Classroom Pics: BEFORE!

Ok- warning, don't expect much from me blog-wise for the next two weeks or so. I am spending our first week back packing and moving everything to my new room and my principal is giving me 3 WHOLE DAYS to myself with no students the week after (9th, 10th, 11th) to unpack everything, organize, set up, develop programs etc. 

Needless to say it will be A LOT of work but these are "before" pics of my classroom. The desks will all go away (none of my students would really use them anyways) so envision a huge open space with all of the bookshelves being cleared. I am especially excited about the little kitchen-like area : ) Here are the pics! 

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I feel like there's a lot of potential and it is a pretty big space (for only 5 students!!) Please comment with any ideas you have and I can't wait to share the after pics!!

Update!

So sorry it has been too long since I have posted! I started my new job the week before break (can you say chaos?!) It is a little rough right now because the students I am getting are currently part of a much larger (19!) class of all alternate assessment special ed. kiddos. They are the 5 with the most intense needs so we will be moving to our own classroom (Jan. 9th!!) but until then, I am stuck in this weird limbo land where myself, the other teacher, and about 6-8 paras are coming in and out with kids all day long. I wish I could start out right after break in the new room with just my students and my two paras but I have to wait for the word from administration!! Until then, here is a quick little social story I made that we have been working on with my students to help with the transition..

Boardmaker Share

Sorry it has been so long since I have updated! Life is so crazy now, I am in my last week of student teaching and have been splitting my time also getting to know my new students at the new job! (perks of getting a job in the same district I student teach in!) It`s looking like I will have 4-5 kiddos in my room so I am really looking forward to the one on one instructional time I will have (I hope!) I can start setting up my room next week but unfortunately I can't have access to the building over winter break ::bummer!:: so, it won't be until mid-January that I`ll expect us to be all settled in. Meanwhile, I will share with you my new obsession!! Since my new students are mostly on the autism spectrum, I have been creating a lot more materials with Boardmaker than I did with the severe/multiply disabled students I have previously been with (the pictures were too abstract for them).

This brings me to my new exciting find (which may be old for some of you!) Boardmaker Share !!
Basically, teachers, therapists, etc. upload Boardmaker activities or visual supports they have created, and others can view and use them for free. You just need to have a computer with Boardmaker installed (my teacher one at school does) and create a free profile. You can search by life skills, curriculum, communication, therapy, behavior, etc. and also can select your grade levels. I haven't even come close to looking through half of it and I have found so many great resources. What an excellent way to save time and generate awesome new ideas. Boardmaker symbols aren't for every student but the ones I am getting have been using it for awhile and are pretty good at recognizing basic picture meanings. Can't wait to get in the classroom and I will be sure to post some pictures so stay tuned!!

Work Task Boxes

So while I have been patiently awaiting moving to my own classroom (Dec. 12th!!) I have been working on setting up a work task/ organization system for the classroom I am in now. Work boxes are used a lot in our district but previously had not been utilized in this classroom because many of the pre-made tasks were too difficult for our students. We had to come up with some very simple tasks that our students would be able to do independently. Here are some pictures of the system I put in place:

Shelves Designated for work boxes

Clear boxes so students can see what's inside

Icons located in the student's schedule match with icons velcroed to work boxes

One of the easier work tasks, the student simply puts the block into the hole (fine motor)

One of the more complex tasks, students must locate correct lids and put them on the corresponding container 

This is an eye-gaze board used with one of our low-motor students to select his choice by looking in the direction of his choice in one of the corners. 

I will keep you all updated with the status of my future classroom, can't wait to develop some systems that will work with my own students!! 

FINALLY!!

The news I have been waiting for! I got a call today from human resources in the district I am student teaching in offering me a position as a middle school Special Ed. teacher! I am going to sign my contract tomorrow and will start as soon as I am finished student teaching. I am so excited to finally have my own room, my own students, and be a "real" teacher! I have not observed the class yet but I am told they are all on alternate state assessment and will be served mainly in my room and then go with regular ed. to specials like art, music, lunch, etc. It sounds like exactly what I was hoping for and I can't wait to spend winter break setting up my room and getting everything ready. I am a little nervous about starting in the middle of a school year but I am sure it will turn out ok.. Whew! Feeling super excited/nervous/relieved.

Data collection

Oh data..I know it is so important to collect but it can be tedious developing a system that works. I am current revamping some of my supervising teacher's data collection sheets which he keeps in individual binders for each student. Here are a few examples of some different goals and their data sheets:

How do some of you collect data? Do you do it daily/weekly/ etc? Any suggestions or advice?

Exciting Times!

I mentioned in my previous post about the two jobs I applied for. Well the elementary position was filled but I have an interview on Thursday with the principal for the middle school position. The only way I would be able to get it is if I start out as a long-term sub until my certification goes through. (they said it could take up to 8 weeks!) Anyways he said I need to come prepared with a general lesson that I would teach all of my students. The class is all "alternate assessment" kiddos so he said focus on functional. I was thinking about taking a visual schedule I have constructed and maybe adding some sort of time component down the side next to the icons. I can then explain the variety of ways I can teach my students to follow their schedule, use it to teach time, etc. I think it could be used  in teaching time management, sequencing, matching, job readiness, and increasing independence. What do you think? Any comments or suggestions? I am eager to hear any advice, this is my first interview!!