Special Ed. Summer Blog Hop: Week 2 Classroom Setup

Welcome back for Week 2 of our Special Ed. Summer Blog Hop!

 I hope you enjoyed Week 1 and you were able to learn something that you could take back to your classroom this upcoming school year.  This week's topic is...

As a special education teacher, there are some years that I spend more time in the resource room and other years I spend most of my day out in the general education classrooms doing coteaching with my partner teachers.  This year, much like last year, will be a healthy dose of both settings.  The setup of my resource classroom is based on student needs from year to year.  There are some years when I only really need a table to do small group intervention and then there are years (like last year)  that I had several grade and ability levels of students all in the resource room at one time and I had to design and then redesign my room to help manage my classroom effectively.  

Any way the needs of my students go, I feel like there are areas of my room that are important to incorporate.  The graphic above gives an outline to this post and what I consider when setting up my classroom from year to year.

 I think that my room needs to echo the design of a "regular" classroom as much as possible.  I believe that helps my students feel more comfortable and makes my room feel like all of the other classrooms in the building.

Here is a list of the areas that I like to incorporate into my classroom setup:

1.  Small Group Intervention 

2.  Individual Work Station (or 1:1 Teaching Area)

3.  Computer/Technology

4.  Library

5.  Cool Down Space

6.  Teacher Area

7.  Materials/Classroom Supplies

My classroom is currently in a state of disarray for summer cleaning, so I will post updated pictures of my room closer to the beginning of the school year.  Until then, I'll share with you an easy way I have found to "work" on my classroom without actually being there or moving the first piece of furniture.  By using PowerPoint, I can design my classroom at home :)  The gray pieces are furniture that can be moved around and the blue pieces are fixtures in my classroom that must stay where they are.

I do not overdecorate in my classroom for a couple of reasons.  First of all, I personally do not like a lot of "stuff" around.  If I do not really work on keeping my space organized then I can quickly let it get out of control.  So, if I start with only what is actually need then I am less likely to create a mess of all of the cutesy, teacher things laying around.  Second of all, the students that I work with typically have diagnoses of ADHD or ADD, anxiety, autism, learning disorders, etc. and limiting the visual clutter in my classroom helps them become less distracted.  I have been in rooms that even I can't concentrate in because of all of the posters on the wall or bright colors.  Now, I'm not hating if you are that type of teacher, it just doesn't work for me and typically doesn't work for my students.  Neat, labeled and organized helps my students and help teaches them to be that way by example.  

Lastly, classroom management is extremely important in the resource room.  Beyond setting up high expectations, clearly outlined rules, and a structured environment, a good behavior management and incentive program has always been helpful in my classroom.  I have students for a very short period of time during the day, but we have a LOT to get done in that amount of time.  It is important that each and every minute is used efficiently and effectively.  A visual behavior system has been useful to implement in my resource room over the years.  

In the past I have used a clip chart system with students earning a point if they stay on green for the class.  

I have also used a class store.  This worked well for me last year, because my reading program incorporated points and I used the reading points and behavior points as currency to shop from the store.  

This year, I have a few different ideas that I promise to share with you as the new school year gets closer!

To find out more about how others setup up their classrooms, hop on to the next blog:

Setting Up the Resource Classroom: Small Group Area

Today's Setup: The Small Group Area

The Small Group Area may be one of the easiest places to get setup.  In my room this consists of a kidney shaped tables and chairs. 

Told you it was easy!

Okay, okay…I know what you are thinking!  It really isn’t that simple—well it sort of is—but I know you didn’t come here just to read get a table and chairs!  Honestly, yes the majority of my small group teaching is done at the kidney table.  Last year, I didn’t get the kidney table until the end of the year and I am so thankful to start this year out with one.  Most of last year, I used tables grouped in fours, but that took up so much room in my small space and I also didn’t like that I could be with all of my kids at once.  I felt like I spent a lot of time standing in front of them teaching instead of being “right in there with them.”  Hence the reason I love a kidney or U-shaped table.  I can be within arms reach of all of my kids at one time and feel like I am right in the middle of their learning (and well literally I am!)   Many times at the small group area, I am teaching some sort of scripted intervention, leading a guided reading group or leading a math intervention group and for these reasons there are certain tools I like to have very near to me.

