In one of my last posts I shared some general strategies for Special Education Teachers, and talked about the challenges and joys of being a special education teacher. Special education is a rewarding field, but it can also be exhausting, with constant paperwork, behaviour management, and the sheer emotional weight of supporting and advocating for your students.
In this post, I’ll share 10 specific and practical strategies for Special Education Teachers that I’ve used to manage overwhelm and thrive in this unique role.
This year, I am also teaching other Secondary subjects in addition to special education. These strategies work well for all teachers! Whether you’re a new teacher or a seasoned professional, I hope these tips provide actionable support for your journey.
Prioritizing and Organizing
Tip 1: Master Your To-Do List
It’s easy to feel buried under endless tasks. One of the strategies for special education teachers to manage the overwhelm is to have a clear plan for the day. Some teachers start by categorizing responsibilities into daily, weekly, and monthly priorities. I know some teachers who benefit from a simple three-column chart to sort tasks by urgency.
Having ADHD means that I often tweak things to work for my brain. Instead of using a planner with a three-column chart, I tend to focus on the daily tasks only. I don’t ignore the weekly and monthly tasks, I just keep them on a different page so I don’t get distracted or overwhelmed with what is going on.
At the beginning of the week, I will look at my list of weekly events, tasks, and deadlines. These are then distributed by day on one sheet. I have a notebook that I use for this.
I use a page almost like a weekly preview where all of this info is kept. On the next page, I have a list of each day of the week where I allocate events from the weekly preview based on deadlines, etc.
Beside that, I have a list of action items for the week so that I know what I want to work on.
Example:
At the beginning of each week, I list non-negotiables like IEP deadlines and parent communication on the specific day that they need to be completed. I then add other tasks (like classroom prep) on a day where I think I might have the time to get to it. If I don’t get to it on the day that I have placed it, I move it to the next day.
If I see that something has been moved for several days in a row, this is a cue for me to either try to get it done, or reflect on why I keep putting it off.
Crossing items off when they are complete gives me a sense of accomplishment and keeps me focused.
Tip 2: Simplify Your Systems
Streamline processes like IEP documentation, behaviour tracking, marking, and assessment results, with ready-made templates or digital tools. This can be as simple as a spreadsheet to track marks or as complicated as a Google Form. As far as strategies for special education teachers goes, this is one of the most helpful ones for managing my overwhelm.
Example:
I created a Google Form for tracking student behaviours that automatically generates a data chart. This saves hours of manual work and gives me quick access during meetings. I have the same sort of form for tracking progress toward IEP goals for when I need to create report cards.
Building a Support System
Tip 3: Rely on Your Team
You don’t have to do everything alone. Leverage the skills of paraprofessionals, department colleagues, and other team members. Often you have a grade partner or other members in your department who are teaching the same or similar courses and subjects. You could each create an assignment or activity and then share them so that you are dividing your workload.
Example:
I assign paraprofessionals specific tasks, like resetting independent work stations or working with small groups to reinforce skills that I have already taught. Clear communication about roles and expectations makes teamwork seamless.
I also find that feedback and input from paraprofessionals is so valuable to planning for student goals. Having a solid team also helps alleviate stress as challenging dynamics can make the day difficult to get through.
Similarly, discussing and collaborating with colleagues and/or teaching partners is a great way to brainstorm and reflect as you work through the challenges and tasks in your day.
Tip 4: Cultivate Peer Connections
Connecting with other teachers can provide invaluable support. I find that when I go through challenges or situations with a colleague, I am able to brainstorm solutions. It also helps me to reflect on how I feel about the challenges as I discuss it, which ultimately helps me to process and then create solutions.
Example:
I joined an online community for special education teachers on Facebook where I can share ideas, find inspiration, and get advice. These connections remind me that I’m not alone and often lead to new ideas and creative solutions.
Setting Boundaries to Avoid Burnout
Tip 5: Create a Work-Life Separation
It can be challenging to leave work at work, especially when you care for your students and their well being, but setting boundaries is essential for your own mental health and to avoid burnout. This is possibly the most important of the strategies for special education teachers to manage overwhelm. When my kids were very young, I was told “you can’t pour from an empty cup”. That absolutely applies here too. You have to take care of yourself so that you can be the best version of yourself when others need you.
