Autism Classroom Resources Podcast: A Podcast for Special Educators

Have you ever had a family who questioned your experience? If you are a teacher or related service provider, especially if you have been doing this for a bit, you probably have. Think about it. You go to the dr.  An expert in their field.  You see diplomas and certificates on their wall, right?  Where do you see that in a classroom? How is a parent to know what your qualifications are? Or how to assess your skills? We are talking about parents who are entrusting their child’s care and educational future to you.  That sounds grand and dramatic, but it is true.  Because of that building a relationship with the family is incredibly important.  But that can only happen when there is trust...and you can start to build that trust by being ready and willing to answer questions about your background and experience. So today I want to give you a framework to prepare to talk about these things. You can use this in the context of thinking about IEPs and getting to know new families for next year. Or maybe you are interviewing for new jobs for next year.  The same information is going to be helpful to an administrator interviewing you.  Nothing makes an admin more confident about an interviewee’s skills than them being prepared to share specific information with them about their past experience and training. Find transcript, a free checklist, notes and links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode38 Grab your free portfolio checklist in the Free Resource Library: http://library.autismclassroomresources.com Want more information about the membership and our workshops on writing IEP goals? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

IEP mastery criteria is the unsung hero (or dastardly villain) in IEP writing. We don't think about it nearly as much as we probably should. And there are so many ways it can help us or hurt us down the road as we actually are trying to teach the skills from the IEP. We tend to slap on 80% or 4/5 on the end of the goal call it done.  But, the mastery level can be one of the biggest area of disagreement when determination of mastery of the goals comes about because they are often written in a way that meant different things to different participants. Why is IEP Mastery Criteria Important? While IEP mastery criteria seems pretty straightforward, it can trip up an IEP team in many different ways. If it isn't clear, there may be disagreement among the team about when the skill is or isn't mastered. If the mastery criteria is written vaguely, there is unlikely to be agreement. And some mastery criteria can seem different depending on the reader. And, IEP mastery criteria is critical when you go to create your system of data collection. There is nothing worse than sitting down to analyze your data, only to discover it doesn't match the way the mastery criteria was written. Highlights for Practical IEP Mastery Criteria So, I thought I would share a couple of things I’ve learned over the years that might help when determining mastery criteria. Learn how to make sure your IEP goals match your data collection Assure the way you teach the skill matches mastery criteria Find out why it's important to have a time frame in the mastery Discover tips that are useful for making goals practical, meaningful and avoid issues down the road. Find transcript, a free question cheat-sheet, notes and links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode37 Grab your free IEP Checklist in the Free Resource Library: http://library.autismclassroomresources.com Want more information about the membership and our workshops on writing IEP goals? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

Do you write enabling goals? Goals that enable students to access the curriculum more effectively?  Episode 36 focuses on writing enabling IEP goals that focus on how a student accesses the curriculum more than the curriculum that is taught.  Essentially, curriculum should be taught whether it's on the IEP or not.  But the IEP should provide individualized goals that allow students to access and learn more effectively now and as they develop. In this episode find out... What exactly are enabling IEP goals Why are enabling goals useful How can enabling goals help you help your students Examples of enabling IEP goals for all different types of students in special education Download a copy of questions you can ask to determine if you have enabling goals in your IEP Find transcript, a free question cheat-sheet, notes and links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode36 Want more information about the membership and our workshops on writing IEP goals? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

As school closures continue, we all need to find manageable ways to support instruction at home for our students in special education.  I can feel and hear the stress weighing on families and educators the longer this goes on, particularly for students in special education. Fitting instruction into their day at home can be tough.  Especially since many parents are working from home and others are still working outside the home.  This is a long time to be trying to balance everything.  So to me, one of the most natural ways for families to teach and assure that students don’t lose their skills is to fold the skills into natural activities we would do at home. I’ve heard from many of you, as well, that some of our students are not really enthused about having school work at home. Some engage in challenging behavior when presented with new material.  Integrating naturalistic instruction into the day may help to get around that issue as well. Highlights of Ideas for Instruction at Home Ideas for games students can play at home and skills that can be easily embedded in them Suggestions for functional tasks and how to facilitate learning life skills at home Ideas for how educators can support families in naturalistic instruction Ways to integrate instruction into daily life activities Find transcript, a free sample agenda, notes and links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode35 Want more information about the membership? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

