3 Tips for End of Day/ Dismissal Routines in the Classroom

Dismissal time in the classroom can be really hectic and stressful for students AND staff... You're trying to dismiss numerous students within a few minutes , they're all going to different places, and safety is likely a concern at this time.

Good news though... there are things you can do to ease the stress during this time and make the transition go smoother! Here are 3 little tricks I've learned over the years that have helped our students and staff during dismissal time!

Implementing a Structured Snack Time in a Special Needs Classroom

I don't have a snack time in our classroom every year, but when the school day is long and lunch times are either really early or really late, it's definitely necessary!

Snack time in any classroom can be a hectic time time! In self-contained/ center-based classrooms, snack time can be even more overwhelming if structures and routines aren't in place to support students!

Check out how I structure and set up snack time so we can have a meaningful and calm snack time!

Establishing a Fun, Engaging and Effective Circle Time in a Special Needs Classroom

If you've followed me for a while or you've spent any time on my blog, then you probably know I've always LOVED circle time/ morning meeting.

It's so nice to start the day in a fun and engaging way that builds classroom community! You can also work on SO many different academic, functional and social skills!

I think it's really important that we mix up our instruction (and materials) so our students don't get bored! Although our students likely need a lot of repetition with tasks, they also need to generalize those skills with a variety of materials!

FREE Editable Labels for Rolling Carts and Drawers

I'm all about labeling ALL THE THINGS... It keeps you from having to tell students and staff where things are and where to put things a million times a day.

So many people use the medium size Sterilite 3 drawers and the rolling carts, so I want to share the free editable labels I have. I also want to share a hack for putting labels on the rolling cart drawers without having any visible cuts in the paper!

Ideas for Making Structured Work Systems Portable & Practical for any Classroom

I've preached and preached about why it's SO important to teach students to work independently and use structured work systems.

I want to show you three ways to use structured work systems in a variety of settings. These systems are great because they can be implemented in any classroom and at home! You can also use similar structured systems during direct instruction and groups to provide students with consistent structure.

I love all of these systems because they're PORTABLE! They're small and students can easily take them from class to class or between home and school but they provide students with the structure they need!