When you walk into a special education classroom, what should you see? As a parent, you are perhaps the greatest advocate for your child; in all things educational, it is important for the active participation of parents, but none more so than parents of special children. Don’t be afraid to do a before school check on your child’s classroom and to introduce, or reintroduce yourself to the teacher and teacher’s aide.
Call today to plan a visit. Make note of the physical atmosphere and set-up of the classroom and take the time to ask about basic expectations of parent during the year.
Physically, a special education classroom should observe some basic physical rules to facilitate learning:
- Desk Arrangement: Desks should be arranged individually without grouping or sharing. In many regular-ed classes, desks are arranged facing each other or in groups because research has shown students who are struggling, will actually do better when paired with a faster or more focused learner. In a special education classroom, exactly the opposite is true: grouping causes distractions, reducing the ability to learn!
- Learning Centers: A special education classroom in many ways, emulate one-room classrooms of yore: several different grade levels and learning abilities can be present. A teacher who has properly addressed this variance in her classroom has provided learning centers. Usually scattered throughout the room. Learning centers can provide hands-on fun or educational experiences, depending upon the individual needs of the students and their respective grade levels. At their functioning best, learning centers stimulate, re-enforce and act as a resource for the daily work taking place in the classroom at that given time. For instance, if the unifying unit-focus for the week or month is space, a teacher might have a corner where students can learn about the night sky visible in their area at that time.
- Location of Teacher and Aide: Teachers and Aides should never have their desks next to each other. To more efficiently and safely keep an eye on students, more complete coverage is achieved by placing the Teacher’s desk at one end of the classroom and the Aide’s desk at the other. Of course, most teacher’s and aides in a special education classroom will be in perpetual motion and not have time to land at their desk much during the school day!
- Restroom facilities: Restroom facilities should, ideally, be housed within the special Ed classroom and in many newer buildings, are arranged as such. In older buildings, some special education classrooms are happy to be nearby facilities. Because of all of the physical and social ramifications of some special conditions, mixed with more than one challenge per classroom, restroom location is something that should be taken into consideration. Of course, this is far outside the scope of influence a classroom teacher may have – if upon your visit, you find arrangements unsatisfactory, do not hesitate to take your concerns to the building principal or to the school board if all else fails.
In addition to the physical considerations of the classroom, speak with the teacher and aide regarding their preferred method of communication through the year, how they feel regarding periodic parental classroom visits and inquire about the list of classroom responsibilities and consequences to be discussed and shared with students. As with any student, reinforcement of classroom rules at home can go far to enhance both the learning and - teaching environment!
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