The Ivy Lee Method is a productivity technique designed to help businesses increase their work ethic and income! Learn what it is and how it works here!

Gratis learning activity My Five Senses for preschoolers to learn sense organs and develop logical thinking, attention and concentration ability. Print PDFs here.

This is part two of a very occasional series of posts about my take on different psychological theories. Earlier this year I took a look at Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological approach to life. Who knew this would be my most popular post? As of this evening, over 4,430 people have viewed that blog entry. I'm thankful that the post is so popular: my human met him once and found him to be a very kind man. Children love and want to be loved and they very much prefer the joy of accomplishment to the triumph of hateful failure. Do not mistake a child for his symptom. -- Erik Erikson Today we draw our attention to Erik Homberger Erikson. Please note, this is someone radically different from the conservative commentator Erick Erickson. The two would have very little in common in their world views. Erik was born on June 15, 1902 in Frankfort am Main, Germany. After graduating from high school, he moved to Florence Italy to study art. By 1927 he was teaching a a psychoanalytically informed school for children in Vienna that was started by Dorothy Burlingham and Anna Freud. Deeply influenced by this work, Erikson earned a certificate from the Maria Montessori School and later did psychoanalytic training at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute. After graduating from the psychoanalytic institute in 1933, Erikson and his wife fled the Nazis who had come to power in Germany. His long career included positions at Massachusetts General Hospital Judge Baker Guidance Center, Harvard Medical School, and University of California Berkeley. While in California Erikson studied children on a Sioux reservation for a year as well as children in the and Yurok tribe. Erikson left Berkeley when professors were asked to sign a loyalty oath. He returned to Massachusetts first working at the Austen Riggs Center for a decade and finally returning to Harvard. He remained a professor of human development at Harvard University until he retired in 1970. Erik Erikson's highest academic degree was a high school diploma. In 1973 the National Endowment for the Humanities selected Erikson for the Jefferson Lecture, which is the US government's highest honor for achievement in the humanities. His lecture was entitled "Dimensions of a New Identity." Enough background information. Onto the good stuff. This chart is the most commonly learned distillation of Erikson's work. Sorry his name is spelled wrong in the chart. It seems there is a lot of confusion about the proper spelling of his name. The spelling I'm using, Erik Erikson, is the correct way. So when you think about it, puppy development and human development isn't all that different. I'm not so sure dogs really ever get past adolescence. That's okay though, I think you all like us just the way we are. Here is Erikson's theory, as it applies to humans, in a nutshell: The infant's first social achievement, then, is his willingness to let the mother out of sight without undue anxiety or rage, because she has become an inner certainty as well as an outer predictability. -- Erik Erikson Early in life both babies and puppies face a crisis: trust versus mistrust. If the world is safe enough, and we are cared for well enough, we develop a sense of stability and security. If we work through this well we approach the world with a confident curiosity. If problems happen (abuse, neglect, deprivation) we learn the world is unsafe, we lose our curiosity, and become closed off and hidden. We learn to hope. Always moving forward, our next crisis is autonomy versus doubt. Ever spend time with a two year old that constantly says no? Play a game with a very young child who insists on controlling every dimension of the game? Early on, youngsters learn a delicate balance between autonomy and interdependence. How many parents, in a demand for discipline, demand complete obedience from their children at all times? Too much of a demand for a child to bend to the will of an adult can create deep feelings of shame, incompetence, and out of control behaviors. Striking a successful balance creates creatures who remain curious, have built in self control, and have a certain degree of