About Our Classroom

"Individually we are all different
but together we make a beatuiful rainbow."

A Little About Me...

I started teaching in 1992.  I spent the first 14 years of my teaching career teaching mostly middle/high school mathematics along with a 2-year stretch teacing in an experiential class.  In June 2006, I answered a division post for a job teaching in a self-contained severe/profound classroom and a few days later I had an interview and was offered the job.  In September 2006, I made the move from teaching "regular education" to teaching "special education".  It has been an amazing jounrey since and has renewed my love for teaching. 

My first year in the class was difficult in that there as so much to learn and wrap my head around. As time went on, I felt I started to get my groove and am now in a place where I "have my sea legs". This blog is meant to be a place to record and develop ideas in regards to the things that are happening in our room.

Staff and Students

9 full time students ranging in age from 9 to 17 and 1 part time student who is 6 years old (that student is in the grade 1 classroom approxiamtely half of his day)

1 teacher (myself) and 9 learning assistants

Staggered start and stop time for staff as none of them are quite fulltime.  Therefore we have a stretch of time at the beginning and end of the day where there are less staff in the room. I ensure the schedule is set up to allow for this lower level of stafffing (doing group tasks and/or waiting for pick-ups).

Staff take half hour lunch breaks in three different stretches of time and the remaining staff take over the students whose learning assisatants are not in the room.  This leaves us with a 1.5 hour stretch mid-day where we are not full staffed but becuase a half a hour of that time is to eat and another half hour is for free leisure we only end up with a half hour of class time short staffed.

Staff that start first thing in the morning take a 15 minute break mid-morning.  The ones that come late just come 15 minutes later than they would and do not take a break.  This makes more sense in our day as that way we do not have to shut down for too long in the morning for breaks and we are just doing morning gathering routines when they are not in the room so the staff we have can handle it. 

This year we have three students that have varying level of verbal language skills.  All other students are non-verbal and use a combination of gestures, noises, eye-gaze to pictures, sign language, picture exchange and augmentative communication devises to communicate with us and others.

This year we have four non-abulatory and six abulatory students.  It is a very different dynamic then when I first came when only 2 of 8 were abulatory.  Times they are a chagin'.

Students in the the classroom all have multiple and complex needs which include physical needs (sensory needs classify as a physical need to be placed in this room and thus the reason for students on the spectrum being placed in this room), communication needs and a need for an major modifications/changes to  the curriculum. 

Students are placed in groups based on similar programming needs or the fact that they have similar interests.  I group students so that the learning assistants working with the students can help out during activities where there is a second pair of hands or eyes needed.

One staff member is not teamed with other staff and works directly with one of the students.  This student is only in the classroom for the mornings as he goes out and does community and vocational skills in the afternoon.  Because of his programming, it made more sense to just have one person working with him at all times.  The staff that is assigned to the little guy who is half time grade 1 and half time in our room is also not paired with anyone and doesn't rotate becuase of hte need for consistency of staff when placement is changing so much. All other staff is placed in either groups of two or a groups of three.  The one group of three is responsible for 4 students the other two groups of two is responsible for two students.

Staff stay with the students they are assigned to throughout the year but rotate week to week what their role is in that team.  This is all figured out in reference to what works best for the students on the team so each team works differently for rotations and assistant times.  Whenever there is a task that requires 2 staff to 1 student (lifting, formal PECs training, recording data for Pivotal Reponse Training sessions...etc.), staff are to go to their teammate first to get this done (and they either have their other student(s) do something independent or I step in at that time). There are times it works better to go to other staff in the room but going to partner first is required. Staff are responsible for all aspects of their student's care and programming throughout the day. The team with the one full-time and one half-time student only has one staff assigned to them. 

I used to put myself in the rotation but with increasing numbers of students this has not been possible anymore so I find that I'm just rotating and keeping things moving most of the time.

