But I Don’t Have Time to Collect Data! - Tips for Streamlining Data Collection in the Special Education Classroom

Do you feel overwhelmed by data collection? You are not alone! Here are some tips that help me to streamline data collection in my classroom.

1. Start early - Set up your data collection system right away. I like to have all of my students’ goals and data sheets printed before the school year starts. I was on maternity leave at the start of this school year and didn’t have my data system up and running as early as I would have liked. This made it so much more difficult to take data on a regular basis. I definitely learned the hard way and won’t make that mistake again! I now make it a priority to organize my data sheets before the school year starts and keep it updated as my students’ goals change throughout the year.

2. Build data collection into your schedule - I don’t know about you, but my day is busy… crazy busy!! If I don’t have something built into the schedule, it doesn’t happen. Figure out who will be collecting data and how often it will happen. Write it down and stick with the schedule.

3. Consolidate your data sheets - There are a million and one data sheets out there. Some are great and others… not so much. Find out which data sheets best meet your needs and use those sheets as often as possible. My team and I spent some time last year sorting through all of our data sheets and agreed upon a few that worked well for everyone. I revamped all of these sheets to make them simple and easy to use for teachers and paraeducators. You can find them HERE. This leads us to tip number 4.

4. Keep data sheets prepped and ready to use - I keep 10-20 copies of each of my most used data sheets in a separate binder. They are hole punched and ready to be used. No more running to the copy machine or pulling up files on my computer. You can find a free copy of my data binder cover HERE.

5. Train everyone - Data collection is a team effort. Everyone needs to be on the same page and understand when, how, and why, data is being collected.

Do you have any tips or tricks for streamlining data collection? Please share!

5 Tips for Sensory Bin Organization

You may, or may not know this about me, but I LOVE sensory bins!   Not only do they provide a unique sensory experience, but they are a fantastic way to build vocabulary and strengthen fine motor skills.  Best of all… the kids have no idea that they are learning!

Over the years I have built up quite the collection of sensory bin materials.  In order to make it quick and easy to change the bins out, I need to keep everything organized.  Here are some tips and tricks that I have learned to make managing the materials a bit easier.

1. Keep the base materials separate from the goodies. This saves space and allows you to create new combinations of sensory bins.
2. Use zip top bags to store your themed materials.  It’s not fancy… It’s not pretty… but it gets the job done.  I like to store all of my bags in larger tubs.  Some of the bags are seasonal, and some are aligned to our reading curriculum.
3. Keep an extra bin for shovels, tweezers, cups, and tubes.  These tools are a great addition to the sensory bins and since they are not specific to a theme, I like to keep them separate.
4. Have an extra sensory bin available so that you always have one in use and another that is in “restocking mode.”  
5. Put your kids to work.  On the last day that the bin will be used, have your students pull out all of the goodies and put them back into the storage bag.  

How do your organize your sensory bin materials? Please share!

Building Independence Through Play

I don’t know about you, but most of the kids that I have worked with over the years are extremely social.  I love to see them interacting with their peers, and their outgoing nature makes for some fun, collaborative learning opportunities!

Since my students love to interact with one another, as well as the staff in the classroom, they tend to have trouble with independent work time.  I have also noticed that they have trouble with independent leisure activities.  Whether it is reading a book on their own, drawing, or playing with a toy after they complete their work, they just want to interact with everyone around them.  Many of my families also have trouble with this at home.  They have found it difficult to step away to use the bathroom, cook dinner, or clean up the house without their children seeking their attention.

We quite often focus on building independence during work tasks and increasing our students’ self-help skills (feeding, dressing, etc.).  We should be focusing on independence during leisure time as well!

A few years ago, I started putting together some “break bins.”  These bins were filled with activities and toys that my students could play with on their own.  I taught my expectations and added break bin time to our afternoon rotations.  Let me tell you… my kids love it!

Most of the activities in the bins are from thrift stores or toys that my son no longer plays with.  I also like to include art and sensory materials such as play-doh, floam, kinetic sand, and rice. I am often surprised by which toys get the most love.  Who would have thought that stamps, stencils, and markers would have been such a big hit!?!

Depending on the student, I have different expectations for the amount of time that they need to play with the bin before they can switch.  Some of my students choose a bin and play with it for the full 15 minutes.  Other students want to swap out the bin every 30 seconds.  I typically provide a sand timer for these students.  They can flip the timer on their own and they know that they can clean up and pick out a new bin as soon as the time is up.  

The break bins have also come in handy for last-minute changes in the schedule.  Do you have an unexpected 5 minutes to fill before lunch?  Did you have to cancel a lesson because of a fire drill?  Are the adults needed elsewhere to address the behavior of another student?  Grab a break bin!

How do you incorporate independent play into your classroom? Please share!

And so it begins...

Well, here it is... my very first blog post!  I have been tossing around a few topics for my first post.  Behavior... communication... data collection... classroom set up... there are so many choices!  Then I realized that I just needed to rip the band-aid off and hit "publish."

So here it goes...

Eloquent? no.
Thought provoking? no.
Worth your time to read? probably not.

Writing does not come easy to me.  With that being said, I am passionate about supporting students with disabilities and wanted to share tips, tricks, ideas and supports with other educators. I have spent 10 years working in a special education program for students with moderate to severe disabilities.  I am incredibly thankful that I have found my place... my home... my purpose.  Everyday my students push me to become a better educator.  It is a result of their unique and ever changing needs that I am challenged to reflect on my practice and seek out new and better ways to support their learning.

Thanks for being a part of my journey!