autonomy. We learn will. Children must eventually train their own children, and any impoverishment of their impulse life, for the sake of avoiding friction, must be considered a possible liability affecting more than one lifetime. -- Erik Erikson Next up comes initiative versus guilt.Young ones busy themselves learning about the world around them. Square pegs fit in square holes. Round pegs fit in round holes. Sugar spilled on the floor makes mom crabby. We learn to count, speak, and ask for things with ease. We start to engage in activities. We want to play with that game. We want to walk in this direction. We start to take risks and learn how to keep ourselves safe (look both ways before we cross the street!). Good enough parents encourage and support children's efforts toward their own goal directed activities in realistic ways. When things go wrong and parents actively discourage children's independent activities (or belittle their activities), children can develop guilt about their needs, desires, and activities. We learn purpose. The next crisis we all face is industry versus inferiority. During these years, our primary years of school, we find our self confidence. Now having developed goal directed activity, our activity becomes productive. We create the things we need. Words come together to form sentences. Sentences come together to form paragraphs. Paragraphs come together to form stories. Good enough parents share a sense of excitement in what their children create. When things go wrong, and children are ridiculed or unable to meet adult expectations, children internalize a sense of inferiority We learn competence. Every adult, whether he is a follower or a leader, a member of a mass or of an elite, was once a child. He was once small. A sense of smallness forms a substratum in his mind, ineradicably. His triumphs will be measured against this smallness, his defeats will substantiate it. The questions as to who is bigger and who can do or not do this or that, and to whom—these questions fill the adult's inner life far beyond the necessities and the desirabilities which he understands and for which he plans. -- Erik Erikson As childhood rolls into adolescence, we face the crisis of identity versus role confusion. Having built confidence in our abilities, we start to look for our place in our world. We ask the question "Who am I and where am I going?" In this time of development we find ourselves at a crossroad of development where we consolidate the rapid development of childhood and walk across the bridge to adulthood. Given enough time and space to explore the different roles society has to offer us, a young person can freely experiment and explore many different kinds of identities. A good enough parent will let their adolescents stretch and reach into all sorts of different identities while also offering some loose protective boundaries. Restrictive and domineering parents can clip the experiences of an adolescent and prevent them from finding a sense of identity that can haunt them long into their adulthood. We learn our identity. As our adolescence grows into young adulthood, we grapple with issues of intimacy versus isolation. Having found our identities we no longer need to destroy things that threaten our sense of self. We ask of ourselves if we are loved and wanted, and whether we will share our life with someone or live alone. Done well we find ourselves forming long-term commitments to others through intimate and reciprocal relationships. Done poorly, we find ourselves isolated. We learn love. As young adulthood moves into middle adulthood, we face the crisis of generativity versus stagnation. We ask of ourselves, "Will produce something of real value?" We find our way to contribute to society developing a sense of generativity, productivity, and accomplishment. Through our work we provide something toward the betterment of society and future generations. Done poorly we feel stagnated, dissatisfied, and disconnected from a sense of purpose. We learn care. As adults grow into elders, we face the crisis of ego integrity versus despair. Our work gradually slows and our attention turns inward toward contemplating our accomplishments. Done well, we see ourselves has having created a successful life. Done poorly we review our lives and feel we haven't reached our goals and we despair. We learn wisdom. Healthy children will not fear life if their elders have the integrity enough not to fear death. -- Erik Erikson

