User Spotlight: Cora Farquharson | Nesbit Elementary, Gwinnett County Public Schools

Mrs. Cora Farquharson supports students with ASD Levels 3 and 4 across multiple grades at Nesbit Elementary. Teaching social skills every day to diverse groups of learners made planning a constant challenge. Preparing daily lessons for each grade level consumed hours and left her scrambling to keep sessions fresh and engaging.

Related resources:

• social skills videos
• social skills lessons

“Before using Everyday Speech, I was preparing for each grade level every day, all day, all week. At times, the biggest pain point was coming up with lessons every day. A new lesson to introduce that the students would not think was boring.”

Transforming Planning from Overwhelming to Intentional

Like many educators, Cora valued repetition but struggled to find creative, age-appropriate ways to reteach social concepts. Everyday Speech brought new life and structure to her routine.

“I did not mind instructing the same concept more than once. But Everyday Speech assisted me and broadened my scope with new methods, routines, and skills. It added more worksheets, collaborative plans, videos, and more.”

The impact was immediate: she reduced her prep time by 50%, from 2 hours to just 1 hour per week, allowing her to focus on what truly matters.

Turning Time Saved into Student Relationships

Rather than simply freeing up her schedule, Cora reinvested her time to build deeper bonds with students and foster peer relationships.

“I was able to reinvest the time I saved by taking time to ask personal interest questions with the students longer. It also opened up time for students to talk to each other on a personal level at the end of the hour when time allowed.”

These personal connections transformed sessions from rote instruction into meaningful learning experiences.

Confidence That Sets the Tone for Learning

Everyday Speech changed not just what Cora taught, but how she felt walking into class, especially at the start of each week.

“Using Everyday Speech changed how I felt walking into my sessions. I felt more confident. More so on Mondays because there was always something special on Mondays. The students would be excited and looked forward to a variety of lessons and strategies that we would use.”

She shared that confidence looked like actively engaging with students, laughing together, and guiding them as they expressed their thoughts.

Hidden Gems That Inspire and Engage

Cora was also pleasantly surprised to find Everyday Speech included hands-on, craft-based activities that helped keep students interested and reinforced key skills.

“What surprised me about Everyday Speech was the special ‘crafty’ activities that were available to enjoy with the students. These are special ‘nuggets’ to show off throughout the year with all grade levels. They are social skills directed, and the students enjoy working on them. The students learn a lot from them! Use them!”

Advice for Educators Looking to Reclaim Time and Joy

For teachers feeling overwhelmed by the demands of planning social skills instruction, Cora offers heartfelt encouragement:

“Do not be overwhelmed…use the magic at your fingertips. Let Everyday Speech be your weekly guide. Start with Mondays — there is always something new on Mondays to start the week off with, and follow the grade level for the rest of the week. Enjoy and have fun WITH the students as you do the lessons. Involve all the students at the same time and use the extra time you save getting to know the students, and have the students get to know each other.”

Real Moments of Success

Cora recalled a moment when a student recognized their own growth, confirming that the skills they practiced were sticking:

“The time when one of my students said out loud, ‘Wow, I sure am learning a lot about emotion vocab words this year!’ It was on a worksheet from Everyday Speech, sparking deeper thoughts from students about identifying their feelings.”

Building Confident Learners, One Lesson at a Time

Cora’s story shows that when educators have the right tools, they don’t just save time, they transform their classrooms into spaces where students feel seen, supported, and ready to grow. By empowering teachers like Cora with engaging, skill-focused lessons, Everyday Speech helps create consistent, joyful learning experiences that build strong skills for every student.