Burnout runs rampant in education, particularly in the field of special education, and has only increased with the rise of virtual and remote learning. This book compiles 50 evidence-based strategies and practices to help special educators enjoy their work for the long haul. You’ll discover new ways to work with families, manage your classroom, teach in culturally responsive ways, and prioritize self-care. Each chapter includes an opening vignette, key themes supported by research, and five reproducible tools to put into immediate practice. With strategies and tools to ensure classroom fun and satisfaction, this book reminds special education teachers of the life-changing work they do every day and is essential for teachers of any level.

A deeply-reported examination of why "doing what you love" is a recipe for exploitation, creating a new tyranny of work in which we cheerily acquiesce to doing jobs that take over our lives. You're told that if you "do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." Whether it's working for "exposure" and "experience," or enduring poor treatment in the name of "being part of the family," all employees are pushed to make sacrifices for the privilege of being able to do what we love. In Work Won't Love You Back, Sarah Jaffe, a preeminent voice on labor, inequality, and social movements, examines this "labor of love" myth—the idea that certain work is not really work, and therefore should be done out of passion instead of pay. Told through the lives and experiences of workers in various industries—from the unpaid intern, to the overworked teacher, to the nonprofit worker and even the professional athlete—Jaffe reveals how all of us have been tricked into buying into a new tyranny of work. As Jaffe argues, understanding the trap of the labor of love will empower us to work less and demand what our work is worth. And once freed from those binds, we can finally figure out what actually gives us joy, pleasure, and satisfaction.

PARENTING NEVER ENDS. From the founders of the #1 site for parents of teens and young adults comes an essential guide for building strong relationships with your teens and preparing them to successfully launch into adulthood The high school and college years: an extended roller coaster of academics, friends, first loves, first break-ups, driver’s ed, jobs, and everything in between. Kids are constantly changing and how we parent them must change, too. But how do we stay close as a family as our lives move apart? Enter the co-founders of Grown and Flown, Lisa Heffernan and Mary Dell Harrington. In the midst of guiding their own kids through this transition, they launched what has become the largest website and online community for parents of fifteen to twenty-five year olds. Now they’ve compiled new takeaways and fresh insights from all that they’ve learned into this handy, must-have guide. Grown and Flown is a one-stop resource for parenting teenagers, leading up to—and through—high school and those first years of independence. It covers everything from the monumental (how to let your kids go) to the mundane (how to shop for a dorm room). Organized by topic—such as academics, anxiety and mental health, college life—it features a combination of stories, advice from professionals, and practical sidebars. Consider this your parenting lifeline: an easy-to-use manual that offers support and perspective. Grown and Flown is required reading for anyone looking to raise an adult with whom you have an enduring, profound connection.

Supporting Your Child with Special Needs offers practical activities and strategies to help you prepare your children for school success and best connect with school personnel to meet your child's unique needs. Each of the ten chapters includes key themes supported by research as well as activities for you to complete with your children to bond with and build them up. Rachel Jorgensen's guidance will help you both understand and tackle the real-world situations you'll encounter as a parent navigating the special education system. You will find yourself better equipped to support your child in the school setting and better able to prepare your child for a path to greater independence in adulthood.

Special education is facing a period of increasing conflict, which is leading to untenable jobs and an exodus from the field. This important and innovative book offers a framework that can begin to resolve many of the consequential challenges special educators, schools, and students are dealing with. Through a framing of effective leadership built through authentic collaboration, this book outlines how we might stop viewing the issues in special education as insurmountable problems, and instead see them as informative starting points from which to communicate, brainstorm, and organize operative partnerships to find solutions, change practices, and create better outcomes at the level of entire districts as well as individual schools. Redesigning Special Education Systems Through Collaborative Problem Solving is key reading for school and district leaders and administrators, special education teachers, and preservice teachers interested in becoming more productively engaged in creating solutions and making changes in the field of special education.

Passion cannot be faked. Students can tell when we're just going through the motions. But how can you summon the energy to teach with passion when there are so many distractions pulling you from what really matters? And if you barely have time for taking care of yourself, how can you have anything left to give your students? Don't wait for teaching to become fun again: plan for it! Your enthusiasm will become unshakeable as you learn how to: -Create curriculum "bright spots" that you can't wait to teach -Gain energy from kids instead of letting them drain you -Uncover real meaning and purpose for every single lesson -Incorporate playfulness and make strong connections with kids -Stop letting test scores and evaluations define your success -Construct a self-running classroom that frees you to teach -Say "no" without guilt and make your "yes" really count -Establish healthy, balanced habits for bringing work home -Determine what matters most and let go of the rest -Innovate and adapt to make teaching an adventure Unshakeable is a collection of inspiring mindset shifts and practical, teacher-tested ideas for getting more satisfaction from your job. It's an approach that guides you to find your inner drive and intrinsic motivation which no one can take away. Unshakeable will help you incorporate a love of life into your teaching, and a love of teaching into your life. Learn how to tap into what makes your work inherently rewarding and enjoy teaching every day...no matter what.

In an ever-changing society where God and godliness are often marginalized in educational settings, there are intense challenges facing teachers today that can sometimes prompt a disconnect with their foundational purpose to apply Christ’s teachings within a school environment. In an empowering guide that includes real-life stories, reflective exercises, and uplifting insights, special education teacher and instructional coach Alyssa Stickan begins with a profound exploration of how to apply Christ’s timeless wisdom to daily teaching practices and create a nurturing and supportive atmosphere where every student is valued and understood. Educators will learn how to embrace their role as mentors and guides, view students through the eyes of their Creator, foster of a culture of appreciation and acknowledgement by integrating empathy, compassion, and love into their interactions with students. Through Stickan’s guidance, teachers will get to know the hearts of their students and cultivate meaningful connections that inspire growth, resilience, and self-discovery. Seeing Your Students through God’s Eyes equips teachers with practical strategies for navigating challenges and celebrating successes within the classroom while serving as a beacon of hope and inspiration.