Eliminate procrastination, anxiety, and low self-esteem Answer a quick quiz to receive your anti-procrastination plan and crush your set goals with tons of focus, energy, and willpower. Start by selecting your gender Male Female Other Disclaimer: Results may vary from person to person. By continuing, you agree to our: Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy … Home Read More »

There are many options for IELTS Writing Task 2 essay structures, but the best one is a simple 4-paragraph structure that will work for any question.

Want to learn how to delegate work to employees in the workplace? Read Live And Learn Consultancy's powerful 9 steps for delegating tasks effectively.

In each text there are 10 mistakes that the students must find and correct. It gives students a possibility to practise their knowledge about English grammar. - ESL worksheets

How do you define which task to start with and which one to put aside? The eisenhower box gives you a very easy trick to define the way to treat your various tasks. Via Dr. Susan Bainbridge

Jobs and Occupations Names with Pictures in English JOBS AND OCCUPATIONS During our life in this life, we cannot meet our every need. Therefore, there are many business groups called occupation. The definition, task, services to people, working area, working conditions, duration and content of each job differ. In order to make a living for someone and sustain their lives, the job they constantly do is called a profession. Occupations emerged from the needs of people and each job has its own characteristics. All occupations have a very important place in our lives because they all serve a different need.

3-Act Math Tasks are some of the most powerful learning experiences I've used in my middle school classroom. Learn about the research behind these effective teaching practices, and grab some incredible ready-to-go lessons for every grade level, primary to high school! #math #mathteacher #mathclass #3actmath #teaching

Have you ever noticed that your child may struggle with some math related tasks yet excel at others? It can be frustrating when math concepts that seem like they should be easy just aren't. Well the truth is that there really has never been a simple way to figure out where the problem really is.

Learn to use the MoSCoW prioritisation technique with this helpful article. MoSCoW analysis, or the MoSCoW method is ideal for anyone working on agile projects. Click here to read.

Practice using a map key, a compass rose, and a scale to read, interpret, and create basic maps! These printables are perfect for teaching geography or quick map skills assessments in first grade, second grade, or third grade! The following print-and-go map skills activities are included: Map Vocabulary Foldable: Students cut along the dotted lines to create three flaps and then fold along the solid line. Under each flap, students define the vocabulary word shown on the top of the flap. Words included are map key, compass rose, and scale. In my own classroom, I use this foldable with an introductory map skills video found on Brain Pop Jr. (This is a paid subscription based service.) Alternatively, you can pair it with a map skills read aloud or provide definitions for your students. Reading a Map Printables: Students will use the map at the top of the page as well as the map key and compass rose to answer questions found at the bottom of the page. Two printable map skills worksheets (Our Neighborhood and Our Zoo) are provided. Our Campground Coordinate Map Printable: Students will complete the coordinate map and answer corresponding questions by following the instructions at the bottom of the page. Our Playground Map Making Performance Task: Students will work alone or in pairs to create a playground map based on given criteria. Two directions page checklist options are provided for differentiation. Symbols sheet and map paper are also provided. Optional digital overlay has been added to the following pages for digital use with Easel by TPT: vocabulary foldable, reading a map printables Teachers Like You Said... ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extremely satisfied "These resources are wonderful! The formatting is great, the maps look so attractive. The students LOVE these and find them easy to work with. I can't say enough positive things, these made my map unit a lot better." - Katherine M., 3rd Grade Teacher ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extremely satisfied "This was an amazing resource to use with my 2nd graders as we started to study maps. It was very engaging and the students were excited to share their answers and find things on the maps. My school has a high population of ESL, and so this was a wonderful resource for them as well. Thank you so much!" - Amanda R., 2nd Grade Teacher ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extremely satisfied "My students really liked this activity. It's fun to build their own maps and a good showcase of if they can read local/simple maps." - Audrey G., 1st Grade Teacher Related Products ☆ Me on the Map (Geography Flip Book) ☆ Continent and Oceans Center Activities ☆ Continents & Oceans Lapbook ☆ Continents and Oceans Geography Research Book, Study Cards, & Quizzes ☆ Continents and Oceans for Google Slides Digital Resource If you enjoy this product, please consider following my store. I post new products and freebies regularly! You can contact me with any questions or requests at [email protected]. Thank you, Amanda Taylor @ Second Grade Smiles

This cartoon is courtesy of Erin Human of Human Illustrations. Erin Human is a writer, cartoonist, and Art Director for Autism Women's Network. You can

Strategies and supports for executive functioning challenges can make all the difference, especially for students who struggle with task initiation. This is such an important skill, since it's like the motor in allowing us to get started on all tasks and assignments. When someone is struggling to in

The Product Owner is 1 of 3 roles in Scrum. They are most commonly known for writing user stories and maintaining the backlog, but a lot goes into doing these tasks well. This week's 1-pager gives a zoomed-out overview. Content of 1-Pager: The Role of the Product Owner Product Owners are crucial for product success as they decide what to build and what not to build. ...