As we continue on this journey of distance learning in special education as part of the Covid 19 school closures, we come upon the need to hold virtual IEP meetings.  Many schools hold the majority of their IEP meetings near the end of the school year to prepare for the next year.  So one of the questions I  have heard recently is how to run a virtual IEP meeting. This episode shares tips for: preparing for the meeting using the tech chosen best practice for effective communication of the team solutions for keeping teams on track a sample agenda you can download and edit to your needs Find transcript, a free sample agenda, notes and links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode34 Want more information about the membership? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com Grab a free editable agenda in the Free Resource Library http://library.autismclassroomresources.com  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In Episode 33, during the school closures from COVID-19, one of the questions I get asked frequently is how to involve paraprofessionals in the distance learning efforts of their classrooms.  Everyone is on a completely different page and different platform, so we need a variety of strategies. I've shared 7 ideas in this episode. Find transcript, notes and links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode33 Want more information about the membership? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com Want to join the Free Resource Library? http://library.autismclassroomresources.com  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

So, I had a few things I wanted to say.  I hope they don't sound too sappy.  But I think it's important to recognize the hard work that educators are doing.  This isn't a substantive episode, which is why I made it a bonus.  It's wed to the time in which it was recorded.  But I wanted to share that there is a new blog post with resources for online teaching available.  And I wanted to add a few words of encouragement and thanks to the airwaves.  Thanks for indulging me. LINKS: NEW BLOG POST: Distance Learning Resources to Make it Easier.  I wanted to round up the videos and the tools I've created to have them all in one place to share with you.  https://autismclassroomresources.com/distance-learning-resources TeachersPayTeachers Link to enter for a free gift card.  https://blog.teacherspayteachers.com/getting-more-resources-in-the-hands-of-educators/ TPT sale April 6 &7, 2020: TPT: http://shopautismclassroomresources.com or My Store: https://shop.autismclassroomresources.com Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com Want to join the Free Resource Library? http://library.autismclassroomresources.com  TRANSCRIPT: https://acnnewsletterfreebies.s3.amazonaws.com/PODCAST+TRANSCRIPTS/COVID+19+BONUS+EPISODE+TRANSCRIPT.pdf  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

Whether you are educators or family member, if you live in the U.S. in the time this is written, you've likely been asked to "home school" your child with support from your child's teacher.  Coping with this type of home schooling when it wasn't expected is not an easy thing for educators or families.   Episode 32 has tips for both families and educators in managing this completely new experience.  We are building the plane as we fly.  We have some great blueprints of programs that came before us.  But they were designed for completely different circumstances.  We can do this but we need to grant ourselves grace, because it doesn't happen overnight.  Listen in for some tips that can help. Find transcript, notes and links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode32 Want more information about the membership? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com   Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com   Want to join the Free Resource Library? http://library.autismclassroomresources.com  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

The need to use distance learning with our students to span this school closure from Covid19 is very clear at this point.  It’s amazing that just last week in episode 30, I was talking about how to prepare your students for leaving school…and many of you never got to see your students before you knew you were shutting down.  Now I am talking about distance learning and how to do it overnight in special education. In This Episode on Distance Learning Unique issues we are facing and confronting that make all this difficult Identifying barriers so we can solve them What makes distance ed in special ed unique Review of different ways to do distance learning in special education Strategies and ideas to implement distance learning Find transcript, notes and links at http://autismclassroomresources.com/distance-learning Want more information about the membership? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com  Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com  Want to join the Free Resource Library? http://library.autismclassroomresources.com  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

