Whew! Can you believe that the new year is basically here? There were several times during 2021 that I wasn’t sure we would make it to January 1st, but here we are, all survivors! Actually, more than survivors, rock stars! I am so proud of all of us for overcoming the bouncing between virtual and in-person, quarantines and no quarantines and just establishing some normalcy for our students. In this week’s episode I want to reflect on 2021 and share some of my favorite episodes from the year of t...
Dec 23, 2021•15 min•Ep. 89
Whew! 2021 has been hard y’all! I am literally counting down the hours until winter break. I love my kids, but I am tired! I have been thinking a great deal lately about how to prepare for 2022 and to make sure that I don’t experience the same kind of burn out. In this week’s episode I am sharing some ways that you can set boundaries for yourself at school. We all want to do our best, but to do that we need to be our best. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of leaving work at work. How...
Dec 16, 2021•10 min•Ep. 88
Tis’ the season…of giving! Does your gift list seem a little endless? You want to give everyone something special but sometimes you just run out of ideas. Especially for your paraprofessionals or the therapists (OT, PT, Speech, etc) who are in and out of your room making your life so much easier. In this episode I am sharing some ideas that are budget friendly for all of these amazing colleagues. Each gift is thought out and sure to be loved. In this episode you will learn: The perfect gift idea...
Dec 09, 2021•13 min•Ep. 87
Working with parents in the special education process can go several different ways. The parent can be supportive of the teacher, they can be indifferent to the journey or they can be a thorn in the teacher’s side. So how do we help build the rapport necessary to make the parent a true supporter of the process? In this week’s episode I am chatting with Elaine Krift. She is a parent of a child with autism and is BCBA certified. I had the pleasure of having Elaine’s son in my class a few years ago...
Dec 02, 2021•42 min•Ep. 86
This week’s podcast is a little different! I have some super special Black Friday sales going on and I wanted you to make sure that you knew exactly what you are getting! So listen in and find out what is included in each special this week. Connect with Dawn Find me on IG Etsy Shop TpT Store Ultimate Sales Page Subscribe Are you subscribed to my podcast? Trust me, you definitely want to do that so you don’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe in iTunes ! Leave a Review If you are loving the po...
Nov 25, 2021•11 min•Ep. 85
Alternative Communication can feel so overwhelming. There are so many different options and it seems impossible to understand them all or have a good grasp on how to best use them with your students. In this week’s episode I am chatting with Lucy from The Alternate Way to Pre-K. She is sharing her expertise in AAC Devices and giving 3 different steps on getting started. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of collaborating with your speech therapist How to adapt based on how your student...
Nov 18, 2021•31 min•Ep. 84
November is one of my favorite times of year for so many reasons as we head into a season of being thankful. There are so many different things happening in my classroom right now, but my very favorite is the Thanksgiving feast. And what makes it even more special than just the yummy food is that my students plan and prepare the entire event. It may sound overwhelming to have your students plan such a large meal, much less prepare everything, but I promise that your students’ can do this. And in...
Nov 11, 2021•15 min•Ep. 83
Do you know the most important thing that you can do as a teacher outside of forming relationships with your students? It is forming relationships with their parents! But how are you supposed to do that when there seems to be so many obstacles in the way...time, language barriers, and so much more. In this week’s episode I am chatting with Heather from Full Sped Ahead to help you overcome all those obstacles and feel empowered in your relationships with parents. In this episode you will learn: T...
Oct 28, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 82
These are the days of pumpkin spice, flannel shirts and crisp, cool mornings. I love fall..both in and out of the classroom. There are so many fun ideas that you can do with your students to help them learn during this time of year. The pumpkin life cycle, cute story books and so much more add excitement to your day. In this week’s episode I am sharing some ideas on Halloween fun that is safe for your self-contained classroom. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of sensory activities du...
Oct 21, 2021•11 min•Ep. 81
So what are wordless books anyway? It sounds like too simple of a question, right? They are actually a little more complex than you might imagine and they can have such a huge impact in your classroom. But how do you use them? What makes them important to special education teachers? In this week’s episode I am chatting with Hanna Stroud of My Literacy Space to answer all of these questions and more. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of using wordless books in your classroom. How to ta...
