I will include graphic organizers in my classroom to help everyone organize their thoughts and especially help those who might be less organized. I was and am always organized; therefore, thinking about those students who are not is harder for me to do because my brain does not think that way.

I will also provide flexible seat options. My fifth grade teacher did this, and it was amazing. I always felt like I could make myself comfortable and really pay attention to what she was saying. In the article, it says it helps students from slouching and feeling sleepy in class, and I totally agree. This is something I will definitely be implementing in my future classroom.

Speech-to-text software is something I will be adding to my classroom technology related. I feel as if this is very important to incorporate for those who find it hard to remember and catch on to vocal directions and instructions. If students can read from the board, this is an additional tool to help them grasp the information I am giving them. A lot of my education professors did this, and it is very beneficial for me as a college student!

To make my classroom more accessible, I'll be sure to have flexible seating along with flexible workspaces. In stead of rows, the desk will be arranged in some type of group that allows student interaction. During independent work, students will be allowed to leave their desks to work more comfortably.

After reading the article, another thing I would like to take a way and use for my classroom is closed captions and visual timers. I never thought about how it could support reading skills. When I watch movies and shows, I always tend to put on captions because it makes me feel like I can hear it better, as I am also able to see what's being said.

As Alisha stated, I will include a picture wall. This would include pictures on the first and last day, school events, field trips, and fun activities we do in class. Another picture wall will include learning charts, examples, and information to provide students with a visual aid.

In my classroom currently we use a center-management system. This system includes the use of individual center tags with the child's name and picture on it. The children place these tags on the sign of the center they want to play in. We are 5 weeks into the school year and my 16 3-year old's manage where they want to play and who they play with without teacher instructions. They are able to tell if the center has room for them to join or if the center is at capacity.

In the classroom we make sure our centers and other items in the classroom are accessible to all children. The shelves are low, clearly labeled with pictures and words (in English and Spanish), and surrounded by large play areas to use the center items in. We follow a guide provided by ECERS to set-up the environment to include children who may need a wheelchair, walker, or just extra space to move about. The aisles and centers are wide allowing for free movement by all. We also use interactive schedules to help children who may not understand the words being said. These children are able to see pictures of themselves and others doing different transitions and activities throughout the day. They help by moving an arrow down the schedule. This helps a lot at the beginning of the year because they can see each activity be passed, and know when we reach the last one it will be time for parents to return.

In the classroom we use a promethean board. We use this board to teach dances for music and movement but screen time is limited to 20 minutes per day. We use a visual timer on the board to show how long until we transition. Each day the children help pick out a timer shape (circle, square, rectangle, etc.) to set for our time. The children watch as the shape gets smaller and smaller, and have associated this with the amount of time they have until the bell rings for clean-up.

Using Visual Schedules and Picture Cues: children thrive with routine's, I would use picture-based daily schedules, label classroom areas with icons, and give step-by-step visual instructions for activities. This supports kids with autism, ADHD, those who are still learning English, and children who easily forget steps.

Teach and use simple sign language: This helps especially with younger children who cannot talk or you cannot understand. So introducing basic ASL for common classroom words like "more," "help," "bathroom," or "stop" supports non-verbal or speech-delayed children and also promotes inclusion, empathy, and communication among peers.

Use Assistive Technology: I would integrate tools like screen readers, speech-to-text software, and captioned videos to support students with visual, auditory, or motor impairments.

The most important part in running a classroom is making sure that the students understand what their objectives are and that they know where they can find the information they need. As a teacher I would make an easily accessible slideshow that we would go over everything that the students need to accomplish together vocally at the beginning of class. The slides would have clear instructions with images and videos. It will also have links to needed/helpful websites to help the students with their assignments.

Since no student is the exact same person, the classroom must be physically ready to teach all types of people. The tables and chairs must have a fair amount of space for students that use a wheelchair or crutches. The counters and shelves need also not be too high so that students in wheelchairs or physically short can easily reach materials. I will also try to create a separate area for students with sensory issues to complete their work.

I will also try to make sure the required classroom texts will have a text-to-speech option and any videos will also have close captions for those that learn best through oral instructions. This will help students with visual disabilities

Visual supports and clear routines: In my classroom, I would like to show visuals of a lot of the things we will participate in each day. Such as, but not limited to: schedules (with pictures), calendars (weather, numbers), labeled areas, and graphic organizers. I believe if these are accessible, it will limit the number of questions and interruptions asking what we are doing that day, etc. It helps students follow directions and stay on task when they know what to predict. 

I love the use of visual timers and visual volume level reminders. I know YouTube has timers that are themed and comes with soft music. As for visual volume reminders, I like bouncyballs.org as it shows the current level and lets the teacher select the current noise level and sensitivity.

I would love to have a visual of the routine/schedule for the day with pictures on the board. Having routines helps aid in transitions during the day and causes less stress and wondering what is happening next.

I love the idea of having a "calm down corner" in my room to help when students need a moment to themselves. It would have different seating options as well as sensory toys to help the student get back to where they need to be.

In my future classroom, I can incorporate flexible seating to help students focus. For example, I can use bean bags. I remember that my 1st grade classroom had beanbags that we read on in small groups. It's comfortable, inclusive, and keeps students engaged.

I would also like to incorporate visual aids because they help represent information and also keep students engaged. For example, graphic organizers, videos, and posters are all beneficial tools to use in the classroom.

Another thing I can incorporate is visual timers. This can help students know how much time they have left and keep them on track. I always loved it when my teachers did this. They would also play soft music, which kept us calm and focused.

For me, the first aspect of my classroom that I want to complete is the objective and weekly task board. Making sure there are assignments for every day and their homework posted so they know what we are learning, and understand what we have going on during the week. I also want to incorporate links to different websites that can help them understand the material better on a kid-friendly website.

A virtual welcome board every morning with the date, weather, bellringer, and an interesting question or fact to get the day started. Each day would have a different theme depending on the day and season of the year. This welcome board would also be a way for students to instantly engage in the classroom.

In my classroom, to reward good behavior, I would have weekly quizzes on whatever lessons we had during the week. Those with a score of B or higher would get a treat from the bucket. This bucket would be the "treasure chest" filled with toys like slinkys, bouncy balls, and fun stickers. Every student has the opportunity to receive a treat and get a good grade!

In my future classroom I would use tools like closed captions on videos or text-to- speech so I can guarantee that students have more than one way to understand the material. This gives them extra support and makes the lesson more accessible.

I want to give students different options to share what they know. Instead of only writing assignments, they could do projects, presentations, or creative work. I always liked the idea of a bingo card with different options so it seems like they are getting to choose how to show their understanding.

Having a safe and comfortable environment for students to learn in is very important. I would like to have clear expectations and a calming corner for students who need a break.

In my classroom I would have speech to text projected on the board at all times so that students who have troubling hearing can still fully understand the material. This can also help students who do not have hearing problems focus better as they read along with me as I teach. This allows students that have hearing impairments to feel seen and cared for by making sure that everyone has the opportunity to learn. 

I would also have our daily schedule on the board with what lessons we will be covering, activities we are gonna do, homework that will be assigned, and any other key details about the day. This can help give students who like structure a plan that they can refer to so that they know what we are doing and do not get overwhelmed. Having a set schedule can give lots of students comfort.

I would also have multiple different areas that students can go to if they feel overwhelmed to calm down. I would call it the cozy corner and put bean bags, pillows, books, stuffed animals, and fidget toys. I know that sometimes students need to step away and collect themselves, so I want to be able to provide that for them. I think this is particularly relevant for me because I am a special education major and there are many students in this department that sometimes need a space where they can catch their breath before returning back with the rest of the group.