Whether you are in the midst of this particular pandemic closure (Covid-19) or are just experiencing closures due to a regular flu epidemic or extended weather closings, I think this episode will still hold up with tips for preparing your students to leave and return from school.  It also may give you some ideas of things to send home with students and ways to communicate with families during the hiatus. LINKS:  Blog Post, Links and Transcript https://autismclassroomresources.com/episode30 Want more information about the membership? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com Want to join the Free Resource Library? http://library.autismclassroomresources.com  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In episode 29 I'm talking about 3 specific behavior management strategies for groups or classrooms that are effective and practical to implement.  They will work in general and special education settings.  And most importantly they are based on the research about the good foundations of classroom management in the classroom that I discussed in episode 28.   Highlights: Discussion of the marble jar strategy Review of the Good Behavior Game Using token economies effectively For a transcript and links referred to in the episode can be found at autismclassroomresources.com/episode29 Want more information about the membership? SpecialEducatorAcademy.com Join the Free Facebook Group specialeducatorsconnection.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In Episode 28, I want to help you create a classroom management plan that serves you and your students well.  As with most things in teaching, effective classroom management is likely to change dependent on the makeup of the classroom. And for that reason, I think sometimes it's a little harder for special ed teachers than general ed teachers, because the diversity of our students are so significant. Highlights of Episode 28 What makes a strong classroom management plan 5 key elements every plan should include Pros and cons of common systems The importance of positive reinforcement in classroom management Plus grab a free set of visual classroom rules, behavior reinforcement punch cards, and token boards in the post Show Notes Show notes, transcript and Freebies: https://autismclassroomresources.com/episode28 Want more information about our membership, Special Educator Academy? https://specialeducatoracademy.com  Join the free Facebook Group at https://specialeducatorsconnection.com  Join the Free Resource Library at https://autismclassroomresources.com/community --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In Episode 27, I am talking about making positive reinforcement systems to use positive reinforcement in the classroom. If you have listened or read the blog at any point, you know I love a good system. Systems make the classroom run with much less thought and decision making throughout the day. And that allows us to focus on the actual instruction we need to do. So today I’ve got some guidelines for using reinforcement in the classroom and 3 ways to do it that are actually do-able for you. Plus I've got some tips on how to get everyone on the team on board. LINKS: Show notes, transcript and more: https://autismclassroomresources.com/episode27 Want more information about our membership, Special Educator Academy? https://specialeducatoracademy.com Join the free Facebook Group at https://specialeducatorsconnection.com Join the Free Resource Library at https://autismclassroomresources.com/community --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In this episode I'm busting 5 common myths about reinforcers and reinforcement.  It's amazing how much misinformation is out there about the use of reinforcement in the classroom.  Whether it's that reinforcement makes students dependent on it or this student doesn't have a reinforcer, I'm sharing the facts and the reasons why reinforcement is the fundamental underpinning of so much of our instruction. Show notes, transcript and more: https://autismclassroomresources.com/episode26 Want more information about our membership, Special Educator Academy? https://specialeducatoracademy.com Join the free Facebook Group at https://specialeducatorconnection Join the Free Resource Library at https://autismclassroomresources.com/community --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

Reinforcement is such a critical element for special education classrooms. Yet we don't spend much time talking about it.  Reinforcement underlies most of our effective instructional strategies, but sometimes we leave teachers by just saying "reinforce him" without making sure everyone is on the same page about what that means. Highlights of Episode 25: Defining reinforcement of all kinds Tips for using it effectively in the classroom Signs that it's not working and why Tools and guidelines for finding and choosing reinforcers for students Methods for making sure your reinforcers and reinforcement are effective Show notes, transcript and more: https://autismclassroomresources.com/episode25 Want more information about our professional development membership, Special Educator Academy? https://specialeducatoracademy.com Join our free Facebook Group at https://specialeducatorconnection Join the Free Resource Library at https://autismclassroomresources.com/community --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In this episode I share 5 tips for systems you can use in your classroom. These tips can help you delegate more effectively. In other words, if you are like me and have a hard time giving up responsibility, I’ve got some suggestions for you (and me). The tips will also help you set up systems in the classroom that will increase productivity of all the adults in the area where they are needed. And this means less work for you at the end of the day. Show notes, transcript and more: https://autismclassroomresources.com/episode24 Want more information about our professional development membership, Special Educator Academy? https://specialeducatoracademy.com Join our free Facebook Group at https://specialeducatorconnection Join the Free Resource Library at https://autismclassroomresources.com/community --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

This episode of the podcast (episode 23) will focus on training staff effectively and tips for getting it done in the classroom.  As we all know the days of paraprofessional making copies and filling in for office work are done…and we cannot do the jobs we do in our special education classrooms, or support students in general education classrooms without the help of paraprofessionals. But I know that  training staff is a huge issue for many of us with data collection, behavior plans, and pretty much everything.  And I've got some tips and free resources that can help! Highlights of Episode 23 on Training Paraprofessionals Why just presenting information to staff is not enough for training. How learning to play the piano is like training staff. What research tells us is best practice in training paraprofessionals. Specific steps to take to train staff so that it makes a difference in your classroom. Practical strategies to use to fit training into your everyday classroom routines. Free download of resources to use and a quick win for freeing yourself up to do training with your staff. Find the Free Tools, Links, and Transcript at autismclassroomresources.com/episode23 Want to learn more about the membership site with the course in data collection? Check out SpecialEducatorAcademy.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

