Procedures the teacher uses to make everything run smoothly in the class.

The teacher that I observed used a lot of of good procedures to make his special needs class run smoothly. Some of the procedures he used were to welcome his students when they came in the morning. He and his aides would instruct the students to hang their backpacks, put home lunches on the designated shelf, put their jackets in the bin. The students would then take their seats at the tables where their chairs and folders were already placed. The students knew what was expected of them because they did the same things at the same time everyday. The teacher had laminated strips of card stock displayed in a holder in the front of the room that had the times of each activity and subject. The students didn't need to wonder what was coming next because they had a visual representation of the schedule. After the activity had passed, he would turn the strip around. If he forgot the students were sure to remind him. In addition to the schedule the teacher would tell the students what the schedule was for the day.

The teacher also had the rules of the classroom posted and he would review them everyday. He added gestures for each rule to help the students remember them. He had a designated spot in the classroom where the students could go and sit quietly if they needed to take a break. His students felt supported and loved and it showed in the interactions between the staff and the students. I hope to be able to create a positive environment like the one I observed in my own classroom.