Oct 14, 2021•35 min•Ep. 80
Positive reinforcement is presenting a motivating stimulus to a person after a desired behavior is exhibited with the idea that the positive behavior will happen more often when rewarded. Whew, that seems like a mouthful, right? It doesn’t have to be difficult to use positive reinforcement in your classroom, I promise! In this week’s episode I am chatting about how to figure out what motivates your students, how to create a picture board for students to choose their preferred activity, and how t...
Oct 07, 2021•15 min•Ep. 79
The start of school is behind us for most of my friends and our students are starting to form routines. As we settle into this new norm you may be noticing some behavior issues from a few of your students. As you are tweaking classroom routines, these behaviors are going to create some challenges that you need to handle quickly. In this week’s episode I am chatting with Sam Keen, the ED Queen about how to improve student behavior in your classroom. She is sharing all her tips and strategies abou...
Sep 30, 2021•27 min•Ep. 78
Do your students work hard for you each week? Do you think they have earned the right to a little fun...maybe a fun Friday? Each week in my classroom we hit the academic side of things hard on Monday through Thursday and then reward all the hard work with fun activities on Friday. My students love it! In this week’s episode, I am sharing some ideas and resources that you can use for fun Friday while still having your students learn. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of having some fun...
Sep 23, 2021•18 min•Ep. 77
Are you a new teacher? Or maybe you feel like a new teacher in this crazy space we are living in right now? We all need some help now and then with figuring out how to get clear on a new school year. In this week’s episode I am chatting with Kayla Durkin from North Dakota Teaching about what you can do to feel in control of the new year. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of building relationships early on with the parents of your students. How to adapt your routines to meet the needs ...
Sep 16, 2021•22 min•Ep. 76
Are you feeling overwhelmed with the organization of all the technology you are using on a daily basis? I know that it gets difficult to keep up with all the username and passwords for our students while still allowing them the independence of logging in themselves. In this week’s episode I’m sharing tons of ideas on how to keep everything ready to go no matter the level of your learners. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of using some type of organization system for technology How to...
Sep 09, 2021•14 min•Ep. 75
Are you working in a classroom with paraprofessionals? Maybe you have several adults in a self-contained classroom with you? Are you struggling with feeling like you have to be the boss of others when all you want to do is teach? This week’s episode will give you a plan on facilitating teamwork with paraprofessionals in your classroom. I’m joined by Jennifer Hofferber with Sped Prep Academy and we are chatting about moving from boss to teammate. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of se...
Sep 02, 2021•28 min•Ep. 74
Have you started your new year? How is it going...does it feel chaotic? I have just finished my first week and there were definitely some ups and downs. One thing that I was able to really nail down was my morning meeting time. It is what sets the tone for the rest of the day in my classroom. On this week’s podcast I’m sharing a recap of my first week and some ideas for morning meetings to get you started off the right way too. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of morning meetings. Ho...
Aug 26, 2021•19 min•Ep. 73
Are you one of those teachers who feels like you have to be perfect at everything in order for your students to make gains? Well, me too some days! But, as the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in the day. We are allowed to be less than perfect and our students will be okay. In this week’s episode I am chatting with Miss LuLu, otherwise known as Laura, is joining me to chat about all things special education and functional skills. We are going to talk about how you can balance between academics and...
Aug 19, 2021•24 min•Ep. 72
So what is a sensory room anyway? It is a space that allows students with sensory needs to receive an immersive sensory experience. The space does not have to be an entire room, a corner is better than nothing. It is also not limited to a special education classroom, but rather can serve a purpose in a general education classroom as well. This week I am sharing ideas of what to put in a sensory space and how to get one started on a budget. You will come away with practical ideas of where to star...
Aug 12, 2021•15 min•Ep. 71
Inclusion teaching has many names, but always the same purpose. As an inclusion teacher you partner with a general education teacher to accomodate students with disabilities in the general setting. This week I’m joined by Ashley Lutz from Spedtacular Days to share some tips on being a better inclusion teacher. Whether you have worked in special education before or this is your first year, I guarantee you will learn something from this episode. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of buil...
