Tips for Special Education Teachers

TIPS FOR NEW SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS:

• Get to know your students-become familiar with each student's educational history.  Gather information from parents, school counselor or psychologis, diagnoticians & other teachers.  Get copies of all eligibility reports, functional behavioral assessment reports, IEP's and BIP's.
• Highlight all 'triggers' that have precipitated inappropriate behaviors in the student's past.  Get opinions of previous teachers & staff who have worked with the student about frequency of dsiruptive behaviors & interventions that were/were not successful.
• Develop a few effective classroom rules. State them positively, be very specific & be sure the behaviors described can be observed & measured. Post the rules in a prominent place in the classroom before the 1st day of school.  Post the rules in several places throughout the room as students should be able to refer to them at all times.
• All classroom rules should be tied to both positive and negative                   consequences & need to be immediate for ED students.  During the 1st 2-3 weeks of school, read & discuss the rules, role-play & explain positive & negative consequences for each rule.  Lastly, BE CONSISTANT.
• Watch for triggers.  Schedules, transitions and environment all contribute to stress.  Create classroom routines with minimal free-time, provide cue for transitions.
• Team approach for providing academic, emotional & behavioral support is necessary.  Use staff meetings to help with program planning, behavioral consultation & open communication.