IEP data collection is one of the most difficult things that I hear teachers trying to figure out.  Let’s face it, everyone tells you to take data, but few people actually walk through how to do it. So in this episode, I want to walk you through what the 3 things that we need our data collection to be and why those things are important.  But more significantly I’m going to walk you through 5 ways that you can use to improve your data collection over the course of the next few months.  These are 5 ways that you can implement in your classroom without a ton of specialized knowledge.  And I’ll point you to some free resources that can help you in that journey as well. Find the Free Tools, Links, and Transcript at autismclassroomresources.com/episode22 Want to learn more about the membership site with the course in data collection? Check out SpecialEducatorAcademy.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

This episode was pulled from our Special Educator Academy (SEA) Show, one of 2 of the members-only podcasts that are part of the membership.  I hope you enjoy a taste from SEA.Perseveration is when someone gets stuck on a topic, a phrase, or an object and can’t move on to other things. This episode will talk about how to address different types of perseveration based on the potential function. I’ll talk about why perseveration happens and what it might look like as well as how to reduce it. Sometimes we can set limits, sometimes we need to address an underlying anxiety, but we always need to make sure we are addressing the function of the perseveration.Want to know more about the Special Educator Academy (our membership site)?  Find out more at https://specialeducatoracademy.comJoin the Free Facebook Group at http://specialeducatorsconnection.comGrab your FREE download and a transcript at https://autismclassroomresources.com/episode21--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

This episode is drawn directly from the Monday Morning Inspirations members-only podcast for the Special Educator Academy.  I'm focusing on why and how taking a break during the school holidays or over the summer can make you a better teacher.  Get a taste of our inspirational and leadership podcast (1 of 2 podcasts members can access) from the Special Educator Academy and a reminder of why sometimes doing less gets more done. Interested in learning more about the Special Educator Academy (SEA)? Check it out here: http://specialeducatoracademy.com Want to join the Free Facebook Group? Join (and answer the 3 questions) here at http://specialeducatorsconnection.com Need to grab a transcript or just would rather read this episode? Head over to http://autismclassroomresources.com/episode20 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

So today I want to talk about our last step, which is implementing and monitoring our plan. It's important to remember that this process really uses the scientific method in the method that we're using, in a naturalistic assessment which is what we've been talking about, is going to involve implementing it, monitoring it, and verifying your hypotheses based on your interventions. And I think that verifying it with your implementation is probably one of the strongest ways to show whether or not your assessment was accurate or go back and problem solve and that process is going to be very important. So that's what I'm going to talk about today are the 3 steps that go into that process. LINKS, EXAMPLES and SHOW NOTES autismclassroomresources.com/episode19 Behavior Data Sheets on TPT https://acrlinks.com/2Z89XzI Behavior Data Sheets in Autism Classroom Resources Store https://acrlinks.com/2Q6xzAr Want to know more about the Special Educator Academy and the Behavioral Problem Solving Course? Go to specialeducatoracademy.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

Even if we have the most kickin' plan on the planet for this student with tons of preventive strategies and replacement skills being taught, the behavior is still going to occur at some point. And so it’s critically important this we write out this part of the plan for everyone to follow consistently.   This episode will outline what to include and why it's important. Highlights What strategies to include for responding to challenging behavior. Why it's important to have a written section in the behavior plan for responding to challenging behavior. Considerations in choosing strategies for responding to problem behavior. How to use FBA data to make decisions on how to respond to behaviors. How to handle crises effectively with written plans. Sign up for the 30 Short Videos of Behavior Tips! autismclassroomresources.com/free-resource-library Want to find the show notes, transcript and pictures of the flow chart?  Go to autismclassroomresources.com/episode18 Want to know more about the Special Educator Academy and the Behavioral Problem Solving Course? Go to specialeducatoracademy.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

