How to keep Students Motivated

Having Management strategies are an essential part of having a successful Special Ed classroom! I knew I needed a more visual approach to achieve this and having a learning environment that my students could become more independent and less frustrated would lead me to succeed.

I began by listing the most important strategies I used in my classroom!

Schedules – Visually set out to reflect the order of the day.
Timers – For giving a break, to tell students how long they need to work and how long left on free time!
Routines – Keep Break, Lunch and free choice the same time each day!
Consistency – Ensure all staff are using the same strategies and are following behaviour plans!
Positive Reinforcers – Use Token Economy Systems, First and Then, Self- Regulation tools and Reward systems tailored to individual interests and likes!
Communication – Critical skills for Functional Communication, a means in which my non verbal student is able to request a “break” “help” or asked to “wait”

Then I decided to put together a Visual Support! I was pleased that it offered all these strategies and all visuals were kept in one handy place for my students to access through out the school day. There’s a place for the daily schedule to be displayed and a section for the schedule symbols. A token reward system was incorporated plus reward visuals, critical communication cards I added so students could ask for a Break or Help, all while maintaining a consistent approach that my staff could follow!