Autism Classroom Setup PART 1: Special Ed Classroom Overview

I finally got the email I've been waiting for all summer long, and that is the email that says they are done waxing the floors and cleaning our building. That gave me the green light to be able to go into my classroom and start setting up. I know it's early, but I'm a K-1, K-2 self-contained autism teacher, and there's so much that goes into classroom setup. I thought it would be fun to bring you along on a little classroom setup series. So, this will be the first part of our series where I kind of walk you through some of the zones and the areas that I I want in my classroom. Later on in the series, I'll go into a more in-depth look at each of the zones that I kind of create. But today I just kind of want to walk you through my classroom, my space, and the thought process behind some of the areas and the zones that I've created. So let's get started. Alright, on to zones. I call them zones, other people might call them areas or centers. It's all one in the same, so don't get confused there. When I start thinking about zones that I need in my classroom, I want my zones to enable success within my students and the adults in my classroom. So my whole goal as a teacher is that my classroom setup supports student success and adult success. If I can do that, then my students can do anything. So the first thing that I need to do to enable student success: have a student zone. So a student zone doesn't have to be complicated. Mine is just a set of cubbies, but it gives students a spot to put their backpack, their lunchbox, extra PE shoes, a change of clothes, any toileting materials that they might need we'll put over here until we get it to the bathroom or the changing room. Anything that that student brings in for the day, they have a spot to put it. Not only does this create like zen in my classroom because, well, there's no clutter. Everything goes right in its spot. It creates a routine for students. They come in, they put their backpack up, they put their coat up, they unzip their backpack. They know the routine because there's a set space for it. The next zone is actually for the adults. I have what we lovingly call Koenig's Corner. This is where I keep my desk, a copy of my IEPs, any fileable paperwork, my purse, my computer, anything that I might need throughout the day goes in this little corner. Nothing surprising over there. However, I've created a similar space for my assistants. Let me show you. This zone is just for my assistants. Pardon the mess, we're still kind of going through stuff, but you can kind of get a feel for what I've got going for them. So they've got a spot to put their coats over on the cubby right over here. They each have an iPad for data collection, and so we keep that over here. and then we eventually had the cords. We've got a Chromebook for check-in, so really they do all of their morning routines over here. They've got that spot to hang up their coat, and then I gave them a drawer. And these file cabinets are tricky to open, you know, you have to push over and then pull. And then this gives them a safe space to put their purse, their lunchbox, and their cell phone. That way kids can't get into it, and frankly, if they do, it's loud. We know. The next 2 zones are the tech zone and the communication zone, and they happen to be right next to each other. I use a rainbow cart for my technology zone. We use iPads in my classroom and we are 1:1, so I need a charging spot for those and then also a spot to house things like splitters, headphones, cords, those kind of things. I always keep extra cables around because, well, my students mostly use AACs and every student uses an iPad with an app for an AAC. So I keep extra Lightning cables and we use this as a charging zone for those as well in case those AACs come and they're actually not charged for the day. That way students have immediate access to their device. Next up is the communication zone and you can see it's right next to that door. I have 3 bins. These 2 pink bins hold homework for the year, I use the Autism Helpers Level Daily Homework. I use 0.5 and I put it in this bin, and I use Level 1 for other learners and it goes in this bin. The green bin holds take-home folders and students take them out of their backpacks from these cubbies and walk them over and drop them in this green bin, and then communication books go here. We've talked about 4 zones and we haven't even got to instructional, but I promise it's coming. The next zone is sensory zones. I teach K-1 autism. It is so important that I meet my learner's sensory needs before placing a demand on them. That way they are successful. Remember, my whole thought process behind zones is how to make students and adults successful in this classroom environment. So by having a variety of sensory opportunities for students to use and then teaching expectations around using those, Guess what? Everybody wins. So let me show you a couple. I have a giant clear sensory bin, which I absolutely love. It's on wheels. We take this outside. We use it inside. I've got a rug underneath that, um, absorbs water in case we've got a liquid in there, but this is a huge win when it comes to sensory. This one's a little bit trickier to see just because there's so much junk on top of it, but this is a light table that my husband and I built. This provides such great sensory input. Love the visual input that this gives. Um, we just used leftover scrap wood. I bought a piece of plexiglass to go on top, and then I sprayed it with Opeg spray and then put LED lights in there so I can control it with a remote, or the kids can control it, and they think that's the coolest thing. My students learn in 3 different ways. Whole group, so I have a carpet right in front of the Promethean board, small group, so I have tables where we meet as a small group, and one-to-one. And so for one-to-one instruction, I have these little learning cubbies. What I love about these is that you have plenty of egress. You can walk in and out with ease, but it kind of blocks the distraction of the classroom. If your classroom is like mine, it is a revolving door. I have so many adults and so many kids in and out of my classroom, sometimes it's hard for kids to focus. So when I need a kid to focus in a one-to-one environment, this is where we go. Last zone is independent work. And if this shelf looks familiar to you, it's probably because you watched the video all on independent work in my classroom. I created a whole video on how I manage it, how I select activities and how my students utilize this space in my classroom. So it's definitely worth a watch. We will link it for you down below. There you go, 7 zones in my classroom, and I love them each, and they each serve such an important role in student and adult success. Really, that's what it's all about. I think so many people underestimate the amount of time and energy and thought that goes into classroom setup. Really, a successful classroom is all about classroom setup and how we set those kids and those adults up for success. And in order to do that, it takes time and energy, and it's not about decor, you know. That's kind of the icing on the cake for me. I would rather have the stuff in place to make kids and adults successful first, and then you can decorate and you can work on your theme for your year. For me, it's much more about functionality. So that's what I want you to think of when you walk into your classroom and you've got 4 blank walls. Don't worry, don't run out and buy all the stuff. Just focus on function first. Not only will I be covering those 7 zones in the upcoming weeks, but I'm going to be talking about classroom basics as well. Things like schedules and managing schedules, organization of classrooms, visuals and management of visuals, AAC usage within the classroom, um, or organization of curriculum and picking curriculum and finding curriculum. All of these things that go into running a successful autism classroom. I'll be covering it all, so if there's anything that you want to see, make sure you drop it in the comments below and I will get to it in upcoming videos.