As I noted in the last episode it is important that we teach skills that serve the function of the behavior from our functional behavior assessment (FBA).  However, only teaching those skills is wasting a lot of the information that our FBA gained for us.  Based on our ABC data and our hypothesis statements, we also have behavioral skills that can be taught to address responding to the antecedents of behavior. And we can teach students more independence at managing situations that lend themselves to problem behavior. Grab the Transcript, Show Notes or Read the Post at https://autismclassroomresources.com/episode17  Want to know more about the Special Educator Academy Membership? Go to https://specialeducatoracademy.com Join our free Facebook group at http://specialeducatorsconnection.com Looking for free resources? Check out the Autism Classroom Resources Free Resources Library--with 30 free 3-5 minute videos on behavioral strategies at https://www.autismclassroomresources.com/free-resource-library/ Subscribe to the podcast above to get every episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In Episode 16 I am focusing on replacement behaviors.  I'll share What replacement behaviors are,  How they can make or break your behavior management; What characteristics are important in choosing them; And how to implement them so they work. LINKS: Autism Classroom Resources Episode 16 Special Educator Academy Free Facebook Group --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In this episode, Episode 15, I address the preventive components part of the plan. I'll give you some examples. And I'll talk about why they are important to both offset setting events and to help our students cope better with potential triggers in their environment. In this episode What are prevention strategies in behavior support plans? The two paths of prevention: addressing setting events and antecedent strategies. How to prevent behavior by accommodating for setting events when you can't eliminate them. Areas of antecedent strategies that we can implement to reduce behaviors before they happen. The relationship of prevention strategies to replacement strategies. How to choose prevention strategies based on your hypotheses statements and function of behavior. Links: Shownotes & Transcript Special Educator Academy Free Facebook Group --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In episode 14 we're talking about taking all the information from our functional behavior assessment and using our hypotheses statements (from episode 13) to craft a behavior plan that not only reduces challenging behavior but one that can also be implemented in the classroom.   In this episode: Why I use "behavior support plan" instead of behavior intervention plan or behavior management plan What a behavior support plan is designed to do The research that tells us the majority of school behavior plans are NOT based on the FBA--and how you can change that The research behind why creating behavior support as a team is so important How to assure that your behavior support plan has all the needed elements to reduce behavior and improve quality of life. Show notes, visuals and transcript Special Educator Academy Free Facebook Group --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

So we've analyzed our data in episode 12.  In Episode 13 we need to take all the information we have gathered--the interviews, observations, data, etc. and integrate it into hypothesis statements.  Writing a hypothesis statement goes well beyond just identifying the function of the challenging behavior.  It needs to outline everything we know about the behavior so we can use it to lead directly into our behavior support plan.   I'll walk you through examples of hypothesis statements and how to include the needed information that will lead us to what our interventions will be.  As a bonus, there is a free graphic organizer in the post for this episode that can help. Grab the transcript and free organizer in this post. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In Episode 12 we are exploring ways to graph ABC data to come up with meaningful information for your behavioral hypotheses statements and for developing your behavioral support plan.  in this episode I'm walking you through things to graph to make sense of the ABCs and things to think about when looking at your data to help it make sense and be helpful. Bog Post With Transcript & Links --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In Episode 11 of the podcast, I talk about setting events as a factor we need to assess for in our functional assessment. They are sneaky but powerful impacts on students' behavior.  Setting events may affect when the student reacts to certain antecedents at one time and not another.  Consequently, while sometimes hard to track, they are important to consider in your functional behavior assessment to assure your results are accurate.  Download a transcript, links and more here https://AutismClassroomResources.com/episode11 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

This is episode 10 of the Autism Classroom Resources Podcast and we have been talking about challenging behavior and functional behavior assessment We are on Step 2 which is gathering information and we're talking about data collection. So this week we are talking about antecedent behavior consequence data. I have a couple of free tools that you'll be able to download at the end and I will be also sharing some tips for how to make sure that your ABC data is meaningful and helpful to what you're trying to do. Grab your free data sheet and links here. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In today's episode, we'll be talking about step number 2 in the 5 step behavioral problem solving process--gathering all the information we need to begin to figure out why the behaviors are happening.  I've talked a lot about the importance of basing our treatment on the function of the behavior not the form (but yes, I still felt the need to say it again).  So, how do we figure that out? That's what we are starting on today. Grab links and tools from this episode --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

