Are you a New Self Contained Special Education Teacher?

Starting your first year as a self-contained special education teacher can feel overwhelming—you’re not alone in that! Between figuring out classroom setup, lesson planning, behavior supports, and paperwork, it can be hard to know what to focus on first. That’s why I’ve pulled together a few blog posts and resources that will help you feel more confident as you step into this new role.

Blogs to Check Out:

These posts will give you practical tips and real-life strategies you can use right away:

• Got the Teaching Job & Planning the First Weeks of School! – Start your year with a solid plan.
• Color Coding Your Special Education Classroom – A simple system to make your classroom more organized and less stressful.
• 5 Children’s Books You Must Read at the Beginning of the School Year – Build connection with your students through powerful read-alouds.
• Launching Independent Work Stations during the First Weeks of School – Tips for setting up systems that build student independence from day one.

Need Ready-to-Go Resources?

When you’re just starting out, creating everything from scratch is exhausting (and unnecessary!). If you want resources that are already made to fit the wide range of needs in a self-contained classroom, check out the Teach Love Autism Membership. It’s full of exclusive materials, time-saving tools, and supports designed just for teachers like you.

Or, if you’d rather explore at your own pace, you can browse classroom management resources here and pick what works best for your students.

Updated on: 08/17/2025