The students watch the video and fill the gaps in the script. Then they find synonyms in the texts to the words given and, finally, they complete with must or mustn't some of the rules of this game. Key provided. The video link is written in the teacher's worksheet.Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io35RCBMQJwMore about sports:https://en.islcollective.com/mypage/my-creations?search_key=SPORTS&type=printables&option=published&id=620769&grammar=&vocabulary=&materials=&levels=&studentTypes=&skills=&languageExams=&dialect=&functions=&page=1&sorting_type=most_newest&filter_type=filter_all&view_type=list&view_length=12 - ESL worksheets

There is a reason behind every component of a independent work system. Do you know the 4 questions each work system should answer? Click through to find out.

I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with TEACCH (or Structured Teaching). You might be thinking, "my goodness, what is this woman N...

I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with TEACCH (or Structured Teaching). You might be thinking, "my goodness, what is this woman NOT obsessed with?!?" Well...when I find something that works; that allows my students to experience success, and lets be honest, that makes my job just a little easier...I become obsessed! AND I want to share my stories with the world, because if it works, more people need to know about it. So, in an effort to share my TEACCH story with the world, I will be doing several blog posts about what TEACCH looks like in my Functional Classroom. If you're reading this post, I am guessing you have some idea of what TEACCH is, but if not I will give a brief synopsis of the program... By definition, Structured Teaching (or TEACCH) "is an instructional strategy that emphasizes visual supports. Its aims are to increase and maximize independent functioning and reduce the frequent need for teacher correction and reprimand (Schopler, Mesibov, & Hearsey, 1995)." Fits right into what you are trying to do in your functional classroom right?!? I like this particular definition better than others I have seen out there, because it doesn't specify a WHO. The program was designed for individuals on the Autism spectrum, but ALL learners can benefit from it, those without disabilities When I attended training in the program several years ago, I left feeling slightly overwhelmed and not quite sure how this program would look in MY classroom, teaching only functional skills, with learning happening in the community more than the classroom. So, I started small. I followed the program. I shifted and adjusted the physical organization of my classroom. I created specific work environments and tried to embed them into what would be a natural environment in the adult world. From there I began creating schedules...lots and lots of schedules. There were student specific schedules and there were schedules within tasks. As I saw successes, I began to feel more comfortable and continued adding more and more TEACCH elements to my classroom, quickly realizing that TEACCH wasn't a program that one followed so much as it was a way of thinking, or an approach to instruction. TEACCH is the modifications and supports we provide across all settings for our students. My worries about how TEACCH would work in my classroom melted away and I began to wonder how my classroom ever ran smoothly without TEACCH! One of the parts I have really enjoyed in incorporating these methods and approaches into my classroom, has been the introduction of what we call "Independent Work Tasks." These are tasks that train an individual to start, follow through, complete, and move on from a task independently. Throw "TEACCH tasks" into the search bar of Pinterest and you will find a SLEW of ideas. Or you can check out my board: TEACCH Work Tasks and Ideas, to see what I have found out there. When I am working on creating new tasks, I try to think about the areas that my students may have deficets, and create a task around those particular skills. These tasks provide great opportunities to work on fine motor, organization, and following multi-step directions. In my functional classroom, we have 20 bins and counting. I have created all that the space on my shelf will allow, and would like to now start creating additional tasks that can be rotated in and out. Below I show and describe some of my favorite tasks. This is our coupon cutting task. I have a stash of the coupon flyers from the Sunday paper, that I collect, and have colleagues collect for me. Students cut the coupon and place in the labeled bins. Using the coupons we acquire from the cutting task mentioned above, we have a task that asks students to sort the coupons into identified areas of the grocery store. For several years we had some young men come through our program that enjoyed partaking in "handy" activities around the center. Their interest fueled this work task. Students match colors to place the different screws in the right hole and then use the appropriate screw driver to screw them into place, or remove them. This task requires alphabetizing basic dolch words. I would like to create a new stack of cards that include survival words as well. Our "Office Supply Sort" requires placement of office supplies into a bag. Right now the task requires just one of each item. We are working on creating cards that make specific requests for each bag to add another level of difficulty to the task. This hardward sort was also inspired my my handy young men a few years ago. Silverware sorting. This is one I found on Pinterest. The shirts have polka dots and the individual has to match the number of polka dots on the shirt to the written number on a pair of pants and clothes pin them together. This task was inspired by a need. Upon returning from the grocery store each week, our students are required to empty their bags and put away their groceries. Many times, after they had left the kitchen, we would find items in the most bizarre locations. One day, when attempting to make pigs in a blanket for lunch, we discovered our crescent rolls in the cabinet! So our pigs were left without blankets, and this teacher decided some direct instruction on WHERE food items are stored was necessary! This task was also inspired while preparing lunch. If found that when given the task of "picking out a vegetable" or "picking out a fruit" to prepare for lunch, many of our students did not know the difference. We also made sure when creating this task, to not just include FRESH fruit and vegetable items, but canned and frozen items as well, as that is where a lot of the confusion was occurring! I saved my very favorite for the very end. This one too, came out of student need. Very early on in the school year we discovered that a young lady had a VERY difficult time plugging in a vacuum during chores. Chatting during planning time with my paras one morning, and processing aloud my attempts to solve this problem, I mentioned how awesome it would be to take extension cords and a powerstrip and some how put together a work task for this young lady. The next evening, I received a phone call from one of my paras who asked if I was home, she had something she HAD to show me. A short time later, I opened my front door to her, holding this amazing creation. She had chatted with her husband, and he had whipped this together. Amazing! Just about a week after introducing this task to that fine young lady, she was plugging in the vacuum with ease! Through structures and routines, students in our program know that if they have a little extra time, after completing a work sheet, before heading out on the bus, or in between lunch and work experience, they are to select and complete an independent work task. And, as the year goes on, I know I have to come up with more and more tasks to keep them busy, engaged, and challenged! Do you have any awesome work tasks that you use in your classroom? Come to the edge with me... Mackenzie