I talked in Episode 7 about the need to look at the function of the challenging behaviors rather than the form.  Why we focus on whether it gets something or avoids something rather than whether it's biting or spitting.  In this episode, I give you a deeper dive into what those functions can be and the beginning steps for what to look at to figure them out.  You'll also get an overview of the 5-Step Process to Behavioral Problem Solving that will guide us through the next few episodes. Show Notes & Resources: Autism Classroom Resources Podcast Episode 8 Free Facebook Group: Special Educators Connection --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In Episode 7, I talk about how we can prevent  behaviors problems from happening in the first place.  I focus on 6 strategies you can put in place to create a behaviorally supportive classroom and you can grab a tool for implementing one of them in the corresponding blog post link below.  These strategies are effective for all students in all types of classrooms. I share examples across the ages and classroom settings of how to put research-based strategies in place to support appropriate behavior as well as why those strategies are important.  Using a function-based approach (described in Episode 6) allows us to prevent behaviors from occurring or keep them from escalating and requiring more significant intervention.  While it won't eliminate all challenging behaviors, by preventing many of them, you will have time to focus your more intensive efforts on individual students. Links: Show Notes, Transcript and Links --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In Episode 6, I'm talking about the basic principles of behavior. These principles may be a review for some, but I think even behavior pros will find at least a kernel that they can use to help their team understand how behavior works (and how it doesn't).  Sometimes it's unfathomable to those of us who do this all the time why others in the classroom or school just don't seem to get these ideas.  To us they may be basic principles that feel like water and air.  But to others, they are the opposite of what they learned about behavior from their parenting, previous classroom teams, previous administrators or just previous experience with students.  So I think they bear repeating a bit to make sure we are all on the same track.Shownotes and Links https://autismclassroomresources.com/episode6--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

Giving feedback to teaching team mates can be one of the most frustrating and intimidating things about being a teacher.  It's tough to put yourself out there and have the tough conversations.  But without giving feedback, no one improves and issues just continue.  This podcast has tips that can help you give clear, meaningful feedback in a way that brings the team together instead of splintering it further.   Blog Post with Links Brene' Brown's Daring Classrooms Building Classroom Teams and Zoning Plans Toolkit (on TpT) Building Classroom Teams and Zoning Plans Toolkit (on Shopify) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

In this episode, I talk about setting the expectations in the classroom for the staff using staff zoning plans. Even though things seem obvious to you in the classroom, they aren't obvious to everyone and they may not be obvious to your paraprofessionals.  Part of your job as a teacher is to give direction. But we aren't always used to giving directions to other adults. So, in this episode I talk about why we need class zoning plans, how they can help you, and some tips to help make them more successful. LINKS: Grab all the links and examples at Autism Classroom Resources Podcast: Episode 4. Grab a free zoning plan template in the Autism Classroom Resources Library Want more information about how to actually create and use a zoning plan, along with more info about building teaching teams?  Grab my Classroom Teams and Zoning Toolkit. Building Classroom Teams and Zoning Plans (on TpT) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

Today, for Tip 3 in the Building Classroom Teams series,  I'm talking about creating a classroom vision. Having a classroom vision that is a shared vision with the team is important for uniting everyone with a purpose. You might call it a classroom values statement or a mission statement, but no matter what you call it, It's so helpful when you need to give feedback to staff to get them back on track.  Check the website for some free supports to create your vision.Show notes and links: autismclassroomresources.com/episode3LINKSBuilding Classroom Teams and Zoning Plans (on TpT)Building Classroom Teams and Zoning Plans (in the ACR Store)Brene Brown's Daring Classrooms Hub--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

Continuing our 5-part series on Building Effective Classroom Teams, this episode focuses on how you, as a team member, have responsibility for establishing and nurturing the classroom culture with both the students and the staff. Your tone, your behavior, and your approach can make the difference between a classroom that people tolerate working in each day and one that includes a team of adults working together for the good of the students.Now, this is so easier said than done, right? In this episode, I will give you some ideas of how to set the tone for the classroom and what you want it to be, along with some personal experiences I have that taught me some good lessons about finding positives.LINKS, TRANSCRIPT, AND SHOW NOTES autismclassroomresources.com/episode2LINKS:Special Educators Connection Private Facebook GroupEpisode 1 Building Relationships--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

Today I'm launching a 5-part series on working effectively with staff.  Over the years, one of the biggest issues that I see and hear most teachers struggling with is working with other adults.  Regardless of your role as a special educator, sometimes it seems the students are easier to work with than the staff.  So in this series, we'll chat about how to build a team from the start, get everyone working toward the same goals, and automate the operations of the classroom to reduce stress.   In episode 1, I'm focusing on building relationships with staff.  We take for granted this will happen, but we shouldn't.  So I'll talk about ways to make it happen well as well as how to make it work in a world in which there is rarely time for staff to talk without the students present. Links from this episode: Special Educators Connection Facebook Group: http://specialeducatorsconnection.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message

Introducing the Autism Classroom Resources Podcast.  Find out what it's all about! Autism Classroom Resources Special Educator Academy Facebook Group: Special Educators Connection --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autismclassroomresources/message