Figuring Out A Job Ad

Since we are a transition program, many times I have students whose goals are related to finding a job. Since I am putting together goal boxes for each of them, I needed some sort of job search activity my kids could have in their box to practice reading and understand job listings. Is it part-time or full? What would I be doing? What are the qualifications? What is the pay, and how do I apply? There are 10 job listings included it the packet. Each of these listing was pulled from my local newspaper's web site.

 I did embellish slightly to make sure that each had enough information and may have included the pay, part-time or full time, and hours part of the ad.

Also included in the packet are 3 different worksheets the students can use with the ads. One is a basic pros vs. cons. The next is almost the same but includes a couple questions and can be used independently. the last worksheets is a question and answer worksheet regarding the ad the student is working on. I will probably have my students do the question and answer worksheet first, then the first pros vs. cons. Since all my students, at some point of their 4 years with me, will likely have a job search goal, I will be doing the first job ad together as a group.  Then I will add the other 9 to certain students goal boxes. Besides the two ads shown, the other ads are for: bank teller, cashier, receptionist, warehouse, delivery driver, caregiver, fast food, and child care worker. If you're interesting in this activity, you can find it HERE in my TPT store.

IA Handbooks and IEP at a Glance

This year I've decided to put together handbooks for the instructional assistants in my classroom. In the past I have always just done everything verbally but I felt as if I was having to go over things at least monthly regarding expectations I had for my IA's and also for my kids. I've had long term subs come in and also have had changes in staff throughout the year. Now, all the information will be in one place. All I will have to do is hand any new aide a handbook that will have all the information they will need about my classroom and my kids. The handbook will also include my IEP at a glance form for each student in our room. It includes basic information about each student, their goals and a list of activities the IA's can work on with the kids that will help us achieve the goal (games, task box numbers, etc.).

Let me tell you what's included in the handbook.

1. Descriptions/characteristics of exceptionalities of the students you will be working with

2. Your role in the classroom

3. Expectations

4. Classroom guidelines

5. Dealing with behaviors

6. Welcome to Holland poem

7. IEP at a Glance (for each student in our room)

8. Sample - Goal Date Tracking Form

9. Student cleaning schedule for the year (by table)

10. District attendance calendar

11. Early out/late start calendar 

I am hoping the handbooks will be received well and they appreciate the information inside. I do plan on us going over it together within the first week of school. I am hoping that there will no longer be excuses of not knowing things as I will be able to refer back to the handbooks when needed. I am hoping too that they will now have more information regarding other students in our room and not just the 3 at their table who they are responsible for. 

I did run it by a good friend who is an IA at a different school (and a union rep) as well as my admin just to make sure everything in the handbook was fair of me to ask of them. I'll let you know what my aides think of their new handbooks in a few weeks.

Sorting Mail Activity Box

Hey guys! How's it going? I am just finishing up my first 3 weeks of vacation and still have another 3 to go! Honestly, I'm ready to go back. Maybe not with the kids yet, but I would love to be able to get into my room and get things ready for them. So what have I been doing? I honestly did nothing the first two weeks, but this week I've been on a roll. I've made some dry erase worksheets for my kids IEP boxes (I'll talk more about that in a couple weeks), buying things I need for the year and starting to put together some new task ideas for our life skills classroom. This mail sorting task is one of the first I've finished. I bought this 15 slot sorting box on Amazon for 15 dollars then spent a day making mail. The mail is all addressed to people at my work. I changed up the layout to seem realistic. Sometimes using the school name first, sometimes the district name, some with our names only, some with attn: etc. I made the return labels real address in case I want to change it up and have them work on another task with them. There are 40 laminated pieces of "mail" and I still plan to add maybe 4 laminated brown clasp envelopes. I have some at work so will wait until I can get in there to grab them. If you would like your own copy to customize and print, click HERE

I know the time will go fast and before I know it my kids will be back and another year will begin. I'm starting out this year with 12 students. I've only had 10 the past couple years. The only bad part about that is I'm going to have to separate the "round table" where I do all my group lessons. So bummed :-( I think it will be too hard to try to move them together and back apart everyday. I do have in a request for one large table I can put in the back of the room. I'm even willing to give up a lot of my office area if we can find something that will work. I'll let you know how that goes.

I'll post again next week!

Talk to you soon,