Here is a picture of the table.  Please keep in mind I just got back in my room today, so what you are seeing is a work in progress.  

The table is only one area of small group learning in my small space.  I also like to have another space used to small group instruction.  This gives my kids an opportunity for movement, allows for natural transition from one part of a lesson to another, and helps with engagement.  My second small group area centers around the pocket chart/stand.  This is where our vocabulary instruction takes place.  I haven't decided on whether or not to move this stand to another spot in the room yet.  I would like to have it near some carpet for some comfy seating, but the room size doesn't really allow for that at this point.  

Speaking of where things go, here's a tip! I like to use PowerPoint to come up with a model of my room and the furniture in my room.  I can manipulate and move the pieces around without actually lifting any furniture!  So perfect! :)

Key:

Blue: Permanent/Cannot be Moved

Gray:  Desks or shelves that can be moved

I hope you find something here that inspires you or you get a good idea!

Tomorrow I will be back with more classroom setup idea!

2014 Classroom Setup: Setting Up The Resource Classroom (A Series)

This week is the week I move back into my classroom. If you have been following my blog very long, you know that I moved to a new school last year. It is a beautiful school, a brand new building, but it wasn’t complete at the beginning of last year. Our school was built in two phases. Each phase of the building has classroom (communities) for grades K-5. Phase one was completed last year and our school district went through a redistricting process to direct students to our building. Students and teachers filled up Phase 1 and throughout the course of the year Phase 2 was completed. The school district redistricted students again to fill up our school for the coming year. The end of our school year brought new excitement as we watched the new phase undergo the transformation from nothing to amazing! It also brought a lot of questions. Everyone wondered if they would be the one to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2. Recently, after hiring several new teachers, we found out who gets to move. Guess who is moving?! That’s right! This girl! I am excited about heading to the new phase. It is just like Phase 1, so my classroom is practically the same as the one I was in, but how many teachers can say that they have moved into a brand new classroom two years in a row? Before last year, I never had a classroom of my very own, so although I had a great time planning and decorating my previous room, I have a better idea of space planning and organization. (Or at least I think I do!)  Here is last year's classroom:

So, as this coming week goes I will be sharing with you how I am setting up my resource classroom. I will be focusing on five separate areas (perfect for Monday-Friday blog planning) ;)! Read this week to find out all about the 5 areas I think make a special education/resource room work!  I even made a new bloggy button, just for fun, and so you can Pin/Share and follow my process.

Next Year...Decor

As this year comes to an end, I begin to think about next school year.  I always wonder about the kids I will have, the things I did this year that worked well and what I would like to change, and my actual classroom looks.  I thought it was funny last night when a colleague of mine posted on Facebook that she was look for classroom setups for next year.  I was doing the same thing last night on Pinterest!

So, as I ponder and rearrange Pinterest Boards, I thought I would share some thoughts for the way things look for next year or some things I would like to try.  Here are my

TOP 5 PINTEREST IDEAS TO TRY FOR NEXT YEAR-DECORATOR EDITION:

 I think this is simple, effective, and super cute.  I have a love/hate relationship with my calendar.  I love having one; I hate changing the month.  It just gets put off every month.  I will be halfway through the next month and someone will come in the room and say, "Kim, it's April...and you still have February up!"  Last year I had a student that obsessed about my calendar so I never had to fix it, sadly he moved on to middle school.  Now I have to employee my daughter to fix it. :)  I like that this has all information stuff in one area place, not to mention I love the polka dots!

 I enjoy this saying so much.  I never know what to put on my door, that is one thing that I do not really enjoy doing, but these words are so powerful and meaningful.  I do want my students to know that I love and value them.  I may change up the saying a teensy bit, but I want to do something like this.  Quotes are so fun!