Tasks do not have to be difficult or expensive. This color matching task can be made easily and by adding chopsticks, tweezers, etc...the student will be working on their fine motor skills. Thanks to Child Care Resources for the wonderful idea! http://blog.starstraining.org/2012/12/toilet-paper-roll-color-match.html

Tasks boxes are literally LIFE SAVERS in my classroom! They're the perfect solution when we are trying to work 1:1 with a kid or in very sm...

Who is prepping more work boxes this summer? I just love getting new ideas, especially for our older life skill students! Christina Bailey, a transition life skill teacher, offered to share a bunch of her work boxes on my blog! Thank you Christina! Christina works with transition aged students (19-26 years old) with severe cognitive and/or health impairments. Her school serves students from multiple school districts within the county who learn best in an alternative placement. Are you ready? Here they are!! Putting together (or taking apart) flashlights. Bonus points if students can get the batteries in correctly and get the light to turn on! (Motivation!!) Ice cube tray and colored pebbles with tongs. I love the fine motor aspect added here. Marker packaging. I absolutely love this task and would be a great one to buy during back to school marker sales (especially on those really cheap markers you don't really want to use in your classroom!) Erasers on pencils. This has always been one of my favorite tasks! Silverware sorting. A must for every work task station, am I right? And a super easy and cheap one to put together. Silverware rolling / packaging. I love this task as it is perfect for vocational preparation. Putting together curlers. Ribbon threading around a wire basket. I never would have thought of this task! I love using the wire basket to thread the ribbon, and bet students would have fun with this task too. Sewing kit packaging. Packaging tasks like this are great! Tea candle sort. I love this age appropriate color sorting activity. Toiletry packaging. Wouldn't it be awesome to get donations of items like this and put together kits to give out to the homeless as a classroom service project? So, there you have it! Did you get some more good ideas? Happy task box prep! If you ever have anything you want to share, feel free to email me. I love being able to share your fantastic ideas with other special education teachers like yourself!

