A Special Educator's Guide to Co - Teaching

As a special education teacher, I have co - taught in a variety of classrooms over the last seven years. During my student teaching experience, I worked in a classroom with a full-time special education teacher and grade 2 teacher who co-taught all lessons together. For the last six years, I have been a resource room teaching servicing students both in my special education classroom and in their general education setting using an inclusion model.

I created A Special Education Teacher's Guide to Co - Teaching to help other special education teachers (and general education teachers) work together to best meet the needs of their students.

To learn more click here

Did you know there are 6 co-teaching models? I have found that most teachers think co - teaching is team teaching or fall into the rut of using the one teach, one assist model. Co - Teaching is hard. It requires planning, flexibility, and extra communication. However, it is one of my favorite parts of my job. Co- Teaching has given me the opportunity to learn from a variety of teachers, think creatively, and feel less isolated in my building and my students also reap the benefits of having two certified teachers teaching them.  

I created this resource to give teachers resources to plan co - teaching lessons based on all 6 co -teaching models and reflect on how it went. I am guilty - sometimes it's hard to branch out when one co -teaching model is working. This resource has allowed me to plan each co - teaching model and reflect on my teaching and my lesson delivery. I hope this resource will be beneficial to both new and veteran co - teachers. 

 

 













I also provided resources for setting up the classroom to meet the needs of both teachers, tips for getting to know your co -teacher, organizational documentation such as an accommodation and modification cheat sheet and an inclusion documentation form.

For more information click here

Do you co -teach? Which co - teaching model do you use the most? Do you have a favorite? What forms or documentation to you use to keep yourself organized? Let me know in the comments section!

Nautical Theme Classroom Decor and Organizational Pack

Every since attending college in Newport RI I have been drawn to nautical themes. I have picked up nautical themed pieces for my home and I even had a nautical themed wedding! (Below are some pictures of my nautical themed wedding decor). 

It was only a matter of time before I would be inspired to continue this nautical theme over to my classroom. 


 I created a 225-page classroom decor and organizational pack that is nautical themed and full of navy, stripes, sailboats, and anchors. 

To see the full listing of my nautical themed decor pack click here.

The pack includes alphabet letters (including digraphs and long vowels). Each letter is one page and includes a picture cue of the letter sound. 

This will be my 7th school year in 4 different classrooms and I always make sure I have an alphabet for my students to reference letter names, letter sounds, letter formations.

This nautical decor and organizational pack includes numbers 1-30 on nautical themed posters and money posters for the penny, nickel, dime, quarter and dollar. I love the how everything matches and works together on my bulletin board.

As a special education teacher I am in so many classrooms! It is so helpful if I know where the classroom teacher keeps his/her supplies. Sometimes I'm searching for a sharpened pencil, whiteboard or marker to help the lesson run smoothly. I love when  I know where the supplies are in the rooms I am in. If you are a classroom teacher consider labeling your supplies.

I created so many labels and I thought that I thought of everything, but just in case I included an editable page. I included editable pages throughout this pack into order to make this decor pack work for all types of classrooms. 

A lot of my students work best when they know what is next, so I created these schedule cards for my students to know what is coming all day long. This is the number one thing I like to share with the general education teachers I work with. All students like to know what is coming next (think about it - are you antsier when you don't know what is coming next? I am).

If you are interested in just purchasing schedule cards Click here 

This pack also includes classroom job cards with an editable page to add classroom jobs for your classroom.

                                                                                               

I can't wait to hang these nautical themed book labels in my classroom. 

Also included in this pack are word wall labels, calendar pieces, nautical themed bunting, table labels, numbers 1-30 for labeling mailbox, bins, or book bags and much more!

I also decided to include nautical themed binder covers and section dividers.  There are two options to choose from, chose one or the other or just mix and match!

To see the full listing of my nautical themed decor pack click here

What is your favorite color or pattern? Do you change your classroom theme every year?

Cactus Classroom Decor and Organization

I have used my Gray Decor and Organizational Pack to decorate my classroom for the past few years.  

Click to see my gray decor pack

However, this year I am totally inspired by the cactus prints I have been seeing everywhere. So I created a 225-page classroom decor and organizational pack that is cactus themed and full of awesome cactus patterns, shades of green and watercolor cactus images. 

To see the full listing of my cactus themed decor pack click here.

The pack includes alphabet letters (including digraphs and long vowels). Each letter is one page and includes a picture cue of the letter sound. 

This will be my 7th school year in 4 different classrooms and I always make sure I have an alphabet for my students to reference letter names, letter sounds, letter formations.

This cactus decor and organizational pack includes numbers 1-30 on cactus themed posters and money posters for the penny, nickel, dime, quarter and dollar. I love the how everything matches and works together on my bulletin board.

As a special education teacher I am in so many classrooms! It is so helpful if I know where the classroom teacher keeps his/her supplies. Sometimes I'm searching for a sharpened pencil, whiteboard or marker to help the lesson run smoothly. I love when  I know where the supplies are in the rooms I am in. If you are a classroom teacher consider labeling your supplies.

I created so many labels and I thought that I thought of everything, but just in case I included an editable page. I included editable pages throughout this pack into order to make this decor pack work for all types of classrooms. 

A lot of my students work best when they know what is next, so I created these schedule cards for my students to know what is coming all day long. This is the number one thing I like to share with the general education teachers I work with. All students like to know what is coming next (think about it - are you antsier when you don't know what is coming next? I am).

If you are interested in just purchasing schedule cards Click here 

This pack also includes classroom job cards with an editable page to add classroom jobs for your classroom.

                                                                                               

I can't wait to hang these cactus themed book labels in my classroom. 

Also included in this pack are word wall labels, calendar pieces, cactus themed bunting, table labels, numbers 1-30 for labeling mailbox, bins, or book bags and much more!

I also decided to include cactus themed binder covers and section dividers. 

To see the full listing of my cactus themed decor pack click here

What is your favorite color or pattern? Do you change your classroom theme every year?