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Special Education for Beginners | Managing Paraprofessionals, Special Education Strategies, First Year Sped Teachers, Special Ed Overwhelm, Paperwork for Special Education Teachers
The Go-To Podcast for Special Educators who want to reduce their stress and begin to feel success.
Hey special educator…
Overwhelmed by the absurd amount of paperwork on your to-do list?
Wish you had the skills to build a rock-solid team with your paraprofessionals?
Do you find yourself scouring the internet for how to meet the diverse needs of each student on your caseload?
Hey there friend…I’m Jennifer Hofferber from Sped Prep Academy, an award winning veteran special education teacher and current instructional coach who has walked in your shoes through each of these challenges.
And yes, I've got the metaphorical blisters to prove it! I’ve cried your tears and felt your pain and now I’m here to support you the way I wish someone would have been there to support me.
Listen in each week as my guests and I dish out practical wisdom to help you handle all the classroom curveballs thrown your way, and learn how to laugh in spite of the chaos to celebrate those small, yet significant victories that only a special educator can understand.
So…Are you ready? Wipe your tears and put on your superhero cape because together we are going to learn how to survive and thrive in the ever crazy, completely overwhelming, laugh so you don’t cry profession of being a special education teacher.
Next Steps:
Visit the Website: https://www.spedprepacademy.com
Join the Free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpedPrepAcademy
Email Me: jennifer@spedprepacademy.com
Episodes
202 episodes
Beyond the Basics: Reimagining Assistive Tech with Robokind
Today we're going beyond the basics of Assistive Technology and exploring its expansive potential to transform educational experiences for students with special needs. Joining us today is Brian, CEO of RoboKind, who brings a wealth of experienc...
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Episode 201
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30:42
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Basics of Assistive Technology
🎉Today we're celebrating a big milestone—it's our 200th episode! 🎉This March, we're exploring the important, but sometimes confusing, topic of Assistive Technology in education. Today we cover the basics of assistive technology—wh...
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Episode 200
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13:16
7 Easy-to-Implement Strategies for Your Dual Language Learners
In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, we’re wrapping up our ESL series with practical, easy-to-implement strategies for supporting Dual Language Learners (DLLs) who also have IEPs.Throughout February, we’ve explore...
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Episode 199
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14:32
Enhancing Learning Environments for Dual Identified Students: A Conversation with Katherine Hamilton
This month on Special Education for Beginners we are discussing the essentials of supporting multilingual learners in special education settings. Today, we are joined by Katherine Hamilton, Vice President of Programs at Ensemble Learning...
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Episode 198
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33:36
How to Support English Language Learners in Special Education
Welcome to a new month here at Special Education for Beginners! All February long we will be discussing a topic that many special educators encounter but don’t always feel fully prepared to support—English Language Learners.<...
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Episode 197
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12:32
Student Led IEPs in Action: A Special Educator's Experience
The theme for January 2025 has been all about learning how to implement student-led IEPs. To wrap up this series of episodes, I'm joined by a teacher who works within my district and who has been implementing student-led IEPs for the last 2 yea...
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Episode 196
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15:09
4 Steps Toward Implementing Student-Led IEP Meetings
Welcome back to Special Education for Beginners! Over the last two episodes, we’ve been diving into the important topic of student-led Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). In the first episode, we explored what
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Episode 195
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12:43
Empowering Students Through Student-Led IEPs: Insights with Dr. Daniel Biegun
Last week, we kicked off our first theme of the year with a broad look at student-led IEPs. We discussed who student-led IEPs are for and provided a a brief overview of what the process looks like before, during, and after the meeting. <...
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Episode 194
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20:37
An Introduction to Student-Led IEP Meetings
Welcome to the first episode of 2025! As we start the new year, it's the perfect time to explore new and empowering approaches to special education. This episode unpacks the essentials of Student-Led IEPs, their importance, and ho...
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Episode 193
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13:33
15 Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas for Your Paras This Holiday Season
In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, Jennifer shares 15 gift ideas to help you show appreciation to your paraprofessionals and support staff this holiday season. From completely free options to more personalized g...
