Thanksgiving Fun from Autism Classroom Creations!

It's the weekend before Turkey Day!! Thanksgiving is a time of reflection of all that we are thankful for in our lives. Our students are busy making turkey's out of hand prints and writing words of thanks. I cherish all of those little gifts from my three children. However, as they get older we do not get them as often. My older two are middle and high schoolers. My youngest is in fourth grade and still has all the wisdom of what being thankful is all about. You know what I'm talking about.  Giving thanks comes in many forms. We thank the teachers and parents who work endless hours making the classroom a great environment.  In the special education classrooms, we thank the kids for teaching us, why each day is a gift. There is something awesome about teaching special education that not everyone has the joy to see. My students have a different outlook than most of us. They take each day as each day. They find joy in the things we miss. They are loving and trusting beyond what most of us will ever understand. I thank my students and the parents in my classroom for lessons they teach me daily. No two days are the same and the blessings I have endless. I love what I do and I am thankful God gave me the job that I have and the people around me.

 I teach high school. I teach grades 10 and 12+ (they stay with us until age 22).  I teach children with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities and autism. It is an everyday thought to keep the kids learning on grade level while keeping it age appropriate. We still have to teach the kids everyday life skills, we still have to give them access to the core curriculum, and we still have to maintain interest at a level that makes sense to them. It is a balance that takes ongoing years of practice. I still work on it constantly after 18 years.

We are off this week for Thanksgiving break. Many of you may still be in class and wondering what to do share the thanksgiving joy and get everyone in the spirit of the week. I have three very different levels of learners in my class and we had a great time with a new activity I created.  I have students who are non-verbal/non readers, low and high level readers, and each one with their own unique learning style. I also have students who have visual impairments.

I wanted to make an activity we could work on as a class and then work on as individuals. I wanted to include graphic organizers, visual appealing , and appropriate materials for each level. The idea was to write what we are thankful for. Nothing new, I know. But I wanted to share how I differentiate. Yep, that buzz word in education that to special educators is what we are all about.  If you have a few days left of teaching this week before Thanksgiving or you want to save the resource for next year, check it out on my Tpt site:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Literacy-for-Differentiated-Learning-977758.   Included are writing prompts for high level and low level readers, picture choices, a visual template for learners with visual impairments, and a graphic organizer. Great for use with a smart board!

Here is a sneak peak:

Follow me and stay tuned for more holiday lessons! Have a Wonderful  Thanksgiving!!

P.S.   If you read this far, thanks! Click here to enter the Giveaway for a chance to win a copy of  this lesson!   http://www.teachersnotebook.com/deals/giveaways/2510  

Enter now 11/24-11/26 for a chance to be 1 of 3 lucky winners!

~Jenna