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I observed the structured learning program classroom at Maize South Elementary in Mrs. Shelli Locke's classroom.

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This classroom included a wide range of different learners. Students were in grades from Kindergarten to Fourth grade and were low to high functioning. Some students remained in this classroom all day and some would go to inclusion classrooms throughout the day.

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This classroom had a total of five students who spent the majority of the day in this room. There were a total of one lead teacher, four paras, and an occupational therapist (OT) that rotates between all the Maize district schools.  There was also a dedicated classroom to serve as a sensory room where the OT mainly works. There were two students that I observed going to inclusion classrooms for various subjects with para support.

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The classroom was broken up into different centers which appeared to function nicely. One corner was blocked off to provide a seclusion area, which was padded and contained pillows to rest on. This helped to block off the other corner to serve as a one-on-one instruction time with only two desks facing each other for the student and teacher to work on something. One area was sectioned off as an independent work area with task bins for students to complete as independently as possible. A table near the whiteboard and projector served as the home base for group time. One area had an accessible touch-screen computer set up. Near the kitchenette was a table where the students ate lunch.

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Visual aids were used in abundance in a classroom like this, especially considering most of the students were non-verbal. Each student had a visual schedule hung in a separate area of the classroom at the appropriate height. Each student received a visual and written vocabulary list with the daily story. All but one student had a visual communication binder to communicate their wants and needs.

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Were the centers and visual aids effective?

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Were the centers and visual aids effective?

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Yes! Ultimately, however, I think these were both so effective because of how everything is tailored to fit the individual student's capability while encouraging growth. For example, students that could not yet read or comprehend instructions were provided with simple, clear visual aids. The student that was beginning to read independently was provided with a more detailed written schedule with more specific visuals.

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Overall, this was a very great learning experience that opened my eyes to how difficult it is to teach in a special education classroom. I did see firsthand just how important it is for these learners to be included in a typical classroom. Each student I would go observe in inclusion time would light up when surrounded by their peers. Students I hadn't seen have fun that entire day would completely change their demeanor and motivation when they were treated the same as a typical student. This experience has only made me more excited to work with special needs learners and welcome them into an inclusion classroom.