I've created an educational consulting business

Hello, it has been awhile since I last posted. I've created a newly developed educational consulting business for parent(s), educators and care providers. The name of my website: www.childrenadvocacyspecialneeds.com

The name of my business is called, CATS- Child Advocacy Teacher Support. CATS- is an educational consulting business for parent(s), educators and care providers who work with specialized populations. The services I provide are on-line, as well as direct services in the community. At CATS, there is a holistic approach in providing you with the tools and teaching strategies to better facilitate optimum growth and success in a child. By collaborating we can creatively problem solve and strengthen skills that you already have.

I provide professional consultation and training to parent(s), educators and care providers on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Disorders, Developmental Disabilities with Challenged Learning Styles and Behavioral Interventions.

Please check out my website!

Successful Classroom Management Strategies

Greetings. As a teacher we have to juggle so many hats throughout the day. I would like to share with you some of my classroom management strategies that worked. These strategies are useful at the elementary level in all classrooms.

Defining spaces in your classroom fosters independence in children and allows them to be successful. You can do this by taking a photo of each space or finding a picture in a magazine. You will then want to laminate the photo or picture. The spaces I am referring to are: reading area, work area, play area, circle area, free time area, and computer area. I have seen some teachers be even more explicit by having a photo on each bin for children to put materials into.

I know as a teacher that much confusion takes place when children line up at the door. In this next teaching strategy, I would like to discuss how you can make this transition run much smoother. In the past, I have used several methods. Some worked and others didn't. You can use a bright colored electrician's tape on the floor. Yes, you better check in with your janitor to make sure the tape you are using is correct. If you have 15 children in your classroom, you'll make 15 "X" shapes on the floor. I've found this method of using tape last much longer and is durable over time. Children now have a clear boundary of where they need to be when lining up at the door.

Ms. C

Nose Picking

Greetings. Today I would like to talk about a behavior that most children do and this is "nose picking." The intensity of this behavior will vary among children. I had one child in my classroom that would pick his nose so much that he had frequent nose bleeds.

As a parent or educator you can modify this behavior by simply providing an alternative. This alternative is asking your student or child to "please, go wash your hands" each time they start to pick their nose. It is not necessary to make a fuss over it or to draw attention to the child. The child will soon figure out that each time they start to pick their nose, there will be a verbal
prompt, "please, go wash your hands." You are modifying their behavior and you'll see within a few weeks that the behavior will decrease.

At the beginning you'll be giving a verbal prompt to the child. After a week or two, you can eliminate the verbal prompt and provide a non-verbal prompt which is the "action" of washing your hands. This means putting your hands together as if you're washing your hands. Having lots of Kleenex available is also helpful!

Ms. C

Transition Strategy For Classroom or Home

Greetings. I mentioned before in my previous post how important smooth transitions are to children. I would like to share with you today an educational strategy that I learned while teaching children with developmental delays. All you need is a piece of paper without lines and two bright colored markers.

This is a skill that you can learn with ease. The catch is you have to be involved for this teaching strategy to be effective. Children need to know where they need to begin, how much work needs to be completed, and is the ending near. This applies to the classroom as well as in the home. You can simply take a piece of paper without lines that is large enough for your child to view. You will make a rectangle in the center of the paper with your colored marker. You are now sitting down with your student or child to model how this teaching strategy will work.

You will make a "X" to indicate the beginning of what you have assigned your student or child to start working on. If your child is having some difficulties cleaning up his/her room, you can use this teaching strategy. You will monitor how much "time" goes by before making another "X" right below the first "X." Make the "X" large enough that your child or student can see it nearby. As time passes, you monitor how much time you are giving your student or child to complete what you have assigned.

You will then make a third "X", I would explain to your child or student that this is the last "X" and you'll need to finish up with what you are doing. To indicate that it's time to finish, draw a line through the (X) with the other colored marker. This means it's time to stop.

This is an effective teaching strategy that does not require a lot of materials. It can easily be done.

Ms. C

Recycling During Lunch Hour

Hello. Recently I worked at a Middle School in Oregon that had an effective recycling program during their lunch. Containers were individually labeled with pictures. There was a huge bin for students to put their forks and spoons into, another for food waste material and then a hand crunchier for milk cartons. Each student passed through quickly and systematically and it worked.

Your students could design such a recycling program. The cost of starting a recycling program is relatively cheap. You need to purchase several huge bins for placement of each plastic or food item. Then find a farmer or an orgainic gardner who would like the food waste. You can use and reuse and feel positive that you are contributing toward the betterment of are environment.