Congratulations!

You’re a first-year teacher, and you’ve put in a lot of hard work to earn your credential, now it’s time to put your knowledge to the test.  You finally get your very own classroom and you get to customize it to your own teaching style!  There are still a lot of things they don’t teach you in credential programs though, but that’s what veteran teachers are for; to offer their experience and their successes.

So I’m just going to be honest, your first year isn’t going to be easy.  In fact, it may be your hardest.  I know – I know you’re probably thinking it’s not helpful that I’m not being positive, but I think that if you have the right mindset and you don’t go into this job blindsided, it will be easier in the long run.

You’re starting with a new classroom, new students, new paraprofessionals that you now have to manage, no classroom system or lesson plans in place, and a new school system. Not to mention you’re going to be working in special education, no one Sped classroom is alike, and advice from one teacher isn’t going to cover all of your needs.  That’s ALOT to take in at once.

As a special education teacher, you play a vital role in helping students with special needs to succeed in their academic and personal lives. Here are some tips to help you get started in your first year as a special education teacher.

Don’t prep too many resources yet

I made this mistake, and I know many other veteran teachers have also. You’re excited, you want to have resources prepped before you have your first day. Let me tell you – if you can, WAIT. Wait to get to know your students. You might end up finding out that the resources you spent time and money prepping are too high or too low for your students.

Get to know your students

Take the time to learn about your student’s strengths, challenges, and interests. This information can help you create individualized education plans (IEPs) that are tailored to each student’s needs and the resources you end up prepping.

SCHOOL CALENDAR/EVENTS

If your school gives you a calendar of days when there will be no school, professional developments, events (eg. prom), jot all of these dates down on a calendar first. This will help you then get started on planning lessons, community outings/field trips, special art projects…etc.

IEP SUMMARY

Organize all of your IEP due dates into one place – look through all of your students’ IEP due dates, re-evals (triennials) and progress reports and jot down the dates in a calendar.  Additionally, it is really helpful to list them all on one page to visually see what’s due each month.

Download this FREEBIE iep summary/organizer to help you get started.

CLASSROOM DECORATIONS

This is the fun and exciting part as a teacher if you’re into that kind of stuff.  Decorating a classroom can make it feel more inviting for staff and students. There are a few things to remember and consider first though before you start with printing out labels, posters, and putting up other items.

Your classroom doesn’t have to be Pinterest /Social Media perfect.

To be honest, many of the classrooms you see on social media can be somewhat unrealistic (on a teacher’s budget) and overwhelming. If you don’t have the cutesy decor, that’s fine, your lessons are what are the most important!

Labels = more access

Having things labeled will help keep classroom supplies organized and easier to access.  You don’t have to go overboard labeling everything, but at least consider labeling frequently used supplies.  If you’re in a life skills classroom, it is even functional to label something that is obvious but more so used as a vocabulary recognition visual. (Eg. Kitchen utensils)

Colors & Theme

First, consider the age group you are teaching. If you’re teaching an older grade level, pick out a theme that is respectful of your student’s age.  For colors, to each their own, but I prefer to pick colors that are calming.  I’ve never been a huge fan of the rainbow-themed classrooms as it can tend to get overwhelming which brings me to my next suggestion.

Many of our students with autism or other intellectual disabilities tend to get easily overstimulated by too many colors or too many things on the wall.  This will become a distraction that will end up biting you in the butt during your lessons. It’s ok if your room looks “plain”. You don’t need to fill every space on every wall.

With that being said, less is more.

Here are some age-respectful decor/label sets using neutral colors:

Collaborate with colleagues

Work closely with other special education teachers, general education teachers, and support staff to ensure that your students receive the support they need to succeed. Collaboration can also help you stay up-to-date on best practices and strategies for working with students with special needs.

LESSON PLANS

The first thing you should know is that it is OK to not have the whole year (yet even a whole month) planned out before the first day of school (unless you’re in one of the states/schools that requires it).

This is one of those areas I can’t just flat-out provide you with a full year of pretty lesson plans. Every teacher’s lesson plans will and should look different because it depends on the subject/ages you are teaching, your students’ levels, iep goals, learning preferences, and what resources you have access to.

The first thing you should do is ask your admin if there is a curriculum provided.  Depending on the curriculum, you might not need to do much planning, but odds are- you’re still going to have to find more supplemental materials to fit the needs of your students.  It’s just nearly impossible to find a one size fits all curriculum.

My school (along with my other special educators) uses the Unique Learning System/News2You as a main curriculum.  This is a great differentiated program that has a good general overview of functional academics & independent living and vocational skills.  As I mentioned earlier, no curriculum hits all the boxes though, so I supplement with materials from TeachersPayTeachers or other similar websites. This is where I can find unique teacher-made materials that will fit the specific needs of students’ iep goals and so on.

Here are two free scope & sequences with links to recommended resources to help you start getting started. 

Utilize your paraprofessionals

If you have paras that have been in the classroom previously or are familiar with the students you are taking on your caseload, talk to the paras to get a better idea about what the students like/don’t like, what their strengths are…etc. From there you can start to make decisions on how you will plan next. You can also utilize your paras to help you start prepping materials (or find out what they have been working on so you have an idea of what level your students are at). Meet with you paras before the first day of school (if you can) or at least before the day starts) to set expectations, assign duties, and show how you want certain processes done or how to use anything new you are implementing.

Check out this blog to build a positive relationship with your paras.

Keep organized

Special education teaching can be complex, with a lot of paperwork, meetings, and data to keep track of. Develop a system for staying organized, whether it’s a planner, a digital tool, or a combination of both. Here are some freebies to get you started!

Build relationships & communicate

Establishing positive relationships with your students and their families is key to creating a supportive learning environment. Make an effort to communicate regularly with parents and guardians. You don’t have to talk to and update parents every day, but make sure to make it a point to reach out to parents other than when it’s a bad situation or mandatory update – to let them know their student is doing great, even for the small things. Make an effort to communicate regularly with parents and guardians. Below is a free meet-the-teacher newsletter you can send home on the first day of school, or a presentation for open house/back-to-school night.

Be flexible

Flexibility is key when working with students with special needs, as their needs and abilities can change over time. Be willing to adjust your teaching strategies and lesson plans as needed to meet each student’s unique needs.

Seek professional development

There is always more to learn about special education teaching, and seeking out professional development opportunities can help you stay up-to-date on the latest research, trends, and best practices.

Have you had a chance to read through all of my blogs? You can learn a lot about how I run my class, lessons, as well as experiences from other teachers! Browse blogs here.

Take care of yourself

Special education teaching can be emotionally and physically demanding, so it’s important to prioritize self-care. Make time for hobbies, exercise, and relaxation, and seek support from colleagues or a counselor if needed. Read about teacher self-care tips here:

Here’s the perfect bundle to start your year off right:

Thanks for reading!

You might also enjoy reading:

Morning Routine in a Secondary SPED Classroom