Example:
I set working hours for myself and avoid answering emails, planning and prepping, communicating with parents, or worrying about my students outside of those times. Instead, I use that time to focus on my family and hobbies.
Tip 6: Learn to Say No
You don’t need to say yes to every committee, club, or extra duty. Protect your time, attention, and energy.
Example:
When asked by admin to join an additional committee, I will almost always politely decline. This can be super daunting, especially if you have aspirations of moving on to a role with additional responsibilities or to admin. It can feel like you are preventing progress with your career by declining an additional responsibility. In these moments I reflect on where I am emotionally and mentally. Often, I don’t have the bandwidth to take on anything else.
Managing Emotional and Physical Well-Being
Tip 7: Practice Self-Care
Self-care doesn’t need to be extravagant. Find small, meaningful ways to recharge.
I used to think that this needed to be things like taking a bath or getting a massage. What I have come to learn about myself is that I am energized when I am creative. The “what” of self care is going to be different for each of us.
I think the point here is to find what energizes you and focus on that. It is important to do this when you are feeling great and when you are feeling mentally drained or burnt out.
This is possibly my favourite of the strategies for special education teachers. Focusing on self care before you start to burn out is a great way to help prevent getting to that stage in the first place.
Example:
I take 10 minutes during my prep period to colour. I keep a colouring book and pencil crayons in my workroom and spend 10 minutes colouring with calming music or a background ambience track playing.
I have found that this works for me to calm my thoughts and reset.
Self care does not always look like an art activity for everyone. There are times when I will do a 10 minute body scan or guided meditation.
Sometimes, I just make a cup of coffee and do a sudoku or crossword puzzle. There are many times that I will read a book on my phone.
The important thing here is to find what works for you to decompress and reset.
Tip 8: Use Art as a Creative Outlet
Creative hobbies can help you process emotions and decompress. You don’t have to be good at art. You don’t have to create a masterpiece that you can sell. You just have to enjoy the process.
I find that I often get in my own way with art. I love doing it and find making time for creativity in my day really helps my mental health.
The challenge for me is that I want everything that I create to be perfect. This is something I have worked to overcome, even though I’m not quite there yet.
Example:
Painting with watercolours in the evening helps me relax and shift my focus away from the day’s challenges. Sometimes, though, I just don’t want to deal with the mess. Getting coloured pencils and an adult colouring book is also really helpful.
Tip 9: Practice Mindfulness in the Classroom
Mindfulness isn’t just for students; it’s a powerful tool for teachers, too. I mentioned doing a body scan on my prep. That is a great option when you happen to get a moment to yourself. Sometimes, that just doesn’t happen in a day.
In the chaotic moments, I try to even find a minute or less to do some breathing exercises. These don’t have to be obvious to anyone or a big production. It can be as simple as square breathing for as long as you can.
On those really busy days, or days when everything is just chaotic (think full moon), try some mindfulness with your students. Not only do they benefit from breathing or mindfulness, but so do you.
This is especially helpful when you model mindfulness in peaceful and/or quiet times. This allows students to practice strategies when they are not in an escalated state, making them more likely to be able to do the strategy when they are escalated.
Example:
When I feel overwhelmed, I take a moment to do some deep breathing with my students. It helps us all reset and teaches them valuable coping skills.
Continuing to Grow Professionally
Tip 10: Keep Learning and Adapting
Seek out professional development opportunities that align with your challenges and goals. For me, the more I know or understand about a topic, the better I feel about tackling it. When I feel overwhelmed, I want to learn how to set myself up so that I can better manage.
Example:
My school board holds “lunch and learn” sessions where you can attend learning sessions while you eat your lunch. These kinds of sessions can give you new information or strategies to try.
It also allows for collaboration and connection with colleagues who may be finding the same challenges that you have. This connection and ability to talk about your experiences can be really valuable in managing overwhelm.
Final Thoughts…
Feeling overwhelmed can, unfortunately, be part of the journey as a teacher. The good news is that it doesn’t have to define it! By implementing even one or two of these strategies, you can start to feel more in control of your day.
Progress is made one step at a time.
I would love to hear about the strategies that have worked for you! Share them in the comments below, or connect with me by email, on Instagram, or or on YouTube to continue the conversation. Let’s support each other on our journey!