Resources
A curated collection of must-read books and essential product recommendations derived from years of expertise as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Explore these carefully selected resources (all are clickable links!) that have played a pivotal role in shaping my approach to training, teaching, and creating impactful learning environments.
For when your staff don’t seem to have enough hands! Behavior analysts often recommend interventions for students that require visulas and data collection. Busy teachers or paraprofessionals know that these things can be tricky to manage when they also need their hands free to support the students they are working with. I like this satchel/carrier because it is not cumbersome but allows the most important items to be carried, hands free. I have seen staff members use it to carry extra tokens for token boards, pens for data collection, markers for delivering simplified directions on a white board, mini white boards, data collection sheets and more!
A timer for relationship building??? While I love the use of these timers for staff to use when needing to time the duration of a behaviroal episode or how long to provide a preferred activity break, one of my favorite uses for this timer is actually related to the classroom teacher! When improving classroom climate, the literature suggests that a 4:1 ratio of positive to negative comments in the classroom is key. This can be so hard for some teachers to achieve when they are also delivering instruction and find that they still need to redirect behaviors that might interfere with learning. When this timer is set to a specific interval of time, the teacher can have a secret reminder right in their pocket, supporting positive interactions! Each time the timer quietly buzzes, they can scan the room and find something positive happening and deliver specific praise!
Available in a few other sizes, I love this Time-timer because it makes time management expectations more accessible for all! While some students might be able to read the analog clock on the classroom wall and understand what it means to have “ten more minutes to finish up the work”, for some students, that kind of warning can be confusing or even cause behaviors that could be associated with anxiety. When placing this on the wall below the analog clock, you are able to level the playing field by delivering your time warning to students and providing visual support for how quickly that time is ticking away. I prefer this over placing a small version of this timer on a student's desk. When a student needing this support is able to glance in the direction of the clock that the other students are referencing, it enables them to feel like they fit in with their peer group and do not have to worry how the special timer on their desk might be viewed by others.
These hand counters make tracking important behaviors easier and more accurate! When carrying a clipboard with data sheets is not a functional option these clickers can support the need for data collection in a more compact and accurate way. Staff simply click the counter each time they see the behavior they are looking to track. I love the different colors because they can be assigned to different staff collecting behavior data on different students. Additionally, they can be labeled for different behaviors in the case that one student has a few behaviors that need to be tracked simultaneously. As a behavior analyst, I find that the easier we make data collection, the more accurate it is!
These hand held white board paddles are perfect for the teachers who want to use active student responding methods in their classroom. One of my favorite evidence-based teaching practices is the use of response cards. Response cards can be used in any teacher guided lesson to allow students to share their thinking and responses without having to raise their hand and wait to be called on. With these paddles, EVERY student gets a chance to share their thinking, increasing participation and thereby decreasing disruption during instruction! Teachers also benefit as they are able to scan the room of answers and evaluate in the moment if their students are on track and ready to move on or whether they need more pracitce with the concept!
Some or all of the products featured here are from partners who may compensate me. I may earn a small commission from them, at no additional cost to you. However, this does not influence my recommendations, as they are based on my many years of practical experience.
Additional Resources for Educators, Leaders and Entrepreneurs
