s early February and everything is red and pink, Reese cups are now in the shape of hearts, and you basically trip over love-themed stuffed animals whenever you walk into a store.  Valentine’s day is coming!  

If you are looking for some Valentine’s Day-themed...

What is SSI?  Supplemental Security Income, or SSI for short, is a monthly payment issued to an individual with a disability to help cover the cost of living expenses.   SSI funds can be used to cover the costs of respite, transportation, care providers, rent, food, and...

I’m sharing an in-depth resource review of my most recent Renting lesson unit.  While 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...

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to profound, multi-needs, low functioning) don’t have the ability or interest to engage in vocational training is outdated.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...

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 and...

 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...

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...

Are you tired of ‘Dollar Over’ being your go-to functional math and independent living goal when drafting annual goals or transition planning?  Because let’s be honest, do most people in the real world carry a $20 bill, $10 bill, $5 bill, and four $1 bills with...

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...

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...

As a transition teacher, I love routine when it comes to lesson plans (and I know most special education teachers do). I love having to think only 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...

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...

What is ‘functional reading?’ I believe 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 your...

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...

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

Give your special education...

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,...