Sharing my experience in the classroom as a life skills special ed transition teacher by providing resources and solutions for fellow educators

How I Told My School I Sell Resources On TeachersPayTeachers
You know that feeling, where you are trying to keep a big secret from everyone and you prepare for the day when someone is going to point blank ask you about your secret? Yeah, that was me with my TeachersPayTeachers store for many years.
 
I was hiding my beloved asset, the one that...
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How To Teach: Taking a Shower and Applying Deodorant
Importance of Showering and Applying Deodorant 
I’ve heard that smell is more closely linked to memory than any other sense. Most likely, a good smell is going to trigger happy thoughts and a bad smell will trigger unhappy thoughts. So, let’s help our young adult students be...
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5 Things I Don’t Do as a Transition Teacher
I’ve been teaching transition for the majority of my teaching career and having taught in high school settings prior, there are so many notable differences (all of which are for the best, in my humble opinion).
 
I’ve listed 5 things I don’t do as a transition...
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How to Teach: Using the Bathroom (Toileting) and Handwashing
Importance of Teaching- Bathroom/Toileting Skills and Washing Hands
The human body needs to relieve itself multiple times throughout the day, thus toileting skills are a necessary part of anyone’s day. Since handwashing occurs most frequently after using the bathroom (as well as before...
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Transition Student and Family Journey To Securing Benefits, Supports, and Services

Out of respect for individual young adult students and their families that I work with, this story is a fictional story based on common experiences.

 
 
Jakeel’s IEP annual review was about 6 weeks away and I reached out to the parent to set-up an informal transition meeting...
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How to Explain SSI to Parents of Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
‘We can support them financially, we don’t need the money.’
 
‘Wow, that care and programming is really expensive. I’m so used to the school providing those services.’
 
‘I think we will worry about that later. Let’s focus on...
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Government Benefits and Your Transition Student: SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and Medicaid Waiver
Connecting young adults with disabilities with the right supports, services, and benefits is KEY to success after they accept their diploma and leave transition services. If you are newer to teaching life skills or transition, then you may need an overview of what ‘supports, services, and...
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I Wish I Would Have Known This as a New Transition Teacher
I would say it was my first or second year teaching transition when I heard one of my fellow teachers mention 'SSI.' They were curious what the difference was between SSI and SSDI. As you might assume, I was unaware and thought it didn’t apply to me.
 
What I didn’t know...
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Is this Functional Life Skills Curriculum right for you and your students?
After having taught functional life skills to transition age students with intellectual disabilities, autism, down syndrome, and a range of other disabilities for 6+ years, I felt confident creating structured and consistent lesson units (from scratch) that would meet the needs of all students....
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Top 5 IEP Transition Plan Parent Assessments
It’s that special day that everyone remembers so vividly, including you, the parent or guardian, and the student- the day the student turns 14 AND A HALF years old.* It’s commemorated in so many ways, because a half birthday when you are 14 is totally a big deal.* Thank goodness...
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How to Teach College Tuition and Class
Our LAST topic in the Consumer Math Blog Series is about how to teach College Tuition and Classes. Read more about why and how you can teach College Tuition and Classes using my College Class and Tuition Lesson Unit (click here to get your copy).
 
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How to Teaching Car Buying
Our next topic in the Consumer Math Blog Series is about how to teach Car Buying. Read more about why and how you can teach Car Buying using my Buy a Car Lesson Unit (click here to get your copy).
 
 

Purpose of Teaching Car Buying

If your students are in high school or have...
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How to Teach Public Transportation
Our next topic in the Consumer Math Blog Series is about how to teach Public Transportation. Read more about why and how you can teach Public Transportation using my Public Transportation Lesson Unit (click here to get your copy).
 
 

Purpose of Teaching Public Transportation

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How to Teach Trip Planning
Our next topic in the Consumer Math Blog Series is about how to teach Trip Planning. Read more about why and how you can teach Planning a Trip using my Plan A Trip Lesson Unit (click here to get your copy).
 
 

Purpose of Teaching Trip Planning

Students are typically asked to...
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How to Teach Time Management

Our next topic in the Consumer Math Blog Series is about how to teach Time Management. Read more about why and how you can teach Time Management using my Time Management Lesson Unit (click here to get your copy).

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Creating a Schedule for Life Skills: How to Figure Out What to Teach and When to Teach It
Are you fresh out of college and just accepted your first job teaching life skills at the high school or transition level? Or, was your department chair so impressed with your skills that they want you to bless the students in the functional foundations classroom with your talents? Either way,...
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How to Teaching Estimating Skills
Our next topic in the Consumer Math Blog Series is about how to teach Estimation. Read more about why and how you can teach Estimating using my Estimate Lesson Unit (click here to get your copy).
 
 

Purpose...

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How to Teach Filing Your Taxes
Our next topic in the Consumer Math Blog Series is about how to teach Filing Taxes. Read more about why and how you can teach Filing Your Taxes using my Filing Taxes Lesson Unit (click here to get your copy).
 
 
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Boom Cards: How to Guide

You may have heard of Boom Cards and thought to yourself, ‘Oh- just another teaching fad I’m not going to waste my time learning about or investing money in.’ Well, let me tell you that this isn’t a trend and deserves a second chance!

 

Contrary to the majority of the...

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How to Teach Geometry Basics
Our next topic in the Consumer Math Blog Series is about how to teach Geometry. Read more about why and how you can teach Geometry basics using my Geometry Lesson Unit (click here to get your copy).  Also, check out the FREE Geometry Jeopardy in my Free Resource Library by subscribing to...
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