Special education is a broad term that includes areas such as curriculum and teaching strategies, services and support offered by schools, and average grade levels students typically reach in college (1/2 credit General Education Credit)..
As we discuss at length in this article, the role of special education teacher is very specific. As our principal or teacher notes note note in the classroom, the special education teacher creates an environment that allows students to meet their needs.
This may include creating opportunities for socialization and engagement through teachers’ labs, introducing new concepts together with collaboration, and including children in forming goal sets and taking steps towards them.
This may include creating opportunities for socialization and engagement through teachers’ labs, combining concepts together with collaboration, and including children in forming goal sets and taking steps towards them.
Contents:
Compasses
Find your way with a compass. Nearly all modern compasses have a mode that allows you to determine your location by the angle of the earth against the lens. This is calledϲangle-based positioning, ϲand it is very helpful in special education classrooms.
Using a compass can be tricky at first, but an experienced point finger and rotate it counter-clockwise will get you eventually where you want to go.
Many teachers purchase their own compasses, but they can also get expensive. A less expensive alternative is to use a digital compass, which has the benefit of being able to change the angle of view. These can be costly out of the box, but fiddling with them on and off gives you control.
Graph paper
Graph paper is a great tool for teacher aides and for helping special education teachers create lesson plans. Graph paper can be used as a timeline, a resource list, and a format for calculations.
Graph paper has many uses as a teacher aide tool. He or she can easily create lists of things to do in order to help plan lessons, create resources for classroom activities, and assist in the drafting of curriculum materials.
Making graphs is a great way to demonstrateconceptsto studentsand blockoff times to explain concepts. Students can also use this tool to make graph passes demonstrating understanding.
Many schools offer graph paper as an extra item given to student assistance centers (SAC). When purchasing graph paper, make sure it is 100% pure cellulose acetate- hemp pulp-based material. Any other material will reduce its effectiveness.
Markers
Having a note book and a pen are great tools for special education teachers. It also helps to have a phone or mobile phone as it can be used as a notes book, phone, and messaging tool.
In the phone or notes book mode, you can write down objectives your students are to learn and how they are to be accomplished. You can also record progressions of tasks your students are on and how far they are on their path to mastery.
You can also make notes about past assignments or ones that your students may have low interest in but could value if they got done. These would provide an incentive for them to work hard and get the job done!
Having a pen and notepad makes it easier for teachers to take lots of notes. When studying other schools’ tools, I noticed some used pens and notepads while taking other student’s jobs into account in order to purchase the most useful one for me.
Permanent markers
Permanent markers are a useful tool for teacher aides and special education teachers. Many marker kits include materials that are easy to use and last for several classes.
These include: torn pieces of paper, crayons, erase tape, etc. All of these items are very simple to use and last the class period or two.
In addition, some markers even have sections dedicated to them such as red crayons vs. black ones or pink versus blue. These separate the classes can help with individual needs such as line work or patterning.
Protractors
Protractors are a fun tool to use with children who are on grade levels or who are the same grade. The protractor is used to compare lengths of lines or objects.
Using the protractor, if the length of an object is longer, change up to a larger scale so that the person can see it. For example, if the length of a line is shorter, change up to a smaller scale so that the person can more easily see it.
Using the protractor, if the area being measured is larger, decrease up to a smaller scale so that it can be measured. For example, if someone’s height is less than 30 inches tall, change up to a 36-inch tall person to get a more accurate measurement.
Hire one or several amateur charterers in your community who can help you find appropriate tools for students with disabilities and help them get into compliance with state and federal standards.
Rulers
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Rulers is a great tool that allows a teacher to easily and quickly determine which direction a student is facing. Using rulers as the tool gives students more awareness of how far away they are from the other students.
Using rulers also allows students to have some awareness of what direction they are walking. This can be helpful when teaching kinesiology or healthy movement.
Lastly, using rulers can help identify blindspots in curriculum or areas that do not seem to apply yet. For instance, looking at a ruler at the same height of a student and asking them if it feels higher or lower can help identify any possible blindspots in education.
You can also use rulers when planning lessons or during instruction to ensure your student is walking in a safe, comfortable, and clear area.
Scissors
When cutting paper, students and teachers typically use a regular scissors, but some people prefer the short-cutters. These have a shorter handle that you can hold onto to cut the material easier.
The shorter cut-tongs allow students with special needs to maneuver the paper easier. It also helps teach employees and teachers to be more precise with their work.
Using the short cut-tongs can be difficult at first, so it is good to have some replacement tips available. Some schools even provide training on how to use the tools correctly, which is great support.
Students who may have difficulty reaching for the longer scissors may be able to manage with the short ones, if done correctly.
Sharpeners
Pen-and-paper approaches can be intimidating for students with special needs. Using a tablet or smartphone app, student work can be monitored and reviewed.
By using the sharpener service offered by the company, the student can have their work reviewed and sharpen again should they make some changes to it or continue to improve it.
This helps give students confidence in their work as it is checked and updated. Using the service, you will receive your own personal sharpener package!
Many special education teachers use a softbound book as their resource. These are typically shorter in length than a standard textbook and could be used more frequently.
If a teacher had to have a book that lasted forever, they would must have had too many notes on them! These books are ideal for quickly providing information to a student with special needs.