Here is a tour of my 6:1:1 3rd/4th grade classroom! It can be difficult to find the best way to set up your classroom, no matter what you teach and how many years of experience you have. Since my school serves students with severe behaviors and emotional disabilities, I believe it is best to keep my classroom as open as possible. When there are lots of physical barriers for students, or “clutter”, it can be over stimulating and cause more behavior issues.
Pictured above is the front of my classroom with our word wall, promethean board, and whiteboard. This picture was taken on the first day of summer school.
Cozy Corner
Pictured above is my “cozy corner”, along with the rules for using the cozy corner posted on the wall above it. They must ask to use the cozy corner, they must set a timer between 1-5 minutes, they may use sensory toys while in the cozy corner (located in a drawer next to the corner, which contain materials like kinetic sand, sensory bottles, etc.) When the timer goes off, they must clean up and return to what they were doing. I explain to students that the corner is there for them if they need a break due to being tired, upset, etc. You can find a free checklist on SSE here to help you prepare this same type of space in your classroom!
Classroom aide’s desk/information bulletin board/birthday sign/mailboxes
This part of the room consists of my aide’s desk, our information bulletin board which shows the breakfast and lunch menus and the events going on that month (the bulletin board had not been updated yet when this photo was taken!) It also includes our birthday poster with all students and staff’s birthdays, as well as the mailbox corner. This picture also shows our classroom clock, which has the 5-minute increments posted around the clock to help students tell time. In this photo, you can also see that there are cloud light filters on the lights to dim the florescent lighting. Each classroom in my school has these filters, which is beneficial in helping students not become overstimulated due to the lighting.
Teacher desk area/class store
Pictured above is my desk area. There is a line of tape on the floor that indicates to students they need to ask before coming across the line into the space. While it can be difficult to keep your desk neat (and mine certainly isn’t perfect!), I do my best to keep my desk as decluttered as possible so I can stay organized and not lose things.
Located in this area is the cart for our class store (second picture above). Students can visit the store at the end of the day on Fridays, as long as they have been safe and completed their work. There are also food and drink items they can buy at the store that are packed away when the store is closed.
This area also includes papers/materials for the week hanging on the wall in the purple organizer, snacks, student Chromebooks and the charging station, and my personal desktop computer. I also love to display student artwork on my desk. I had just cleared it off prior to this picture to make room for more artwork from my new students!
Calendar/schedule/class store posters
Above is the area where students can see the daily calendar, our daily schedule, as well as information about my class store. The posters explain what items/rewards they can buy at the class store (anywhere from $5 for a pencil to $50 for a class pizza party). They also explain how students can earn money (doing their daily jobs, being a good friend, showing honesty, etc.).
Bookshelf/aide’s space
This area of the classroom consists of the bookshelf filled with books students can read, along with coloring books, and another desk area for a 1:1 aide.
Class rules/jobs
In this area, students can find the class rules. This is also the area where students can pick their jobs for the week every Monday morning. Their name card goes next to their job, and then we switch again the following Monday. Here you can find resources for setting up jobs in your classroom!
Setting up your environment for your students is one of the most important things you can do to facilitate learning and decrease negative behaviors.
Whether you’re a first-year teacher or have years of experience, setting up a new classroom can become overwhelming fast! Take it one step at a time and keep it simple. Thanks for touring my (soon to be) autism classroom with me. For even more information on how to setup your classroom, sign up for the waitlist here for Simple Self-Contained Setup 101, the complete roadmap to a stress-free classroom!
