ABOUT

You're a passionate special education teacher and you'll do anything for your kids, from modifying assignments to teaching them how to blow their noses. But between lesson plans, progress monitoring, IEPs, FBAs, and a million other acronyms, you've got A LOT on your plate. No one can do it all, and you shouldn't have to. That's where I come in.

I'm Sarah Forst, The Designer Teacher, and I empower passionate special education teachers to feel more peaceful & purposeful by providing systematic reading resources designed with struggling learners in mind.

I'm a former elementary special education teacher with a degree in design. I've combined my expertise in design with my experiences working with special learners to create resources that are clear and accessible to all.

Ready to get started with explicit phonics instruction without the hassle? Check out Phonics by Design: The Complete Curriculum or download a NO PREP freebie here!

What else is there to know?

Well, I'm a Chicago-transplant originally from the East Coast... and I have the Type A personality to prove it. I got my degree in Interdisciplinary Object Design back in Maryland, but moved to Chicago to join an alternative certification program for special education. I spent four year years teaching in Chicago Public Schools, and now run The Designer Teacher full time.

Having taught in pretty drastically under-resourced schools, I’m all too aware of the unreasonable demands put on teachers. I’m passionate about helping teachers lead more balanced lives, both by providing quality, easy-to-use classroom resources and promoting self care.