27th December 2023

It can be very difficult to stay upbeat as an educator in today’s world. The students with special needs are assigned to special education teachers who might find handling all of them a little overwhelming. This is because they need to cater to several disabilities while ensuring that all of them attain their learning objectives. In such cases fostering a positive classroom environment can be particularly challenging. However, it is feasible! Here are some pointers for maintaining your optimism to improve the atmosphere for both the students and yourself.
 

Clever Ways To Stay Positive During A Difficult School Year
 

Source: fullspedahead.com
 

Here are some ways to keep yourself sane while keeping your passion alive and doing what you love to do the most:
 

1. Stay Organized
 

Maintaining organization is essential for special educators to maintain their sanity. You have to work to stay ahead of everything with all of the paperwork including IEPs, daily data logs, METs, REEDs, FBAs, BIPs, assessments, curriculum-based measurements, etc.
 

Along with these all of the meetings like teacher collaboration, team meetings, RTI meetings, conferences, data meetings, meeting mechanics, etc also need to be taken care of. To make things easier, create a to-do list to track all your accomplishments and ensure none of your lesson planning, paperwork, meetings, or scheduling goes missed.
 

2. Have A Personal Life
 

This one doesn't need an explanation but a competent teacher must know when to draw boundaries. Your personal and professional lives must be harmoniously balanced. Even though it plays a massive role in your life, teaching does not define you.
 

Make time to talk to your closest friend, spend time with friends on the weekends, volunteer at your preferred organization, go on a date, or simply spend a warm evening at home with your loved ones.
 

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3. Take Proper Rest
 

Indeed, getting enough sleep is essential for maintaining good health. You will burn out, lose perspective, and wear yourself out if you work nonstop.  After that, you won't have anything left to give your family, friends, coworkers, or students. Thus, be sure you are getting adequate sleep. Take a break from the computer, the lesson plans, or the whiteboards to engage in other activities.
 

Source: positivelylearningblog.com
 

Make dinner, play games with your children, or go through your favorite book. Just make sure you set aside some time each day for yourself to engage in peaceful or disengaged activities.  You'll be a better teacher as a result in the end.
 

4. Reflect On Your Actions
 

The best thing you can do for your classroom is to reflect on what is and is not working, especially at the start of the year. This allows you time to consider whether or not what you are doing is effective.  Because it makes it easier to concentrate on both the things that are going well and the things you might want to change, it lowers stress.
 

Have a daily meeting with whichever team you have on hand to discuss the day's events.  Determine what you want to continue doing and what you might need to change. Discuss the positive aspects rather than just the issues. Establishing a reflective routine ensures that you make the time to be proactive.
 

5. Keep Students Engaged
 

Behaviors and a lack of student progress will soon surface in your classroom if your students are bored and learning isn't enjoyable. To maintain your sanity, you must ensure that your lessons are engaging, creative, and hands-on to keep students interested. Naturally, this won't occur in every lesson you teach daily, but you can make the classroom welcoming and stimulating for all students.
 

Take a movement break if your students become bored or agitated. Make room for cozy reading chairs, chewing gum, and other distractions. Identify ways to use tactile learning, visual stimulation, auditory expression, or kinesthetic activities to meet the needs of all students.
 

6. Collaborate With Other Colleagues
 

The significance of working together with your coworkers, trusting one another, and using each other as a valuable resource cannot be overstated. It is essential to comprehend what the classroom teacher is doing to offer the proper accommodations or modifications and support the student in my role as a special education teacher.
 

To provide the best care for your students and perform your job effectively, you must maintain constant contact with the teachers in your building. You would struggle a lot if you couldn't depend on your coworkers and you didn't communicate well with one another!
 

7. Build Rapport With Your Students
 

Educators must get to know each and every one of their pupils on a personal level. You must get to know your pupils on a personal, social, and academic level. You are telling a student that you are not personally invested in them, so why would they invest in what you are teaching if you do not establish a relationship with them as individuals?
 

If your child connects with you outside of school, they will know that you value them as a person and want the best for them. They will want to succeed and be inspired to work hard for you.
 

Give The Best To Your Students As They Deserve
 

As special educators there might be several ideas sparking in your head, however you might get restricted considering the challenges of your students. Limiting yourself and your innovation might sometimes be frustrating but is that a good enough reason to quit? If not then consider advancing your education with offline or online special education programs, to be aware of the various obstacles that might come along the way and how to overcome them.
 

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