  This is a super cool classroom reward system.  The teacher at this blog assessed what each group of his students would like for a reward and then if the students' behavior earns a letter then they choose where to put the letter on the word.  When a word is filled up the class earns what they spell.  The different colors are for the different groups he has during the day. I think this would work wonderfully for my resource room.  My colleagues and I are always refilling candy buckets and treasure boxes, but these items are rewarding and LOW cost!  Win, win!!  (Click on the picture to go the blog post about this behavior incentive)

Here is a great blogpost about cleaning out all of the teacher stuff and some research to back it up:
http://emilystuff.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/spring-cleaning/  I found some interesting ideas and food for thought here!

Finally, because this is just so stinkin' cute!  I love deco mesh wreaths and I could totally make this.  The colors are adorable and this would be a perfect accent for my door!

I don't want to wish my life away, but I wish it were time to get next year's room ready! :)

Kim

PS...I'm also joining in the Backward/Forward Linky from iTeach 5th!  Join me!

Behavior Clip Chart for Resource or Intervention Rooms (FREEBIE)

Many teachers in my building use the clip chart system for behavior management.  I really like this system and the kids seem to respond well to it.  I like how some teachers have modified it so the students can "clip up" and "clip down."

When you teach in a resource room, like I do for part of the day, it can sometimes be difficult to have a classroom management system that can carry back into their regular classroom.  So, yesterday, I was chatting with our math interventionist and she put a great little spin on the clip chart so that it will work  in her room and transfer back to the students' homerooms.

She has five levels on her clip chart.  All clips start on ready to learn (of course).  The students have a chance to clip up twice.  At the first clip up they receive a stamp on their 5 frame for the day and at the second clip up they receive a prize.  The first clip down is a warning and the second clip down (this is the spin on the "regular clip system") means they have to move their clip in their homeroom.  I totally loved this idea and told her I was going to steal it!!  She was totally okay with that!

My chart, inspired, by my friend and math interventionist is linked below.  Click on the picture for the PDF.  If you have trouble, just leave a comment and I can email it to you as well.

All Graphics (borders) came from 3AM Teacher.  Please go to her website to find wonderful (free) borders, backgrounds, and clipart!

And here it is, all laid out in my office floor, awaiting trimming, laminating and mounting!  

I cannot wait to get this hanging in my newly painted room!  The painting began last night and feel like it is the day before school starts (yet we've been in session for over a week now)!  Ready to organize my (school) life!  For real!!! :)

I also love her five frames reward system.  If the students follow procedures that day and appropriately participate they get a stamp in one box of a five frame.  The five frames are labeled with student names and kept in library pockets for easy access on a bulletin board.  The five frames allow her to teach with her reward system.  They can learn what goes together to make five, how to count by fives, groups of fives, and on and on!  She is so smart! 

The rewarding part is:  if the five frame is filled at the end of the week the student can pick a small prize.  When the student reaches 5 full 5 frames the student gets a special treat, such as eat with a friend in my room at lunch, listen to special music, pick a game to play, and so on!

 Here is a link to some five frames.  http://www.kentuckymathematics.org/resources/docs/2008/Five%20Frame%20Flash%20Cards.pdf

If you scroll to the bottom there will be blank frames.  I shrunk mine so they would fit in the library pockets.  Again, I can't wait to show you pics!!  

Enjoy!  And Happy, Happy Friday!!

Kim

Where I Teach Wednesday

Where I Teach Wednesday @ Blog Hoppin'

I am a special education teacher in Central Kentucky, right in the heart of the Bluegrass State!  

Above is a picture of our building.  It is an older building with a ton of history and lots of character.  It has been many different schools over the years.  It has housed high school, middle school, and elementary school and some point in its life.  Many of the natives of the city still call it the Southside School, which it is no longer named.  What we lack in a fancy new building and the latest and greatest in technology we do make up for in heart!!