Daily Schedule 

8:20-8:45 - Morning Jobs

This will be completed by my two students who come earlier than the rest of the class.  They will have a checklist of the things that need to get done to get the classroom ready.  I'm drawing some ideas for this from the Unique Learning System Transition Band Core Activities Materials.

8:45-9:15 - Morning Meeting

Sounds like I'm getting a Smart Board so that will make this so much easier to do as a group :).  I'm very excited.  My plan is to do the regular morning meeting routine as well as to tie in current events through the news-2-you program.  I have ordered the news-2-you program again for next year.

9:15-10:00 - Individual Programming (Session 1)

I will work directly with a student during this time which will mean that every student is working 1-on-1 for this stretch of time :).  I will continue to use individual programming binders. One of the big differences this year is that I'm moving away from a rotation schedule and a majority of my students will work with the same learning assistant every day.  I'm hoping that this will put them in a place where they get more solid learning in.

10:00-10:15 - Morning Snack

Some of my staff members go on morning break during this time (not all get morning breaks as some just start late instead).  I'm thinking about doing a snack and drink basket where students can buy their snacks and drinks for this time.  This is another idea from Unique Transition band.

10:15-10:30 - Fitness

The younger students will go out for recess with the elementary students at this time.  The older students will have the gym for this stretch of time.  Each students will have one-on-one support so will be working on individual tasks at this time.  We will also be doing changes for the students who need it at this time :).

10:30-11:30 - Individual Programming (Session 2)

Same as above. Many of the students are involved in different lunch programs so time do this would be included here.  We will have weekly jobs to make and sell our hot lunch one day a week as well as a group of students who make their own lunch every day.  Those working on lunch would just start at the appropriate time as it is part of their individual program.

11:30-12:00 - Lunch

Some of my staff is on their lunch break at this time.  Others are helping students with lunch, clean-up and tooth brushing.  Once a student is done, they get to choose their leisure activity that they will do for their next stretch of time.

12:00-12:30 - Recreation/Leisure Time

Student choice time. Note that our younger ones are outside for recess with the other elementary students in the school.  I will have a different group of staff on lunch break at this time :).

12:30-1:00 - Religion Class

Again, another group of staff on lunch break. We will do a quick religion activity during this time. Activities will include explorations, videos, music, games, arts and crafts, stories...etc.

1:00-2:15 - Theme Work

I posted about themes a couple of posts back.  I'm using the idea of Star Reporter in that we will be working on producing a newsletter once a month.  I am still working on how to make this all work but I'm excited about this part of our program!

2:15-2:25 - End of Day Routines

Filling out communication books, cleaning up, packing up...etc.  We are full staffed until 2:25 so have to get everything but coats on before then.  I am thinking about making each person responsible for cleaning up/tidying one area of the room.  I know that for some the staff will end up doing a lot of it but it would keep things neat (I hope).

2:25-2:45 - Dressing and Busses/Pick-ups

Pick-ups start about 2:25 so we will just get students ready in the order that they get picked up.

Individual Programming Information

Because so much of our day is spent in Individual Programming, I thought I would offer a bit of an explanation of what is done during this time. 

More information coming soon!

Our "Curriculum"

Our classroom is located in Alberta, Canada.  We are not currently mandated to following any provincial curriculum and therefore the program is built each year based on student needs and IEPs end up driving much of the program that I set up.

More Inforamtion Coming Soon!

Classroom Set-up and Classroom Pictures

Information About Classroom Set-up Coming Soon!  Need to get my room set up for the year and then take some pictures to help with explanations :).

Comments

[Sherry Klemmt]

Thanks for sharing your blog with the rest of us. I teach children with significant disabilities in Washington state and find working with this population rewarding. As a teacher I love the challenges that each day brings. We have 1 more week of summer before the kids arrive so next week I will be busy getting things ready. I look forward to following your blog for inspiration.
Sherry

[Monica]

Sherry - changing my career path three years ago is the second best move I've ever made in my life (second only to adopting my son ten years ago). Looks like we start school on the same day. I look forward to sharing the year with you :).