Classroom setup for your special education classroom can prove to be one of the most important decisions you make at the beginning of the year. On top of this decision, let's add COVID into the mix and the expectation to ensure students are social distancing when possible. How can we help students understand social distancing and use our classroom setup to ensure that expectation? In this blog post, I'm going to show you my classroom set up and how I'm helping my students practice social distancing through preventative measures and utilizing my classroom furniture in new ways!
My classroom is setup by a series of individual desks and round tables. Students have assigned desks or areas in the room that are predetermined at the beginning of the year or as students express the need for a specific area. Depending on the student and their behaviors, I may sit them farther away from the door, closest to the cool down corner, nearest to my desk, etc. Keep those things in mind when placing your students! What area of the room best fits their needs and elicits more positive behaviors? Let's be honest, we don't sit our runners or elopers nearest to the door, right? It may be best to look over your student's behavior goals and see what areas best fit their needs.
Many people ask me, why don't all of your students have desks? Well, I ask my students what they want! Some prefer desks and others prefer more flexible options of tables! If I'm expecting my students to be in my classroom attending to lessons, completing work and making this classroom their 'home', I want them to feel the most comfortable in it.
One thing I've always done for students with boundary issues or who need more visual directives for area is give them a square that is theirs. They know the area is theirs. We call that area their 'safe space' and they know to go to it when they are beginning to escalate, need attention or help. I bought a velcro roll to use for my box boundaries and I measured it out to be socially distance safe for the classroom!
Click on the picture to head to the link to purchase!
I created individual work desks with file cabinets that I had in the classroom! I have lots of things stored in these file cabinets, but they are locked from student access. I used to have them around my desk area, but decided to use them to create more partitions in the classroom between students to prevent the spread of germs. I can stick visuals on the side to help guide the independent station as needed! I encourage you to look at your classroom furniture and get creative! What can you use to create more partitions in the room to prevent the spread of germs?
A new change I made this year in response to COVID was individual sensory kits! Typically in the past, we had a cool down area with sensory tools everyone could access. Not being able to have shared supplies per our corporation guidelines, I knew individual sensory kits were a must! I put together an amazon wishlist that I shared on my facebook page to get donations and bought these clear pencil cases from Meijer!
One thing I also advise regardless of the abilities of your students is VISUALS EVERYWHERE. Students in crisis need minimal verbal prompting and more pictures to help their brain process when things become overwhelming. Think about the areas in your classroom or even school that students gravitate towards whenever they are having strong emotions. Is it visually supported for coping? Can students communicate their needs with pointing? Can we give students the ability to communicate without actually talking to them. Plastic hooks from the dollar store and boom, i've got my visuals hung up for easy access!
Every classroom is different and students respond differently to many things. Is it ok if a few weeks in we change things or halfway through the year we decide to move furniture again to meet needs? Absolutely! As behaviors arise we have to adapt to those changes and so does our classroom setup. Many times I've had students help me to arrange the classroom. It's so interesting to see what they pick and why. Too often we forget kids are our best resource to help meet their needs. Question them, ask, inquire, listen to their opinions. Remember, this classroom is their HOME, let's let them have a say in what best fits their needs.
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