I wish I could show you pictures of my classroom this year, but we are STILL waiting on paint.  Everything is just haphazardly placed in the middle of the room.  Organized chaos, is what you may be thinking, but no...more like glorified walk-in storage closet.  Not bitter (at all).  ;)  I am happy to say though that we do have new drop ceilings, new heating and air (no more freezing in the summer and sweating in the winter...YES!), and new electrical outlets throughout the room.  We used to have one whole side of our room with no electrical outlets on it at all.  I was so excited to plug in the microwave this year!! 

Here are a few pics of my room last year:

This was my desk area in the back of the room.  I share this room with another special education teacher and her area was in the front of the room.  This year (try to imagine this) we are moving our desks toward the center (sort of under that bulletin board) to use as room dividers.  We will both have kidney tables on either side of the room.  We would also like to put a sensory/calming center and a reading area.

Here is my reading area from last year:

We share our room with our speech therapist, occupational therapist, and our Director of Sped/School Psychologist.  (They aren't there everyday though.)  Our school guidance counselor also has a little room/closet in the back of our classroom.  I am praying we will have this place looking like a cheerful, fun, learning environment by next week (finger crossed)!!!

Hopefully, next week I will be posting a new post about Where I Teach and you will get to my room all ready for a new year!!

Kim

The Grand Tour

Welcome to my room!!


I thought a guided tour of my corner of the world would be a good introduction to me.
I share my room with a lot 6 other people.  1 primary spec. ed. teacher, 1 speech therapist (2 days a week), 1 school psych. (2 days a week), 1 SAM (school adminstrative manager), 1 guidance counselor, and one OT (2 days a week).  I know!!!  Three of those people have "offices" or glorified closets in the room.  The rest of us all share the big part of the room.

I teach in an old  antique building.  My room has been everything from a Ag Shop, to a preschool, to a it's current day Resource Room.  It is a very large room, but when all of us gather in there and other staff starts walking in and out, and the phone starts ringing, then the rooms resembles Grand Central Station instead of  a classroom in an elementary school.  I hope this didn't come off whiny, because I truly love all of my roommates!  It wouldn't be the same "living" without them!! :)

This picture is taken from the back of the room.  This is my desk (and I have no idea who L. Whitaker is...I just inherited that chair).  Sometimes its is clean, sometimes it is hidden under a pile, this is a Tuesday desk.   That means the piles are beginning!   Beyond my desk you can see another desk belonging to our school psych and past that, beyond the divider and filing cabinets, is the area of my partner in crime (our primary spec. ed. teacher).

This is behind my desk.  These are my "important" binders.  One day I will give you a little tour of my organization.  Yes, I do have a system.  :)  The red pocket chart holds behavior charts.

This is my reading area.

This is my bulletin board of Homeworkopoly.  (More on that to come!)  It is not the best looking BB, but I threw it together in a pinch when I had some kids decide that homework was not for them!  Amazingly, this really works to get those reluctant homework doers busy!

This is my table where all of the real work takes place.

Yep!  You know what this is.  The poster says, "What to do when you're angry."  This isn't necessarily my desk, but I do have kids frequent this area!  The door to the right is our SAM's office.  He is in charge of discipline, so most of the time his friends are sitting at that black desk.  :(  The door to the right is the OT's closet.   My own daughter loves going in there to see what kinds of "toys" that are on the shelves.

This is my shelf with the curtains I MADE!! Oh yeah!! My first sewing project since 4-H in the sixth grade.  I know the patterns don't line up, I realize that it is patchy, but it works and covers the MESS you will see below!!

That's the MESS!!  This is an assortment of resources that desperately needs to be organized.  It will happen...   Somebody shut the curtain!!!

So, there you have it.  My little piece of space in the Bluegrass!  It isn't exactly the way I would like to look and I always have new ideas ready to try out, but for now it is what it is.  And, maybe now that it is out there for the world to see, maybe I will be inspired to do a little bit of redecorating/organizing!  We shall see...  ;)

Mrs. H  :)