Special Education for Beginners | Managing Paraprofessionals, Special Education Strategies, First Year Sped Teachers, Special Ed Overwhelm, Paperwork for Special Education Teachers

Where Do I Even Start? 3 Priorities for Special Educators This Back-to-School Season

• Episode 222

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Whether you are ready or not, back-to-school season is knocking on the door!

And if you're feeling a little frozen in place, like a deer in the headlights, you're not alone.

In this episode, I'm sharing the three high-impact areas you should focus on first to minimize overwhelm and set yourself up for success as a special education teacher. Whether you’re brand new to the field or returning for another year, these priorities will help you go from stuck to strategic—without trying to do everything at once.

We’ll cover:

  • ✅ How to truly understand your students' IEPs and why it’s your most important first step
  • ✅ How to organize your classroom around function over flashy
  • ✅ What core systems you must set up before day one 

Grab my Sped Teacher Checklist: Support for New Special Educators—your step-by-step guide for staying focused, organized, and calm during back-to-school chaos.

🎧 Whether you’re staring around your classroom wondering where to begin, or knee-deep in planning already, this episode will help you breathe easier and prioritize what really matters.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

Get your copy of the new and improved Paraprofessional Handbook and make this the best year ever when it comes to working with staff.


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Website: www.spedprepacademy.com

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Speaker 1:

Well, hey there and welcome back to Special Education for Beginners. I'm your host, jennifer, and this is the first episode of August, which means we have a brand new theme, and I bet you can guess what it is. Whether you are ready or not, back-to-school season is right around the corner Now. There are two different types of teachers when it comes to back-to-school season. There are those who are buying flare pens in July. They are browsing Pinterest on the regular. They are daydreaming about what the new school year will bring, what their classroom will look like and ways to improve over the year before. And then there are those who avoid school supply aisles like the plague and they are soaking up every last minute of summer without a single thought of what's ahead.

Speaker 1:

Whichever camp you fall into, no shame here. Throughout the years, I have switched camp several times myself. This year, I was ready to get back to it. In fact, I'm already back to work and excited to be supporting many new special education teachers within my district. And one thing I know for sure is that, no matter how prepared or unprepared you feel right now, that back to school stress, it's real, especially in special education, because when you are a special education teacher, back-to-school prep isn't just about classroom decor and school supplies. It's about juggling schedules, prepping paperwork, planning for IEP services, training paraprofessionals and making sure your students' unique needs are met on day one. It's a lot and, yes, it can feel overwhelming, but you don't have to do it all at once and you definitely don't have to do it alone. Today, we're going to talk about what to focus on first, so that you can minimize that stress and give yourself the grace and support you deserve during this back to school season.

Speaker 1:

So let's get to it. Hey, special educator, are you overwhelmed by the absurd amount of paperwork on your to do list? Do you wish you had the skills to build a rock solid team with your staff? Do you find yourself scouring the internet for how to meet the needs of each student on your caseload? Well, hey there. I'm Jennifer Hopper, 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 have the metaphorical blisters to prove it. I have cried your tears and felt your pain, and now I'm here to support you in 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 that are thrown at you 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.

Speaker 1:

So I was FaceTiming my daughter the other day, who is starting her third year as a special educator in a new town and a new state and a brand new program, and she was showing me around her room and I asked what she was going to do first and she said I'm just in the staring around the room stage right now, mom. And I knew exactly what she was referring to that deer in the headlight look, frozen, not doing anything. Because you don't know where to start. Whether this is your first year or you are returning to the same room for the 10th year in a row, it always starts this way. You walk in, you look around and for a moment your brain just freezes. There's excitement, there's potential, but there's probably a whole lot of panic as well, and you're thinking where do I even start? There are new caseloads, new paraprofessionals, new schedules, new gen ed teachers to work with and always, always, some unexpected curveballs. Maybe the gen ed teachers don't have their schedules finalized yet. Maybe you're still waiting on your caseload list. It's possible you are getting a new student who has very significant needs. Maybe you are taking over a program that hasn't been organized in years or, like in my daughter's case, maybe you are developing a brand new program from scratch. The truth is, some things can wait and others really can't. It's easy to feel like everything is urgent when you're standing in the middle of a half-empty classroom with 37 tabs open in your brain, but not all tasks are created equal. So what should you focus on right now?

Speaker 1:

Let's break it down into three key areas that will give you the biggest bang for your buck. The first is to know your students' IEPs. Before you worry about bulletin boards or color schemes, you need to understand the students you'll be working with. Read through every IEP carefully and take notes. What are their annual goals? What services do they receive? Are they push-in, pull-out? Are they self-contained? What accommodations or modifications are required in the gen ed setting. Where will they be eating lunch? Are there any medical needs? You need to pay close attention to any behavior plans that are in the IP, any communication needs, any health or sensory concerns, and whether they require assistive technology or support during unstructured times like lunch or recess.

Speaker 1:

Now, I know this part isn't glamorous, but it is foundational. Knowing your students' IEPs inside and out will help you make smart, student-centered decisions from the very beginning. Only then can you begin to design your room. Your classroom layout, visuals and even your furniture arrangement should reflect what your students require to access their learning and feel safe, supported and successful. And that brings us to the second area, to focus on organizing your space for accessibility. This goes hand-in-hand with knowing your students. Once you understand who you're serving, you can begin to shape the space to meet their specific needs.