Aug 05, 2021•32 min•Ep. 70
Students need independent work. It is so important for so many reasons. We need to be able to work one on one with other students during this time and independence builds confidence in our students. But what can we give our students for independent work? In this week’s episode of the Be the Exception Podcast I am discussing the use of task boxes in the special education classroom. They do require a little work for you on the front end, but once they are completed, they can be used over and over ...
Jul 29, 2021•14 min•Ep. 69
The end of summer is almost here...which means the beginning of school is right around the corner. Preparation for the new school year will be your best friend. But what are things can you do now that will be the most effective in the long term? Erin Hagey from You AUTa Know is joining me this week to share with me what she has learned about starting the year in her eleven year journey. She loves to say “Being a special education teacher doesn’t get easier, you just get better.” And she is one o...
Jul 22, 2021•26 min•Ep. 68
Back to school, back to simple. Make every day easier with a few handy tips for special ed teachers. Summer is halfway over and I’m having a difficult time adjusting to that fact. But, I know that I need to put my big girl panties on and start preparing for what is to come. In truth, I miss my kiddos and my co-workers and I am looking forward to having a better routine again. So how do we get ready for the new year? In this week’s episode, I am sharing some ideas of things that you can do now to...
Jul 15, 2021•19 min•Ep. 67
Lunch, PE, Music...oh my! How will I fit everything that my students need? Building a master schedule in the special education classroom can be somewhat of a challenge. You have to balance the needs of each individual with the needs of the group. You also have to fit into the school master schedule. Then there are things like speech and OT services to consider. Being flexible is absolutely the key. Heather Cacioppo from Full Sped Ahead is here to share all her tips and tricks to make scheduling ...
Jul 08, 2021•28 min•Ep. 66
Professional development is so important for teachers. We need to learn updated techniques to continue to be our best for our students. As special educators, we often get pushed together with our general ed colleagues, and while we learn some things, it is difficult to find PD that is specific to our needs. So I went on the hunt for trainings that are geared towards us and our students. In this week’s episode I am sharing three different opportunities for you to learn from some of the best in th...
Jun 24, 2021•11 min•Ep. 65
As special education teachers, we are often living in a state of chaos. We have tons of paperwork, meetings and most importantly, teaching our classes. There are deadlines galore. Since we live in a digital world there are tons of resources that can make calming the chaos a little easier. This week, Kristi Deroche with Kristi Digitals is joining me to talk about ways you can use digital tools to up your game as an educator. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of having a solid morning O...
Jun 17, 2021•16 min•Ep. 64
How do you combine a lesson on fine motor skills, understanding emotions and vocabulary? Believe it or not, there is a way to do this...board games! Yes, they are fun, but they can also be educational. This week I’m sharing how you can use 15 different board games in your classroom. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of board games for your students’ learning How to find a game for the many skills our students need How to find funding for the purchase of the games so you aren’t spendin...
Jun 10, 2021•12 min
We often feel like writing an IEP is the most difficult thing in our jobs as special educators. But if you break down the process, it can actually feel doable instead of overwhelming. Stephanie DeLussey from Mrs. D’s Corner and the Intentional IEP joins me in this week’s episode to discuss the 4 rules of writing an effective IEP. By learning to ask for help and working through some simple professional development, you will be well on your way to being an IEP master. In this episode you will lear...
Jun 03, 2021•24 min
Life as a special education teacher is crazy...ALL.THE.TIME! There are so many meetings, paperwork deadlines and information about our students to keep up with. And somehow, we are supposed to “just remember”. Well, I don’t know about you, but my brain is full and I needed help! Enter the digital planner that I created with special education teachers in mind. In this week’s episode I’m going to share all the goodies about this new resource along with some tips on how to use it. I have even inclu...
May 27, 2021•16 min•Ep. 61
Technology in education has come so far in just the last few years. It seems like things change every single day. So how do we keep up? What works best for our special education students? What holds their attention but also keeps them learning? And what is the best thing for me as a teacher? There are so many questions! In this week’s episode I’m joined by Kara Guiff, a 31 year veteran educator who shares with us some of the latest and greatest in the educational technology world, and specifical...
May 20, 2021•44 min•Ep. 60
