What every special education teacher needs to know to survive and thrive The Beginning Special Educator's Survival Guide provides relevant, practical information for new special education teachers across a broad range of topic areas. What every special education teacher needs to know to survive and thrive A Survival Guide for New Special Educators provides relevant, practical information for new special education teachers across a broad range of topic areas. The Authors v Acknowledgments vii Tables, Figures, and Exhibits xvii Introduction xxi PART ONE: THE BASICS Chapter One: Getting the Right Job 3 An Initial Priority: Find a Good Job Match 3 Steps in Your Job Search 4 The Interview Process 5 Consider the Offer 10 To Sum Up 10 What’s Next? 10 Chapter Two: Great Beginnings 11 Reality 101: What to Expect in the First Years 11 Your Challenge: Become an Accomplished and Committed Special Educator 13 Reflect on the Moral Purpose That Guides Your Work 13 Develop Knowledge about Professional Standards and Ethics 14 Learn about the Community and Key Policies and Guidelines 15 Learn More about the Content Standards for Subjects You Teach 16 Use and Refi ne Your Knowledge about Evidence-Based Practices 17 Know Your Students and Systematically Monitor Their Learning 17 Collaborate Effectively with Administrators, Colleagues, and Parents 18 Protect Instructional Time and Balance Your Responsibilities 18 Develop Resilience and Manage Stress 18 Take Initiative for Your Own Professional Learning 20 Making It Happen: Create a Network of Supports 20 To Sum Up 25 What’s Next? 25 Additional Resources 25 Chapter Three: Working with Others 26 Be an Energizer 27 Be an Effective Communicator 27 Working Through Confl icts 30 A Great Start with Parents 31 Ten Actions to Develop Positive Relationships with Parents 32 A Great Start with Administrators 35 A Great Start with Your Mentor(s) 38 A Great Start with Colleagues 42 Leading Effective Professional Meetings 44 To Sum Up 46 What’s Next? 46 Additional Resources 46 Chapter Four: Special Education Law 47 Key Laws Related to Students with Disabilities 47 Education for All Handicapped Children Act 48 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 51 Section 504 56 Americans with Disabilities Act 57 Confidentiality 58 Dealing with Legal Challenges 61 To Sum Up 63 What’s Next? 63 Additional Resources 63 Chapter Five: Developing Quality IEPs 65 The IEP Document 66 The IEP Process 66 Tips for a Great Start with IEPs 66 Tips for Developing IEP Components 67 The IEP Meeting 74 Transition Planning 81 IEP Summary Forms 83 Tips for Organizing the IEP Process 83 Practical Suggestions from Special Educators 85 To Sum Up 85 What’s Next? 86 Additional Resources 86 PART TWO: BECOMING AN ACCOMPLISHED EDUCATOR Chapter Six: Organizing and Managing Your Work 89 Your Many Roles and Responsibilities 90 Goals and Plans Equal Organizational Success! 92 Manage Your Time, Manage Your Tasks 96 Setting Up Your Class for Success 97 Considerations for Middle and High School Classrooms 98 The Teacher’s Desk 102 Get Ready for Your First Day of School 104 Plan for Fun and Knowledge 105 To Sum Up 110 What’s Next? 110 Additional Resources 111 Chapter Seven: Classroom and Behavior Management 112 Elizabeth Bettini Tiered Approach to Providing Positive Behavioral Support 113 Evaluating the Intervention 136 To Sum Up 137 What’s Next? 137 Additional Resources 137 Chapter Eight: Collaboration and Co-Teaching 139 Fundamentals of Collaboration 140 Defining Characteristics for Collaboration 140 Understanding Collaboration in Varied Service-Delivery Models 140 Tips for Special Education Teachers in Collaborating for RTI 142 Collaboration in Inclusive Settings 142 Small Strategies to Make a Big Impact on Collaboration 146 Helping General Educators 147 Co-Teaching 149 The Co-Teacher Relationship 150 Characteristics Aiding in Successful Co-Teaching 154 Barriers and How to Overcome Them 154 Keeping Collaborative Records 155 To Sum Up 156 What’s Next? 157 Additional Resources 157 Chapter Nine: Supporting Your Students 158 The Student–Teacher Relationship 159 Tips for Fostering Positive Student–Teacher Relationships 159 Motivating Your Students 161 Advocating for and with Your Students 164 Culturally Responsive Teaching 166 Helping Your Students Stay Organized and Learn Responsibility 169 To Sum Up 171 What’s Next? 171 Additional Resources 171 Chapter Ten: Assessment and Knowing Your Students 172 Your State Standards and the CCSS 173 Why Test in Relationship to the Standards? 