- I don't know how many kids I have... Last I heard, I only had two students, but my principal said that could change and go up to eight.
- I don't know the grades of these kids... that could be anywhere from K-3.
- The furniture in my classroom is mismatched, and I'm having a hard time deciding what the function of it all should be.
- I don't know what the behavior level is of the kids I am teaching (I am a SPED teacher and will be teaching an emotional/behavioral class).
- It appears the teacher before me was just trying to "just get through the year" which left the room in complete chaos.
How do I even use "table groups" when I may only have 2 students?
Should I make do with the furniture that I have and try to make it work, or do I go to ikea and get some that I know will be functional and useful?
Do I set up spaces for eight kids, or do I set up spaces for the two I know I have?
I have so many questions and I am having such a difficult time. I've always LOVED setting up my classroom, and I don't know why this year seems to be different. Any advice or ideas would be much appreciated. :)
Hi Rachel! I just came across your IG and I am so glad I found your blog! It's adorable! This is technically my first year as a "real" teacher, but I was a behavior interventionist throughout college, and I feel like I've been teaching forever (lol). But I hope I can offer some advice! I am teaching 4-5 Resource this year but many of my kiddos get services for behavior. Your situations feels so overwhelming. Luckily, K-3 is not too big of an age gap. I'd say plan like you will have up to 8 students and adjust when you find your exact number. I use tables for small group work and then I have a table that I use for two individual workspaces (just section it in half with a divider). I also have a "Chill Corner" (which you might make a "Cool Corner" for the younger ones) that has some fidgets, calming activities, and "think sheets". Don't worry too much about the mismatch furniture! I used bookshelves to create a small reading corner and added a rug and bean bags. You can use Scholastic Class Set-Up to rearrange furniture online to get a feel for a set-up you might like! Always be prepared for any behavior that might walk in your door. Have some fun things like yoga balls for the kids to sit on. I'd recommend using Class Dojo to encourage positive behavior where the students work to earn points. It's great for data collecting too. ;) K-3 kiddos love visuals for rules and expectations, interactive number line, math vocabulary (basics), reading fluency posters, a fun alphabet, and encouraging quotes. If you have any questions or just want to chat, you can email me lattesandlessonplans@gmail.com or IG: latteslessonsieps
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