I went into my classroom today to work on setting up. On my previous trek into my classroom, I removed a bunch of furniture- mostly the desks. These desks were giant (the size of a desk for a 5th grader-which was not going to work in my K-2 class), and were the ones where the chair is connected to the desk. They didn't work nicely in "groups" of desks, and they seemed so separate from each other. I hated them. So out into the hallway they went with a note for the custodians letting them know that I did not need the desks.
Don't get me wrong, I think desks are great. I used them in my last class, but I almost always had them pushed together into a "group" format. And because of that, I made the decision to ditch the desks and use tables for my students. I love the group work, the conversations, the discussions, and the teamwork that tables encourage. I love that because I only have a couple small tables, my students can choose alternative seating if they want to. They can sit on the floor, they can stand, they can sit at other centers around the classroom- the possibilities are endless!
Now it took me a long time to commit to this kind of seating arrangement. And to be honest, I do still have some desks hidden in my room for those kiddos who can't handle the group time. As a SPED teacher, I know that this might pose a problem later on down the road, but I want them working in groups. I want them working with their peers. I want them learning those social skills. What I DON'T want is them sitting by themselves at a desk where they feel alone. Unless that's what they want- then by all means, go for it.
I promise I'm getting to the "story" part of this post...
Today when I went into my classroom, I was immediately approached by my custodian. He proceeded to inform me that the desks were in my room for a reason- because my SPED kiddos throw the chairs. And it's dangerous. And that's why my classroom needs to have the desks. He told me I have "those EBD kids..." and I became extremely frustrated.
I know my kids have behavior concerns. That's why they are in my class. But I have extremely high hopes and expectations for the kiddos. I worked with an EBD student last year, and I was AMAZED at the amount of progress we made in a short time period. Sure, there were a couple days in the beginning of the year where he picked up his chair and chucked it across the room, but that didn't mean that he didn't deserve a chair. He needed to learn coping mechanisms and replacement behaviors. He wouldn't always be in a class where everything was strapped down so he couldn't throw it. So we worked on it. We practiced. We made improvements. And in less than a month, that same student never threw a chair again.
I guess my point is: I know I have difficult kids, but I am not going to walk into this year expecting the worst. If I have low expectations, I am sure thats how the kids will act. And for my custodian, a man who interacts with my students, to tell me that I have "those EBD kids..." really makes my heart hurt for these students. There will be no chair throwing in my class, because our classroom will be a family. We will have expectations and consequences, and we will learn to cope when we are upset. We will sit in groups, and we will work together, and we will have everything that our general education peers have. We will not sit in ugly, dysfunctional, too-big desks just because someone says that we can't handle. Because I will not allow anyone to classify or judge my students based on the class that they are assigned.
