Hi, I’m Fiona – blogger, teacher-author, and creator of Adulting Made Easy.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME
Moderate/Severe Education Specialist, with a Master’s in Education, and a B.A. in Marketing. I was a moderate/severe special education aide of various age groups for many years. I reside in Orange County, California, I have a rescue dog named Maisy who loves to cuddle, and I enjoy doing any type of decorating, crafts & drawing in my free time. I am a passionate hockey fan and I also enjoy playing ice & roller hockey.
It became an interest of mine to become a teacher-author during my first year as an intern teacher. I solely relied on materials that were made by other teachers (collaboration is awesome!), but I noticed what little “adult transition” or “independent living” materials I was finding were not age-appropriate for my crowd. As you know with special education, each student and their learning needs are so different from one another, I found myself consistently creating personalized materials. And so began, Adulting Made Easy.
GRADE LEVEL/CONTENT
My curriculum focus is mainly composed of functional academics, life skills, and vocational skills. Some of the things we work on to promote independent living include cooking, cleaning, money math, community etiquette, meal etiquette, making purchases in the community, current events, job etiquette, social skills, and expanding rec & leisure preferences. Since most of my students function at a 3rd-grade level or lower, I MUST modify teaching materials to fit the learning needs of my students as well as make them age-appropriate.
It is my mission to provide all students with an educationally challenging, yet fun experience that develops the skills necessary to be independent adults & life-long learners.
ADVICE FOR NEW SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS
Your first year may seem tough and impossible, but just remember it’s going to get better. Do a lot of observing at first, see how your students fit into their daily routines already. If your paraprofessionals have been in the classroom, look to them for their knowledge about the students! From there, you have to build up your system and be firm (whether its behavior management for students or the way you manage your paraprofessionals). You also have to build up the resources you have in your classroom (adapted books, file folders, task boxes, task cards, digital activities…etc) according to your population’s learning styles/needs – this takes a lot of time, utilize your paraprofessionals for help, but also remember to show them a lot of appreciation for their hard work! Also, just know, your “lesson plan” is almost never going to go as planned! You have to just be ready to modify things on the go!
Lastly, if you haven’t already checked out my shop or Teacher’s Pay Teachers page, I am continuously uploading new differentiated and age-appropriate resources for special education students. Make sure to follow me on TPT, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to get updates on ideas, discounts, or even free resources!
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