SSN (Significant Support Needs) at a Glance
As an elementary SSN (Significant Support Needs) teacher, my primary role is to provide specialized instruction and support tailored to meet the unique needs of students with significant disabilities. This includes:
Individualized Education: Designing and implementing lessons based on each student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to help them achieve their goals.
Skill Development: Supporting academic, communication, social-emotional, and functional life skills to foster independence.
Collaboration: Working closely with families, general education teachers, paraprofessionals, and specialists to create a comprehensive support system.
Behavioral Support: Implementing strategies to promote positive behaviors and address challenges.
Progress Monitoring: Regularly assessing and tracking student progress to adjust instruction and share updates with parents and the IEP team.
Our team’s mission is to ensure each student feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive in their learning environment.
Creativity and Fun
Lessons in the SSN setting require Repetition and Individualization. Therefore lessons in the SSN setting require utilizing Multiple Modalities of Learning (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile), Flexible Scaffolds, a path towards Generalization and Higher Order Thinking Skills, and (certainly not last) Fun!
Our Current Small Group Lesson designed, for specific students, has the following learning opportunities:
Introduce the concept of Comparing Numbers (students are currently working on goals that require identifying, analyzing and organizing numbers via number identification, 1:1 number correspondence, and number sequencing)
To grow in their understanding and application that greater than can mean “more” and “farther away from zero.”
Collaborate with each other and/or adults, and learn from one another while distinguishing which of two numbers is greater (in two different scenarios while utilizing two different strategies)
They go through this supported journey through:
Brief description: Students take on the role of "Number Alligators" using Alligator Oven Mitts. They compare two numbers, represented by quantities of canned food, and "eat" the greater quantity. Additionally, they practice placing an "Arrow Alligator" between the two written numbers, ensuring it points in the correct direction.
- Brief Description: students learn the true definition of greater than: farther away from zero. They participate in a life size number line (still related to our Alligator: our Alligator lives in Zero Pond, and enjoys going on walks, in fact: “The farther the walk, the greater he thinks it is.”).
have multiple number cards face down, have one student pick a number card and go stand on that number on the number line, the teacher picks another number card and stands on that number on the number line, and the other student starts from Zero Pond and walks to the person farthest down the number line.
A couple of years ago, I created videos for parents to use with their student(s) to strengthen foundational reading skills. While the original document has a summer theme, you can simply imagine you're in the Southern Hemisphere if you’re using it during Winter Break!
Summer Reading Strategies for Home
Two Truths and a Lie
In my former job on the ambulance, I delivered three babies into the world, but none of them ended up with the names Nicholas or Nicole.
An adult bison has given my face a lick before (it was simultaneously awesome and gross).
If you play Rock, Paper, Scissors, Ice Skate…Ice Skate beats Paper. I briefly lost my pinky finger to an ice skate in the 6th grade. Don’t worry…it’s reattached and working just fine.
The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is a concept that helps us understand how children learn best, especially for students with disabilities. It represents the range of skills or tasks a child can do with some help but cannot yet do independently.
Think of it like a ladder:
Below the ZPD are tasks that are too easy and don’t challenge the child.
Above the ZPD are tasks that are too difficult, even with support.
In the ZPD are tasks that are just the right level of challenge, where learning happens with the guidance of a teacher, parent, or peer.
For example, if a child is learning to tie their shoes, they might not be able to do it alone yet. However, with step-by-step guidance, they can practice and eventually master the skill independently.
For students with disabilities, teaching within the ZPD means breaking tasks into manageable steps, providing the right level of support (like visuals, prompts, or repetition), and gradually reducing that help as the child becomes more confident and capable.
By focusing on this “just right” level of challenge, we can build their skills and independence without overwhelming them. It’s a powerful way to support meaningful growth at their own pace.
