Especially Education

Adapted high-quality curriculum to help special education students succeed in the classroom

  • Especially Education
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Freebies
  • Shop
  • MFML
    • Facebook Group
  • About
    • Contact

9 Time-Saving Tips for SPED Prep

July 29, 2019

A special education teacher's colorful prep station with colorful organized task boxes and office supplies
A special education teacher's colorful prep station with colorful organized task boxes and office supplies
A special education teacher's colorful prep station with colorful organized task boxes and office supplies

A special education teacher's colorful prep station with colorful organized task boxes and office supplies

Special education prep work is daunting! Time spent laminating, velcroing, and organizing materials takes up way too much personal time for special education teachers, self-contained teachers, speech therapists, homeschool moms, parents, autism parents, preschool teachers. Reclaim your time and energy and alleviate stress with these 9 SPED prep hacks to help you streamline your prep and prioritize your to-do list.


SPED PREP: a necessary evil in the world of special education.

Pros: Finding appropriate learning materials for every student that, once laminated, can be used for years to come.
Cons: Adapting and differentiating activities can be time consuming and daunting.

Here are a few tips for making the prep process less overwhelming!

1.) Make a list and prioritize

So you just purchased and epic task box bundle on Teachers Pay Teachers! You’re super excited – this is going to solve all your independent work station problems! You download the 200-page PDF and it hits you: this could take days –even weeks— to prep, and you needed these CVC matching clip cards, like, yesterday.

Do not fret. Make a list and prioritize items by need.

What will benefit your students right away?

Task boxes organized by month with a woman holding a color coded chart to each one

Printing and prepping smaller amounts makes prep less daunting and keeps things more organized. Start small and build your “SPED tool box” as you go.

First then then that cards and colorful plastic boxes2.) Ask for help

I will be the first to admit it: I am a bit of a perfectionist. I like my cut lines clean and precise. The thought of crinkled lamination makes me lose sleep at night. My fear of imperfect resources prevented me from asking for help for many years. But sometimes, you have to let that go and seek assistance. You can’t do it all, and there is no shame in that.

Man in a red shirt holding a tall stack of colorful plastic boxesHave a prep party with your paraprofessionals during planning time. Ask a sibling/partner/parent if they would like to cut some lamination in exchange for a coffee date. Many schools even have parent volunteers looking to lend a hand!

3.) Gather your supplies

Before you purchase any supplies out of pocket, check and see what your school budget allows provides. My team leader always made sure we had basic supplies, such as hard laminating pouches, Velcro, binding coils.

Here are just a few of my favorite SPED prep materials:

  • Personal laminator (file folder size)
  • Laminating pouches
  • Velcro coins (save your scissors and avoid cutting!)
  • Spring-loaded scissors

4.) Organize your supplies

I use a large milk crate and tub to keep my materials organized. I also like having a designated trash bin close by, to keep the scraps from piling up on my floor. You can grab my free prep station labels here!

A teal plastic box containing colorful pens, paper, and other office supplies*BONUS: making it portable is a must Because who doesn’t love to prep task boxes in front of this week’s episode of This Is Us??

A tray with velcro dots, colorful plastic containers, and office supplies5.) Make a Velcro dispenser

Finding off-brand Velcro coins was a game changer for me, but the rolls can often get tangled. This prevents the soft coins from sticking to the hard coins (which can waste some good velcro coins!), I cut slits in an old shoe box and slid the velcro rolls directly into the slits. A pencil holder with pens and inks and a cardboard box decorated with fun stickers

6.) To cut first, not to cut first?

Ahh, the age-old SPED prep question. I am asked this often: do I cut, laminate, and cut again or do I just laminate the entire page and then cut once?

Honestly, this is a personal preference. I like efficiency, so I laminate and cut only once. But it depends on a few things:

  • Your laminator: some laminators get hotter than others, providing a stronger seal around the paper.
  • How much wear-and-tear are the items getting? Cutting first allows for a better seal around the pieces, thus making them more durable over time. Husband on the floor cutting out Made For Me Literacy laminated worksheets for the special education classroom

7.) Use a glue stick for small pieces

If you are cutting first, use a glue stick to adhere small pieces directly to the inside of the laminating pouch. This prevents the small pieces from sliding around and overlapping. You can also fit more pieces into a pouch by placing them directly where you want them.

8.) Stick velcro to pieces before cutting

If you are cutting out multiple small pieces that require velcro on the back, place the velcro onto the laminated sheet of paper before cutting. Holding the paper up to the light can help you see where to put the velcro.

9.) Be forgiving.

This may be the most important step on the list. There are so many stressors in this profession. Please don’t beat yourself if you don’t cross off every task on your to-do list. Progress, not perfection. Know when to take a break, walk away from the laminator, and sink into a nice, warm bubble bath.

You are human, and one AMAZING, CARING, HARD-WORKING special education teacher.

«
»

Filed Under: Organization, Teacher Tips 6 Comments

Comments

  1. Marjorie Pearce says

    October 5, 2019 at 10:03 pm

    Thank you so much for the velcro “dispenser” idea. Brilliant! This will definitely help to lower my blood pressure : -)

    Reply
  2. Nichole says

    July 14, 2020 at 11:57 am

    Where do you find the clear, colored plastic task containers? I’ve never seen any that size and shape. I love that they aren’t bulky and huge!

    Reply
  3. Neva says

    August 10, 2020 at 8:19 pm

    Which Laminator do you use? The link just said page not found. I am looking to buy one so I can laminate file folders at home. Thank so much.

    Reply
    • Michaela Davis says

      December 11, 2020 at 11:46 am

      I can’t remember which one is posted, but Scotch TL901C-T is one I’m using now.

      Reply
  4. Camille says

    July 20, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    Where did you get the transparent colored containers from?? I’ve been searching for smaller containers and can’t find good ones that are multicolored.

    Reply
    • Michaela Davis says

      August 10, 2021 at 4:36 pm

      Hi! These are called “craft and photo keepers” and can be found at Michaels and other craft stores, Amazon, WalMart, etc!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Get Access To Freebies

Search this website

Categories

Grab A Button

Grab A Button

Popular Posts

How to Make DIY Sensory Bottles

Planning for the First 2 Weeks of School in Your Special Education Classroom

FAQ: Task Boxes

Instilling Independence in the Classroom

Made For Me Literacy

Michaela Lawerence and Gabrielle Dixon

Gabrielle Dixon (Teaching Special Thinkers) and I teamed up to bring you some wonderful products! Click here to check out Made For Me Literacy on Teachers Pay Teachers

MFML on Instagram

MFML on Instagram

Follow Made For Me Literacy On Instagram and then click here to join our MFML Facebook Group!

EE on instagram

EE on instagram

Follow Especially Education On Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs