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How Special Education Teachers Plan IEP-Aligned Lessons Without the Guesswork

If you’re a special education teacher, you’ve likely juggled ten different needs in one day—sometimes in one group. From students working below grade level to those who need specific behavior supports, instructional planning isn’t just about what you teach. It’s about who’s in front of you, what their IEP says, and how you track whether it’s working. This post dives into how Kit for Teams helps you plan lessons that meet all of those needs—without the post-it trail or late-night documentation.
By Lisa Kathman, M.S. CCC-SLP

You know that moment when you open your lesson plan and realize it doesn’t actually match what’s in the IEP? For special education teachers, planning instruction isn’t just about covering content — it’s about aligning to goals, tracking what matters, and adjusting in real time. That takes a system designed for your role.


You’re juggling a lot — and lesson planning shouldn’t add to the chaos.

If you’re a special education teacher, you’ve likely juggled ten different needs in one day—sometimes in one group. From students working below grade level to those who need specific behavior supports, instructional planning isn’t just about what you teach. It’s about who’s in front of you, what their IEP says, and how you track whether it’s working.

That’s where Kit for Teams comes in.


What Planning Usually Looks Like

If you’re like most Special Education teachers, your planning system might include:

  • A calendar full of post-its with who gets what service when

  • Printed IEPs or goal sheets taped inside your lesson planner

  • One binder for instructional notes, another for data

  • A Google Doc titled something like “Feb IEP Goals” that gets lost in your Drive

It sort of works—until it doesn’t. Especially when you:

  • Lose track of which goals you targeted in your last group

  • Need to prove service delivery for a progress report

  • Get interrupted mid-lesson and forget what support you used

  • Realize you never wrote down what worked for that student last time


Kit Makes Special Education Instructional Planning Easier

Kit doesn’t give you a premade lesson bank—but that’s not what you need. You need a fast, simple way to log what you’re doing, which goals it aligns to, and how your students responded.

Here’s what you can do in Kit:

✔️ Attach activity ideas or resources directly to your planned session
✔️ Auto-load student IEP goals (and select which ones to target)
✔️ Use data calculators to track how students responded
✔️ Add notes on what worked, what didn’t, and what to try next time
✔️ Review your last session before starting the next

“Kit is a game changer. I know what I did, what I planned, and what I still need to do—all in one place.” — Amanda, Special Education Teacher


What It Looks Like in Practice

Let’s say you’re teaching a group with three students who each have different IEP goals. With Kit, you can:

  • Start instruction from your Calendar

  • Select the goals and/or objectives you’re targeting for each student

  • Paste in a link to your curriculum or embed a PDF of your adapted materials

  • Add a note: “Used verbal prompts + visual model for sight word list”

  • Track performance with 👍/👎 or custom calculators

  • Wrap up and see your notes auto-saved in each student’s profile

Now, when it’s time to write progress reports—or adjust instruction—you have everything you need.


Why It Matters

According to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), effective special education instruction begins with individualized planning that supports access to the general curriculum and promotes measurable progress on IEP goals. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) affirms that services must be tailored to meet each child’s unique needs and enable meaningful participation in their education.

When your planning system reflects these principles, you’re not just documenting compliance — you’re laying the foundation for real growth.

👉 Explore CEC’s Professional Standards for Special Education


Want to Try It?

Kit for Teams is built with real special educators in mind—including those juggling IEPs, planning, and documentation across the school day. Start your free 14-day trial (no credit card required) and see how much easier instructional planning can be.

👉 Start my free trial


More from This Series

This blog is part of our Kit Feature Deep Dive series for special education teachers. Explore other posts in the series:


Lisa Kathman, M.S. CCC-SLP
Lisa Kathman is a veteran school-based SLP and the co-founder of SLP Toolkit, the parent company of Kit for Teams, and also co-founder of Bright Ideas Media, an inclusive, educator-led continuing education company. After two decades in the field — including serving as lead SLP in Arizona’s largest school district — Lisa is on a mission to simplify the day-to-day work of special education providers. She nerds out over data, documentation, and anything that helps special education teams feel more confident and less overwhelmed.

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