Building Effective Classrooms:Special Education Self Contained ClassesTips from 2nd Year Teachers & Mentors

(1) Be Prepared and ProactiveBEFORE SCHOOL STARTS• Introduce yourself to the secretary and the caretaker. If they are your best friends you

will find life to be much easier.

• Find out when you are able to enter the school in August. This is an exciting time toset up your room. Bring your mom or a good friend to help you out. During this timego around and introduce yourself to other teachers, as they can be very helpful.Change the fadeless paper on your bulletin boards, set up seats and tables, andorganize materials (paper, markers, etc.)

• Approach your principal and ask if you can have a mentor (this person will be yourfundamental support system. It is often helpful to have someone who teaches thesame grade as you, however; if you ‘click’ with someone else it will still work. It ismost important to have a mentor you are comfortable with.

• Some teachers look through students’ OSRs (Ontario Student Records) to learn abouttheir students. You can find out whether or not they have an I.E.P. (individualEducation Plan), past marks, behavioural patterns, etc. However, some teachers donot like to predetermine what their students will be like. Students grow throughoutthe summer and you may not want to make assumptions on their abilities orbehaviours. Some teachers prefer to get to know their students for a month and thenlook at the OSRs.

• Learn your student’s names - there is nothing sweeter than hearing your own nameand students will react positively.

• Make sure you have all materials as far as teacher guides, curriculum documents, etc.

• Access TEL (similar to First Class) and make sure you get someone to teach you howto use it.

• Ask questions, all teachers have been in your position, they know how you feel.

LEARNING ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS• Read OSR at the beginning of the year• Assess students as early as possible, both formally and informally• Find age-appropriate material that still meets the learning needs of the student

PARENT COMMUNICATION• If a new student is coming to the classroom write parents in August, introductory

letter to discuss how to contact each other• Newsletter to discuss classroom expectations, homework policies• Sudent classroom Expectation Contract - sent home to parents after students signed it

(parents do not sign it). Students to live up to expectations• Send home Classroom Code of Behaviour at the start of term• Daily Communication Book• Weekly Work Skills sheet (Levels 1 to 4 for skills like “I listened attentively”) with

space for teacher to write notes and parents to reply• Notes home need to be stuck in planner, and a follow up call to parents to let them

know that there is a note to be read coming home• First Class Conference on TEL (parents sign permission form) - students can contact

each other, parents can participate in communications, a schedule can be put on thisconference

SPECIAL EDUCATION RESOURCES• Get to know the board’s Special EDUCATION Department procedures and you’re

your important contacts are• School administrator and school M.A.R.T. are well-informed starting points• Don’t be afraid to ask questions…it is impossible to know all the acronyms and the

papers that need to filled out• Find out who the Social Worker and Psychologist for the school is• Find out about Children’s Aid, teacher’s responsibility and duties in the eyes of the

law• Outside agencies that families can refer to such as Bloorview-MacMillan, Geneva

Center for Autism, Integra (for LD)

(2) Establishing Classroom Rules and Routines

DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO WORK WITH SUPPORT STAFF• Set up meeting with support staff at the beginning of the school year• Establish and maintain an open line of communication• Discuss plans and expectations, keep others informed (they can’t read your mind!)• Team building and collaboration (you are not in this alone)

• Use the strengths of the support staff to enhance the program• Regular debriefing• Share responsibilities---set the example, don’t ask others to do work you would not

want to do yourself

BUILDING A TEAM• Once a month a school meeting to discuss strategies (scheduling support needed from

the VP/Principal)• Daily communication meetings (morning is best to discuss the day ahead)• Classroom roles are clearly developed and defined with each person’s roles known

and everybody is on the same page• Classroom teachers/CYW/EAs know what the daily plans are• Remind yourself you are the teacher and that your classroom team will be following

your directions• Remember that a professional environment in the classroom is important and

supervision/management of the classroom EA is just as important• Each adult in the classroom knows the student’s profile and knows the strategies on

how best to work with the child e.g. this child is touch intolerant, therefore, whenworking with this child know this and appropriate strategies. Establish andcommunicate best strategies for child’s profile at the classroom level andcommunicate at the whole-school level - how the student functions.

• Develop a Code of Expectations with your classroom support (e.g. if a student can notchew gum in the classroom, neither can an adult)

ESTABLISHING RULES & ROUTINES• Clear, consistent and fair routines• Actively seek opportunities to acknowledge positive behaviour, through a variety of

reward systems (intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, sunshine (positive) calls or notes)• Keep rules and directions short and simple• Teach and model positive behaviour and respect (for adults, peers and property)

DEVELOP RULES & ROUTINES TOGETHER• With All Due Respect, by Ron Morrison, is a good resource• Invite students to develop a list of expectations for teachers• Encourage students to express their expectations of teachers and teachers of students• Present a short list of rules, and have the students come up with examples of how• they can be met (The fewer the rules, the better!)• Keep the rules as positives (ex. Be Safe, instead of No running)• Modeling [if you want them to be on time and prepared, then you need to model that kind of behaviour yourself]• Work at creating a positive class environment: i.e.: No put downs, and respond

strongly to breaches• Relate rules to work place skills for intermediate students• Visual schedule for the day for students• Daily checklists at the end of the day, for how they did at following routines

SPECIAL EDUCATION DH/DD CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TIPS• Prepare for the first day by reading O.S.R. (to find out medical/feeding information)

and calling the parents, to open communications and explain about thecommunication book that will be sent back and forth each day. And keep thecommunication open with phone calls each week to celebrate success and to discusssome concerns. Contact consults -- psychoeductional, physiotherapy/occupationaltherapy, speech therapy, to come in and discuss strategies, classroom set up and useof equipment

• Establish routines immediately by having students enter the classroom one at a time,welcome them in a positive manner (with a smile) and assisting them with graduatedguidance ( e.g. hand-over-hand) to follow the same routines each day and thencompleting an easy success-orientated activity (e.g. different levelled puzzles). Onthe first day, have students decorate their work folders with pictures of their personalinterests

• Post your schedule using total communication (photographs, picture symbols,concrete visual objects) and alternate preferred and non-preferred or fine and grossmotor activities with transitions every 30 minutes . Keep a detailed/highly structureddaybook but be prepared to be flexible (seize the teachable moments).

• Promote high levels of independence by giving students some responsibilities (createa chore charts using picture symbols and rotate the students picture and build invariable choice making in all activities when possible).

• Ensure all support staff are aware of your expectations (re: routines and consequencesfor behaviour) by communicating them ahead of time (have them written out, giveeach staff member a copy, place in day book and post around the classroom) and holdregular classroom meetings.

TRIBES AGREEMENTS• Go through Four Agreements of TRIBES as an overview in order to set the tone of

the classroom. The Four Agreements include Mutual Respect, Attentive Listening,No Put Downs/Appreciations and Right To Pass/Right To Participate. Have a groupdiscussion of each agreement. Each agreement can be further explored in more depththroughout September (see TRIBES book).