173 Educational Laws and Assessment 173 Relationship Between the Laws and Your Assessment Practices 174 Progress Monitoring and Curriculum-Based Measures 175 Formal or Standardized Tests 178 Assessment Accommodations and Adapting Classroom Tests 179 Alternative Assessments 181 Feedback and Grading 183 Assessment Considerations at the High School Level 186 To Sum Up 188 What’s Next? 189 Additional Resources 189 Chapter Eleven: Universal Design for Learning and Technology 190 Plan Engaging and Accessible Instruction through UDL 192 The Basics of UDL: Reach and Engage Your Students in Multiple Ways 192 Three Principles of UDL: Multiple Means of Representation, Action and Expression, and Engagement 193 General Hints for Implementing UDL 196 Using Instructional Technologies to Support Students with Disabilities 203 ATs to Support Students with Disabilities 207 To Sum Up 210 What’s Next? 210 Additional Resources 210 PART THREE: MASTERING EFFECTIVE PRACTICES Chapter Twelve: Effective Instructional Practices and Lesson Planning 215 Planning for Effective Instruction 216 Using Effective Instruction 223 To Sum Up 232 What’s Next? 233 Additional Resources 233 Chapter Thirteen: Teaching Reading 234 A Framework for Teaching Reading 235 Phonological Awareness and Phonics (Basic Decoding) 235 Decoding Multisyllabic Words and Promoting Morphological Awareness 239 Vocabulary Instruction 241 Promoting Fluency at the Rime, Word, and Connected-Text Levels 243 Promoting Reading Comprehension 245 Special Considerations for ELLs with Learning Disabilities 248 Incorporating Technology into Reading Instruction 248 To Sum Up 250 What’s Next? 251 Additional Resources 251 Chapter Fourteen: Teaching Writing 252 Basic Skills Underlying Profi cient Writing Performance 252 Becoming an Independent Writer 255 Special Considerations for ELLs 261 Using Technology to Support Writing 262 To Sum Up 263 What’s Next? 263 Additional Resources 263 Chapter Fifteen: Teaching Mathematics 264 What Makes Math So Difficult for So Many Students? 265 Going Beyond Arithmetic to Algebra 266 Characteristics of Struggling Learners in Mathematics and General Strategies for Supporting Students 267 Instructional Math Standards 269 How Should I Teach Learners Who Have Difficulty Keeping Up with the Curriculum? 271 Instruction That Supports Students with Disabilities in Mathematics 271 What Is the Best Way to Integrate CRA into Math Instruction? 274 Metacognitive Math Strategies 277 Assessment and Feedback to Inform Mathematics Practice 278 Formal Assessment and Mathematics 281 Technology-Enhanced Mathematics Instruction 282 To Sum Up 284 What’s Next? 284 Additional Resources 284 Chapter Sixteen: Teaching Content 285 What Can You Do to Support Students with Disabilities in Learning Content? 285 What Specific Things Can You Do to Help Students with Disabilities in the Content Areas? 286 UDL and Instructional Technologies in Content Learning 292 Teaching Concepts with Content Enhancements 293 Teaching Simple Concepts 293 Complex Concepts 294 Inquiry-Based Approaches to Teaching and Learning Content 295 What Is the Relationship Between Inquiry Learning and Problem-, Project-, and Challenge-Based Learning? 299 To Sum Up 301 What’s Next? 301 Additional Resources 301 Chapter Seventeen: Teaching Students with Limited to Pervasive Intellectual Disability 303 Bree A. Jimenez and Pamela J. Mims Who Are Your Students? 304 What to Teach 304 Why Teach Beyond Functional Skills to Students with Intellectual Disabilities 304 Assessments to Guide Curricular Planning 306 How to Teach 308 To Sum Up 321 What’s Next? 321 Additional Resources 321 PART FOUR: ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS Chapter Eighteen: Managing Student Health Needs 325 Pamela W. Carter Individual Health-Care Plans and Emergency Care Plans 326 Health Conditions and Teacher Tips 326 Tourette Syndrome (TS) 341 To Sum Up 343 Additional Resources 343 PART FIVE: APPENDIXES Appendix A: Definitions and Resources about Disability 345 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 347 Autism Spectrum Disorders 350 Deafness and Hearing Loss 353 Developmental Delay 355 Emotional Disturbance 356 Intellectual Disability 361 Other Health Impairment 362 Specific Learning Disability 365 Speech and Language Disorders 367 Traumatic Brain Injury 369 Visual Impairment Including Blindness 371 Appendix B: Key Special Education Cases 373 Appendix C: Assessment Vocabulary and Concepts 374 Validity and Reliability 375 Appendix D: Tips for Preparing for Observations and Evaluations 377 Appendix E: Bonus Web Content 380 Notes 383 Index 400