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In special education, teachers like us do more than just teach. We create a safe place for all students to learn, especially those who need extra help. Reducing anxiety in students with special needs is at the top of my list. Sometimes, students feel worried or unsure about things, and that's okay. Our job is to help them feel better and more confident. One tool that I use and swear by are Task Boxes!
Are you looking for ways to use task boxes in your special education classroom, you can read this blog here: 7 Special Education Task Boxes to use in your classroom.
Task Boxes are like little magic boxes of fun and learning. They truly help in reducing anxiety, especially with kids on the Autism spectrum. They help kids in so many ways, but here are three special ways they do it:
They Make Things Predictable: Think of task boxes like your favorite bedtime story. You know what's going to happen next, and that makes you feel safe and cozy. Moreover, task boxes have activities that stay the same, so students know what to expect. This predictability makes students with special needs less worried about what's happening next.
They Help Students Gain and Maintain Skills: Imagine you're learning to ride a bike. At first, it's tricky, but with practice, you get better, right? With a wide variety of task boxes out there, task boxes have activities that start easy and get a little harder. When kids finish an activity, they feel super proud of themselves. This sense of accomplishment makes them believe they can do even harder things. Not only that, when they use these task boxes over and over, they are able to maintain skills that they have previously learned.
Build Independence: In addition to that, task boxes encourage kids to work on activities on their own, fostering a sense of independence and self-reliance. This newfound self-confidence extends beyond the task boxes and into other aspects of their lives and truly melts that anxiety away.
Now, let's talk about how we can use task boxes to reduce anxiety and feel more confident:
1. Start Slowly: Just like you practice riding a bike with training wheels, start with a few task boxes to get used to them or even errorless learning task boxes to get them started.
2. Pick Fun Tasks: Choose task boxes that are just the right level of challenge. You don't want the task box to be so difficult that it is frustrating and above their instructional level.
3. Celebrate Success: When kids finish an activity, celebrate with them! It's like giving a high-five for a job well done.
4. Students Take Charge: As students get better, you can give them a choice of task box activities so they can have some say in what they are doing.
In the end, task boxes are like friendly guides that help students feel less nervous and more confident at school. By using these strategies and adding a bit of fun to our teaching, we're not just helping them learn better; we're also helping them become brave, strong learners ready to take on new challenges!
I am a High School, self-contained Autism teacher from Central New York, who is passionate about individualizing student learning. I am a mommy of three, lover of all things Disney, married to my best friend and addicted to chocolate!! I hope that you find great ideas and inspiration here, so welcome!!
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