First 15 Days of School for
High School Special Education Classrooms

The new school year is just around the corner, and it’s time to get ready! While back-to-school may seem exciting for some, the preparations can be overwhelming.

After all, returning to school after a long break can be tough for special education students. How do you help your new and returning students transition smoothly from their summer break?

To be honest, I’ve been teaching high school SPED for years now, and I still feel a bit stressed when planning the first few weeks of back-to-school. Thankfully, I’ve learned from experience and am ready to share my best practices with you.

Continue reading for some tips and activity ideas to help you with your first 15 days of school in your high school SPED classroom! (and download the FREE GUIDE here)!

6 Back-to-School Tips for
High School SPED & Transition

Preparing for the first weeks of school is important, especially for us teaching in a special education classroom.

Unlike general education teachers, we often have different things to consider when getting ready for the school year. Each student, whether old or new, has different needs, and having a solid plan can make all the difference.

When you’re prepared, you can help reduce your students’ anxiety and set a positive tone for the new school year.

Let’s explore some helpful tips to get you and your Special Ed classroom ready!

#1: Focus on Routines

In a SPED classroom, having a clear routine is key. They help create a sense of security and predictability for your students, which is very important for those with special needs.

Start by establishing a daily schedule that includes everything from morning routines to end-of-day wrap-ups. Since it’s the start of the school year, you can keep the activities easy and fun at first. This helps your students get used to the routine without feeling overwhelmed.

It’s also helpful to use visual schedules and repeat the routine often so your students can easily follow along.

Additionally, make sure to consider the service hours required for each student and check your schedule against your students’ IEPs to ensure all goals are being met.

Lastly, allow extra time for transitions between activities and adjust the schedule as needed to fit your students’ needs. Don’t be too hard on yourself! It takes time to get the perfect routine for your class and be consistent with it.

#2: Get Yourself Organized

Being organized is an important factor for a successful school year. When everything is organized, you create a positive learning environment for your students. It also reduces stress because when everything is in its place and you have a clear plan, you can focus more on teaching and less on the chaos.

First, organize all the documents and resources you need for the first few weeks of school. Use a planner to keep track of all your tasks and your students’ different schedules. Calendars are also great reminders of important dates like birthdays, holidays, and special events.

Then, set up your classroom so that materials are easy to find and accessible to all students. Label everything clearly and create a designated space for each activity!

#3: Review Rules and Expectations

Classroom rules and expectations help create a positive learning environment where everyone knows what to do and what to expect.

When you set up the rules and expectations, let your students help make them so they’d feel more involved and responsible. Ask them what rules they think are needed. This can make a big difference in how they follow the rules!

In the first week of class, repeatedly review the rules and be firm about them. Keep the rules simple and use visual reminders to help students remember them. Here’s an editable classroom rules poster template that you can use.

#4: Get Your Class to Open Up

Getting your students to open up during the first days of back-to-school can be a smooth process with the right approach.

Start by sharing a little about yourself to make them feel comfortable. You can use activities like self-introductions, talking about summer vacations, or doing a simple survey or poll.

Since you’re teaching high school SPED, you can start with questions that are related to their transition or career planning. This way, you’ll get to know their interests and learning styles while also gathering important baseline information.

Remember, it’s okay if some students are not ready to talk about certain things right away. Take it slow and respect their comfort levels. Over time, they will feel more at ease and be more willing to share.

#5: Review and Set Up IEP Goals

Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) are as important as the teacher in a special education classroom. Each student has an IEP that includes their strengths, weaknesses, and goals for the year.

IEPs don’t usually change over the summer, so you don’t really have much to do with your old students’ IEPs. But if you have a new student, be sure to get all their information beforehand and familiarize yourself with their IEP. If possible, try to meet the student and their family before school starts.

By familiarizing yourself with these IEPs before school starts, you can tailor your teaching to meet each student’s unique needs. Remember that not every IEP is the same, and some students will need more support than others. Knowing their goals helps you plan lessons much easier!