Tasks boxes are literally LIFE SAVERS in my classroom! They're the perfect solution when we are trying to work 1:1 with a kid or in very small groups. They keep kiddos busy but can be completed totally independently. I have a variety of levels of task boxes because my students' abilities varies a lot. I recycle all kinds of stuff for task boxes including shoe boxes, plastic tubs, coffee cans, Clorox wipe containers, plastic cereal containers and tissue boxes. Sorting two objects Matching colors and threading Matching colors Patterning Shape sort Build names or words with magnetic letters and magnetic strip. Number match and sequencing

This easy office work task box is great for students who need to practice vocational tasks. Grab the video tutorial and tips in the post.

Task boxes can be highly beneficial for special education students for several reasons: They provide structured learning by way of presenting learning materials in an organized way, they provide visual supports, repetition & practice, and skill generalization. Task boxes can also be customized to meet each individual student’s needs and IEP goals, promote independence, and […]

Find engaging classroom job skills ideas with these easy to set up job prep activities for special education and students with disabilities.

Variety of TEACCH work task boxes to help promote student independent work. Great for students with autism and special needs.

Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism

Don’t you love it when you can find fine motor tasks that challenge and motivate students?!?! These two tasks are doing just that for my class! The first activity we introduced was the smiley tennis ball. To prep the tennis ball, draw a smiley face with a black sharpie on the tennis ball and then ... Read More about Fine Motor Work Tasks

I've preached and preached about why it's SO important to teach students to work independently and use structured work systems. I want to show you three ways to use structured work systems in a variety of settings. These systems are great because they can be implemented in any classroom and at home! You can also use similar structured systems during direct instruction and groups to provide students with consistent structure. I love all of these systems because they're PORTABLE! They're small and students can easily take them from class to class or between home and school but they provide students with the structure they need! Binder system: A common structured work system a the binder system! This is different than the usual binder system that just has Velcro pieces in it though! A binder set up like this is awesome because it can include the structure of a schedule and you can use any work materials (worksheets, books to read, Velcro tasks, etc.). Binders are also great because students can easily take them to/ from different classrooms with adapted work or take them home with homework. I love to add a first/ then chart on the front of the binder to remind students what they're working for. Students can then take the reward (i.g. swing) off and take it to a staff member when they're finished working. The inside of a binder system. Hot glue the schedule on the left side of the binder. Use dividers with pockets (you could also use pencil pouches!) and then put matching schedule card on front of divider. Put a "finished" card on the back pocket of the binder for students to put their completed work. You could also include another pocket folder to put the "finished" card on, but I find it's hard for students to slip papers and work into the dividers. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! Folder system: This is the easiest to master and most basic system I'm going to share. A folder system is great because they BLEND IN. I'm all about giving our students materials that look just like the materials that their peers are using. A down fall to the folder system is they aren't great for using with tasks with Velcro pieces (unless you have the pieces attached to the page somehow). Again, I like to add a "first/ then" char to the front of my folder systems. All the folder system needs is a "to do" label on the left side and a "finished" label on the right. Students just move the work over to the right as they complete it. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! Small drawer system: Drawer systems are also commonly used and are great! I love drawer systems, but I try to use them less than binders and folders because they aren't as portable. It's easy for a student to take a folder or binder to their general ed classroom or home, but bringing a set of drawers home or to another classroom isn't always practical. Drawer systems are great for Velcro tasks or for larger tasks (like puzzles or true task boxes/ shoe box tasks). You'll have your schedule, a drawer system (a small one or large one) with matching schedule cards glued on, and a bucket with a "finished" card glued on. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! If you want to grab the schedules/ printables for setting up structured work systems in your classroom, head over to my TpT shop to grab them for FREE!

Vocational Training with gift cards is engaging for students with disabilities, this differentiated & fun activity is perfect in a workstation! They'll love it!

You all LOVED the 4 simple task boxes I shared here, so here are 4 more! SIMPLE task boxes that don’t cost a fortune and are low level for independent work and beginning learners are so hard to find. What’s even harder to find is ones that are appropriate for ANY age. These 4 hit […]

Sped Independent Work Area