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Episode 192
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12:45
Ask Us Anything Part 12: A Rapid-Fire Farewell with Paul
Welcome back to Special Education for Beginners! Today’s episode is a special one as we close out our beloved "Ask Us Anything" series with my incredible co-host, Paul. After two amazing years of working together, including 11 months o...
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Episode 191
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30:26
Administer Achievement Tests with Success: Part 3-Sharing Results with Confidence
In the final part of our three-part series on administering achievement tests, we’re focusing on how to present results confidently in IEP meetings. Sharing test results can feel intimidating, but with the right strategies, you can turn these m...
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Episode 190
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15:54
Administer Achievement Tests with Success: Part 2-Writing the Report
In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, we continue our three-part series on administering achievement tests by focusing on how to write professional, comprehensive reports based on the data you’ve collected. Writing a well...
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15:42
Administer Achievement Tests with Success: Part 1-Preparation
In this episode, we kick off a 3-part series on how to administer, report on and present achievement tests professionally.Today, we focus on setting up for test administration. I’ll walk you through the specific steps to create a...
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Episode 188
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13:14
Ask Us Anything Part 11: Challenging Behaviors + Assistive Technology
In this episode of Special Education for Beginners Jennifer is joined by her co-host Paul to discuss the essential topics of de-escalation in the special education classroom and incorporating assistive technology into IEPs. Learn about...
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Episode 187
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25:58
Streamline Paperwork Using Templates with Caroline Koehler
In this episode, Caroline Koehler from Celavora Education and Sped Up Paperwork joins me to discuss the ever-pressing issue of...
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Episode 186
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23:19
Handling the Unexpected: Emily's Story of Embracing Challenges with a Positive Mindset
In today’s episode of Special Education for Beginners, I share an inspiring conversation I recently had with a new special education teacher, Emily, who demonstrated an incredible capacity for resilience and optimism in the face of a c...
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Episode 185
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7:43
Ask Us Anything Part 10: Difficult Parents + Progress Monitoring
On today's segment of Ask Us Anything with my co-host, Paul Hubbard we answer two common challenges faced by special education teachers: handling difficult parents and figuring out how often to progress monitor students.How d...
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Episode 184
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22:55
3 Strategies to Manage Conflicts More Effectively
As special educators, we often find ourselves navigating challenging interactions. Whether with colleagues, parents, or administrators, conflict is bound to rear its ugly head at some point. In this episode, we explore 3 practical strategies to...
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Episode 183
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12:22
Solving the IEP Mystery: How to Connect the Dots for Student Success
Welcome back to Special Education for Beginners! In today’s episode, Jennifer draws a fun and insightful parallel between writing an Individualized Education Plan and solving a detective case. Just like detectives use boards with pushp...
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Episode 182
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9:48
Practical Tips to Boost Parent Collaboration
Today we're talking about a crucial element that can really make or break the success of our students—supporting their parents. These parents are juggling so much—all while trying to figure out how to best support their child at home. ...
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Episode 181
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13:20
Ask Us Anything: Part 9: Scheduling Tips & Paras Not Following Their Schedule
Welcome back, special educators! Are you feeling the pressure of scheduling chaos as the school year kicks off? Or perhaps you're facing challenges with paraprofessionals not following their schedules? We've got you covered in this Ask Us Anyth...
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Episode 180
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26:23
5 Powerful Mindset Shifts for Special Education Teachers
In this episode of Special Education for Beginners, Jennifer discusses the vital role of mindset in the life of a special education teacher. This isn’t just another pep talk about staying positive—Jennifer tackles the real, sometimes o...
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Episode 179
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17:14
Back to School Tips for Special Educators with Angela Rivas
Welcome back to another episode of Special Education for Beginners. As we start thinking about the back-to-school season, I thought it would be good to get our mindset right and give you some strategies to get you star...
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Episode 178
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28:42
12 Things to Know Before Setting Up an Autism Classroom with S.B. Linton
Today we're focusing on setting up the perfect autism classroom and we're joined by SB Linton, an experienced autism educational specialist, who will share invaluable insights and practical steps to help you create a supportive and efficient le...
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Episode 177
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29:58