April

Back in December, you used the Rubric of Effective Practices for Students with Complex Access Needs and the Administrator Companion Document to the Rubric of Effective Practices for Students with Complex Access Needs to select one or two personal areas for improvement and created a professional development plan targeted to improve the areas you chose. It is time to revisit those documents and acknowledge your growth! 

Using the Rubric of Effective Practices and the lists of evidence of each component on the Administrator Companion Document, note on the Rubric of Effective Practices in the “Follow-Up Status” column whether the components under each indicator are “Evident” or “Not Evident” in your current practice. Review places where you have added to your evidence and increased your score for an indicator. Celebrate your progress!

The teacher scores her follow-up status at the end of the year to show progress. Shannon Beyer-Kaminski, 2023

Just as you have learned new strategies and improved your skills, so have your students! It is time to acknowledge the progress your students have made over the course of the year. For some of our students, even small increments of change such as increased independence on a task, being able to vocalize a new sound, or improved range of motion in their arm are huge accomplishments. Review the student portfolios you have been creating over the year and make a list of their successes to share with them and their families!

Student portfolios in expanding file folders. Shannon Beyer-Kaminski, 2023

Your classroom team and other staff on campus have been working together all year to support students. They have collected and analyzed data, implemented new strategies, and tried new techniques. Let them know their hard work has been noticed and appreciated. Sending each team member a note of gratitude or letting their supervisor know of positive ways they have impacted you and your students will show value and respect.

A classroom team works together all year to support their students. Texas SPED Support, 2022

Some teachers report their biggest struggle in the classroom is with behavior. After reviewing your progress, did you discover you still need support in this area? If so, take the free online course Three C’s of Behavior Management.

This year you have set up a positive classroom climate, engaged in teamwork, and provided rigorous quality instruction to your students. It is easy to get bogged down in the daily activities and to worry about the next item on the to-do list. This month, we encourage you to take the time to celebrate the progress made by you, your staff, and your students to remind yourself that all that hard work was worth it! 

We will get you prepared to wrap up the school year next month in the May Monthly Instructional Guide.