Keep up with paperwork. If you teach special education, you have major responsibilities in addition to instructing your students. You are required by the federal and state governments, and often your school district, to document your work to ensure procedural safeguards for students with disabilities. This mandatory paperwork is an increasing part of special educators' workloads.

There are legal consequences for failing to complete paperwork, and you risk losing your job if you fall too far behind. It is important to get yourself organized, take advantage of any support your school can provide, and ask for help when you need it.

Get a mentor and use his or her expertise. If your school does not provide formal mentoring, find an experienced colleague you can call on for advice. Also keep the lines of communication open with other special education teachers.

Make a point of getting one thing accomplished each day. Work on an Individual Education Plan, collect data or complete another chore. It will help you stay mentally focused and on track.

When you attend IEP meetings, come prepared with a checklist of things to get done -- both general goals and items specific to that student.

Use computer spreadsheets to keep track of deadlines and students. Use one spreadsheet for due dates for IEPs, periodic reviews and assessments; if you have case management responsibilities, use another spreadsheet to track students' whereabouts and progress. Color-coding the spreadsheet entries can be helpful.

If you are getting overwhelmed with paperwork, tell someone. Go to a supervisor, principal or colleague. Ask for time and support to get your work done. Do not wait until you are so far behind you're in danger of losing your job.

Plan to spend time at home catching up with paperwork. In larger districts, you may be able to gain access to IEP and assessment data from your home computer. Take advantage of this capability if your district has it.

Ask if clerical help is available. Depending on the school district, you may be able to get help processing the paperwork. However, it is your responsibility to get the work done.