#6: Balance Planning with Fun

While planning and routines are important, don’t forget to add some fun to your schedule!

Include fun activities like crafting, school walk, or games. This Would You Rather Career Edition resource is a classroom favorite! You can also organize a scavenger hunt around the school to help students get familiar with different areas while having fun.

Fun activities keep students excited and they won’t feel too overwhelmed with academics at the start of the year.

What to Do on the First 15 Days of School

We’ve already talked about some tips to help you prepare better for back to school. Now, what? Next comes the planning of activities.

If you’re not sure how to structure the first 15 days of school for your high school and transition class, check out this guide that I’ve mapped out!

Day 1

Review/Create the class expectations during a class with your students. This helps students understand what’s expected and gives them a sense of ownership.

Review the Schedule and Morning Meeting Routine. Consistency is key when getting your students used to their new class schedule.

Use the three activities in this All About Me lesson resource for the rest of the day.

Day 2

Review the expectations and schedule from yesterday.
Introduce a daily morning check-in and start doing it daily for the rest of the school year.
Have the students do the games and activities found in this How I Spent My Summer Vacation Lesson & Game for a fun back to school.

Day 3

Help your students familiarize themselves with the classroom by sharing a classroom info visual poster.
Have your students create their own personal schedules to promote independence and help them follow daily routines more easily. Check out the schedule template from this free resource!

Day 4

Have your students fill out a personal information form, then send a copy home so parents can help check the accuracy of the information.
Talk about special dates like birthdays and graduation, then make a bulletin board for these events.

Day 5

Teach your class about community safety rules.
Have your students help set up a community safety bulletin board with labels and posters.

Day 6

Go over important logistics like transportation, lunches, lockers, outings, and schedules.
Have a scavenger hunt in your school building to help familiarize them with the area.

Day 7

Review what IEP goals and visions are using a simple social narrative story.
Help your students set up their IEP Goal Sheets & Self-Monitoring Goal Trackers.
End the day with a fun game or go for a walk.

Day 8

Start a daily goal-setting activity to be done every day after the morning check-in.
Use a social file to help your students learn about their classmates
To practice more social skills, teach the class a lesson on small talk.

Day 9

Set up your Google Classroom and have the students familiarize themselves with it.
Review the social file and small talk lessons.
Have a “social group” activity to enhance social skills.

Day 10

Have a lesson on different types of food meals and recipes.
Review expectations around grocery shopping, meal voting, and cooking.
Have your students check their Google Classroom and complete a meal voting activity. You can use this reusable Weekly Recipe Plan template and upload it to the Google Classroom so your students can vote easily!

Day 11

Using Google Classroom, have the students do their first meal planning activity after reviewing the meal voting results as a class.
If going off campus isn’t possible yet, you can have a class on grocery shopping. But if you can go out, take them to the store and let them shop for groceries!

Day 12

Have a class on transition planning and do a future planning activity.
Review job opportunities and introduce job expectations and job journals.
Play a class game related to transition planning and employment preferences.

Day 13

Have another session of the social group activity, and review the social file or small talk lesson if needed.
Review what IEP meetings are like and how the students will participate. After going over the details, you can guide your students using an editable slideshow for IEP planning.
Review the community safety rules from Day 5, and then go for a walk.

Day 14

Begin a weekly current event class using Google Classroom. Discuss news at different levels of complexity.
Play this Traveling Safety Game!

Day 15

Plan a community trip by letting the students vote on a place to visit. You can use Google Classroom and assign this weekly from now on.
Review community safety rules from day 5, then go for a walk.

The first few weeks in a high school SPED classroom are all about creating a safe, structured, and engaging environment.

Be sure to plan ahead and prepare activities that will help your students transition smoothly from summer break to the new school year.

Let me help you further with this Back to School Transition SPED Bundle! It has everything you need to get you started with the new school year. From posters and lesson materials to templates and activities, you’ll get access to editable, printable, and digital resources!