Why I don’t have a Christmas tree in my classroom

Christmas is hard. We think of it as a joyous time for children. We love seeing their eyes light up in wonder at the bright lights, sparkly decorations, and delectable sweet treats. But for students with neurological or psychological disorders such as autism, ADHD, emotional disabilities, or other cognitive disabilities, it’s a horrifying nightmare. First, there’s the sensory overload of the …

Public Peeing in Paris

Let’s face it. We all do it. We just don’t all do it in public. Introducing Paris, France and her lovely outdoor urinals for men: To see a lot more details about how this baby works, go here:  Public Peeing. Basically, a guy sidles up to the trash-can-like device and pees inside. The pee lands on the straw that is …

Not your grandmother’s snow day

Teacher or student, I’ve always loved me a snow day. (For you English teachers, I realize that is not proper grammar. I’m writing in casual conversation here…) I grew up in southern Kansas. Snow days were rare. My best recollection of a snow day was the winter of 1971 when my dad wrapped Wonder Bread sacks around our shoes and …

Proof: teaching sign language and communication works

In my last post, Teaching autism: first things first, I talked about the importance of teaching sign language and communication skills first. After I posted the video, I found the following inspiration: I’m passionate about kids getting early intervention and getting it consistently. Indiana education systems need to wake up. There are too many students who don’t get the chance …

Teaching autism: first things first

What do we do first for kids with autism? Teach them to communicate! Meet their sensory needs! Here’s the video I created to share with those who work with your child with autism. I hope it helps!   Let me know what videos you’d like to see by leaving me a note in the comments below. Please tweet: What other …

Karla Teaches

As you may or may not know, I’m nearing the end of my journey toward my degree in Special Education! If I make it through student teaching I’ll graduate in December. Yay! If you’d like to follow my adventures, you can do so here at KarlaTeaches.com  If you have ever been a student teacher and have tips for me, I …

Meet me in Iowa!

Hi, Friends! Just a wee update to let you know that I’ll be speaking at the Homeschool Iowa Conference next week! Here are the topics I’ll be covering: Technology and Your Homeschool Is technology really all that important? How should you use it in your homeschool? When should you not use it? Learn some creative ways to integrate technology in …