Classroom Resources to Start 2016-2017

Ok, guys, I average about one post a year. Typically it's right before I do my presentation on Differentiated Instruction for our district. So, without further ado, here are some fabulous tools that I found on Pinterest, the web, and other sources that can be used in your classroom to differentiate, accommodate, and just make learning FUN!

ADAPTED PENCIL GRIP


Take a tennis ball, stab a pen through it (ok, you may actually have to cut/drill the holes), and you've got an instant pencil grip. Many kids with fine motor issues or disabilities affecting hand strength/coordination struggle with the tripod grasp. This allows them to have control of their pencil/pen without requiring them to have such a tight or coordinated gripping technique. 

SOCIAL MEDIA WALL


Kids of all ages LOVE social media, whether they have their own accounts or see their parents using it daily. This is an easy way to check for understanding in your classroom with simply a whiteboard and sticky notes. This example uses Facebook as the platform and asks the student "What would the character in the book you're reading post as their Facebook status?" I could see this used in many different ways for many different subjects. You could even ask the students what they would post as their Facebook status in relation to their understanding of the lesson as a reflection/self-assessment piece. You could use other social media platforms, such as Twitter (what would you, the character/key people in the lesson tweet?) using text/writing reflections. Another option would be to use Instagram or Snapchat and have them draw, illustrate, or use technology to create an image that checks their understanding. Here's another social media example where a class created a Facebook page for Vincent van Gogh:


OUT THE DOOR WORDS


For younger students, these could be their "I can read words"  or spelling words for the week and they could read/spell the word and high-five the corresponding hand every time they walk out the door. For older students, they could be vocabulary words that they could high-five and tell the meaning of as they walk out the door. Another option for older students would be to write the meaning of one of the words on a sticky note and hand it to the teacher as they walk out as an exit ticket. GREAT for students who you know do not typically get their studying done at home. 

I DON'T KNOW/I DON'T GET IT ALTERNATIVES


My least favorite phrase as a teacher was "I don't get it." What do you not get? How in the world can I help you when you tell me that? I would always tell my students, ""I don't get it" tells me nothing. Ask a specific question related to what you don't understand." I LOVE this poster because it helps students to learn to be more responsible for their own learning by teaching them to ask specific questions. This is a skill that will help them throughout their educational careers. 

MORE GREAT ANCHOR CHARTS


I do love a good anchor chart. See my previous posts for even more examples. This example implores the students to tie new learning to prior learning. Very nice. 

DRY ERASE MATS

These are cute. Laminated circles with corresponding number/letter lines. Guess what though? That table? It's dry erasable on it's own. Your student desks at school? Probably also dry erasable. Kids love writing on desks because it's kind of taboo. Keep the Clorox wipes handy and let them go to town. (Test your desks with a small dot first). Examples of when to use this: Practicing multiplication facts, working math problems along with the teacher, quick quizzes and checks for understanding, group answers for review games...the possibilities are endless. 

EXPANDING SENTENCES


This teaches students to expand upon their writing, appropriately use and identify various parts of speech, and elaborate upon their thinking. The example pictured is very basic, but sentences can get much more elaborate at the middle and high school levels. You could also use this in social studies to gradually elaborate upon their thinking about a certain concept, adding facts and descriptions as they move down the page. An idea for mathematics would be to teach them how to properly write or solve equations using the order of operations. 

I have so many more great strategies that I will share here. Every year I promise myself that I will update this more often and every year I fail miserably. Here's to hoping that 2016-2017 brings more blog posts with resources for you guys. If not, see you back here next year. ;) Have a great year! 

Welcome Back!!!!

Welcome back, Teachers and Staff!!!! :) Check out the post below for printable versions of the differentiated instruction tools that I presented on this week! I will add more things throughout the year as I find them! Feel free to send me anything that you find that you feel might be useful to other teachers and I will post it as well! Have a great year!

Differentiated Instruction

Wow! It's apparently been a busy year! Sorry for the hiatus in posting!

On August 20th, I'm doing a presentation on Differentiated Instruction at LVHS. I'm going to promise the teachers and staff at the training that I will have this info up on my blog, so here it is!

CLICK HERE FOR MY POWERPOINT ON DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE GUIDED LEARNING STATIONS VIDEO

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TIERED EXIT CARDS VIDEO

CLICK HERE for a downloadable version of my desk tent cards (Microsoft Word Document)

And now, enjoy these pictures from the web of some fabulous anchor charts that I have found...

Documentation!

As educators, how many times are we asked the question, "Do you have documentation for that?" or "Where is the data to support that?" These two forms help you to answer that question.

Here is an example of a discipline report form that you can use within your classroom (super helpful in IEP/ARD meetings or student intervention meetings). You can access a printable version by clicking HERE:

Logging the time spent in an inclusion classroom is sooooo important for special educators. This ensures that the students are receiving the amount of inclusion time prescribed for them in their IEPs, and keeps you out of hot water with the law (and your district's special ed dept). Here is an example of an inclusion time log that you can use. Feel free to tweak it as you see fit. You can also access a printable version HERE:

Happy Teaching! :)

IEP Cheat Sheet

This cool little tool came from a link that I found on Pinterest. It's a great way to have one page that gives you quick info about your students who are served in special education. Remember to keep these confidential. Inclusion teachers, you might keep these in a binder with the students' instructional goals and objectives in order to have a quick reference page. Just remember confidentiality...can't leave these babies lying around just anywhere! Put them in a file folder or binder, and keep those files or binders put away when you're not using them.

To access the printable version, click HERE.

Happy Teaching! :)

See me later...

We all know how much students HATE to be singled out...especially at the secondary levels. Junior high and high school students may become confrontational when reprimanded in front of their peers, and some may even be embarrassed by verbal praise. I found a version of this little gem in Wendy Murawski's book, "Collaborative Teaching in Secondary Schools: Making the Co-Teaching Marriage Work!" (Awesome book, by the way...a must read for co-teachers everywhere. You can purchase it on Amazon by clicking here). I used the ideas in the book to create these cards:

(front)

(back options)

You can access a printable PDF version of these cards by clicking here. Just print both pages, then run it through your copy machine to print front and back, and viola! Classroom management success!
One idea would be to print the positive cards on green paper and the redirective cards on red paper...but, that makes it more obvious which card you're giving to the students (white will be more discrete), so do what works for your classroom. Laminate the cards and you can use the same ones over and over again.

Happy Teaching!

Welcome!

This blog features valuable tools and tricks of the trade for both general and special educators teaching in inclusive classrooms. I love finding new things that keep our inclusive classrooms fresh and exciting for our students. If you have any tips or tricks that you would like to see featured in this blog, e-mail me! I'd love to share them!