
It’s rare and hard to come by being a special education teacher, so if you happen to be at a school where you feel and are supported, know that you are one of the lucky ones. And I don’t just mean from your assistant principal and principal… you need it all the way up. This is a big one because if you don’t have supportive administration, you’re going to have a rough time.

For example, the day one of my students pooped in the urinal ( see, I was speaking from experience!) I was mortified… but now it’s absolutely hilarious. Some days you will go home so frustrated, defeated, or overwhelmed that you just want to break down and cry… and sometimes you’ll be able to do nothing but laugh about it. You will see everything… and I mean e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. You may find humor in me writing about them, but in all seriousness… you need them. Now these are the things that cost you nothing. This stuff is genius! Now it isn’t strong enough to hold weight onto your board, but it works great for cookie tray tasks and hanging papers on the front board. You know what’s best for your students, so if the only way a student will finish a writing activity is if you reward him with fruit snacks, well then you’d better make sure you’re stocked up. And, honestly, some of them are only rewardable with food. I know that lots of other teachers will tell you no candy or treats for kids, but guess what… our kids thrive off of rewards.


Yes, YOU need to have that secret candy stash for when that IEP meeting lasts just a little too long… or your room got trashed from a meltdown. This can be anything that you and your students like. Set up work task bins, organize all of your manipulatives, or use them to house snacks and other goodies. Color coded bins and any type of plastic containers are just what any SPED teacher wants and needs. I could just stare at that picture for days… it is just pure teacher Heaven.