Speaker 1:

If you have students with physical disabilities, consider the mobility and spacing between furniture. Can wheelchairs or walkers navigate easily between centers? Are materials placed within reach? If one of your students has a visual impairment, is the lighting sufficient and is the layout predictable? If you have students with sensory needs, make sure to create a clearly defined calm down area, even if it's just a small corner, with soft seating, noise reducing headphones and a bin of sensory tools. Be intentional about lighting and noise. Use lamps or natural light when possible and avoid clutter that could be visually overstimulating. I see some classrooms on TikTok and Pinterest and I'm like dang, that is overstimulating to me. I can't imagine what it would do to a student who has sensory processing concerns.

Speaker 1:

If you are serving students who are working on independence, you're going to want to think about how you label materials, where student workstations are located and how they can complete routines with minimal prompting. Things like colored coded bins, visual task schedules and clearly defined zones can do a lot of the heavy lifting. Now is also the time to think about the flow of the day. Where will you teach your small groups? Where will paraprofessionals provide their support? Where will students complete independent tasks or practice life skills? Do you need a designated spot for student belongings, data binders, communication folders or reinforcer menus? And don't forget accessibility for you and your staff. Where are you storing IEPs and emergency plans? Think about where you will keep data collection systems. Where will the visual timers be, the token boards, the communication tools Are they all easy to grab? And please don't stress about decorating everything right now.

Speaker 1:

Your room does not need a TikTok-worthy theme to be effective. In fact, overly decorating rooms can be distracting or even dysregulating for students with attention or sensory challenges. And dysregulating for students with attention or sensory challenges. Prioritize instructional visuals first, like daily schedules, classroom rules, behavior cues and visual directions. Organize your room around student function instead of adult convenience or adult preference. Your space does not have to be perfect on day one, but it should be thoughtful, intentional and responsive to the real needs of the students you serve. But it should be thoughtful, intentional and responsive to the real needs of the students you serve.

Speaker 1:

And then the third area to focus on, after you have read over the IEPs and organized your space, is your core systems. This is the behind-the-scenes stuff that no one tells you to prioritize and sometimes can be an afterthought. So start with data collection. Whether you are using digital tools, a single data notebook or individual data notebooks or even IEP tubs, get a system in place now. Make sure you know what data you need to collect, who's going to collect it, how often it needs to be collected and, if it isn't digital, where are you going to store it.

Speaker 1:

The next core system to focus on is your parent communication system. The next core system to focus on is your parent communication system. Are you using log sheets and folders that go to and from home? Are you using a Google Form, a shared app? Establish how you will track your communication and how often you'll be reaching out. Your district may already have an app that they use, such as Class Dojo, seesaw or something similar, and those are great for you to use as well. Texting was always my go-to, and if you want to do text and aren't comfortable with giving out your personal number, you can get a number through Google to use for this specific purpose. I recommend giving the parents a brochure or a flyer that has your contact information on it and let them know how and how often you will be communicating with them. Actually, they may have a preferred method. I used Seesaw for some of my students, I texted others and for one student I did a daily paper log. It's one of those things where you want to meet the parents where they are and to get the best response and build that relationship with them.

Speaker 1:

And then the last core system is your paraprofessional plan. Even if you don't know who your para will be or what their schedule is yet, begin drafting a working plan. Start by thinking through what responsibilities will they have. Will they be running centers, supporting behavior, assisting with personal care? Will they be collecting data or helping with inclusion support? Get clear on what support your paras need and what their roles will look like day to day. Ask yourself what training do they need? Don't assume that they know how to collect data, fade prompts or even read an IEP snapshot Plan to teach them your systems, model your expectations and offer ongoing feedback. You want to do everything you can at the beginning of the year to set them up for success. And then, what are your expectations for professionalism and student support? Think about how you want them to communicate with students, how to handle downtime, interact with families and manage behaviors. When you clearly defined expectations, you prevent misunderstandings and you build that mutual respect from the start.

Speaker 1:

This is also a great time to prep your paraprofessional handbook. If you use one, or at least create a quick one-page orientation sheet that outlines daily routines, responsibilities and expectations. If you're not sure where to start, go back and listen to episode 221, where I shared three actionable steps for getting started with your paraprofessionals and where I introduced my free 10-step guide to help you build a strong collaborative team culture from day one. You can get the guide at wwwspadprepacademycom slash team. That's spadprepacademycom slash team. Your systems don't need to be polished, they just need to exist. You will refine them as the year progresses, but you will thank yourself a hundred times for getting a head start now.

Speaker 1:

So let's recap those three key areas to focus on right now. First is to know your students' IEPs. Second is to organize your space for accessibility and third is to prepare your core systems your data collection, your parent communication and your paraprofessional training. If you're sitting there wondering how you're going to keep track of all this, don't worry, I've got you. This is exactly why I created the SPED Teacher Checklist Support for New Special Educators.

Speaker 1:

It is a simple, step-by-step guide to help you stay focused, organized and on track during the back-to-school season.

Speaker 1:

It covers all the things we talked about today IEP prep, classroom setup, para-planning, communication systems and so much more that we'll cover during the month of August and it gives you a space to write notes, track your progress and feel confident that you're not forgetting something important. You can print it out, check things off and take one task at a time. I'll leave the link in the show notes to the SPED teacher checklist. So as you head back into your classroom whether it's this week, next week or sometime in September, whether you are standing around the room phase or already knee-deep in planning I hope today's episode gave you a sense of clarity and calm. Remember, you don't have to do everything at once. You don't have to have it all figured out. You just need to start with what matters most. Next week, we're taking a look into one of the trickiest parts of back-to-school and special education, and that is scheduling. I'll be sharing strategies to help you build a schedule that honors IEP minutes, therapist availability and student needs, without losing your mind in the process. See you next week.