Running head: MISS CARRS CLASSROOM 1

Miss Carrs Classroom

Esther Mead
Ivy Tech Community College

As you enter Miss Carrs classroom, you are greeted with an open door and a gate. The

gate is similar to a baby gate allowing you to come into the classroom with just a bit of finesse in

order to unlatch it and enter. Once inside the classroom you see its not full rows and rows of

desks, or full of busy loud colors or frantic posters, but of small stations all around the room and

pops of color that are clean and organized. There are desks lined up along a wall and there are

dividers made of bookshelves to separate the learning stations. The room itself is about average

size to other classrooms in the building. It does however have a door that leads outside to the

front of the building. It also is equipped with a very large closet near the teachers desk. There is

a bathroom, and sink inside the room which is typically found in a kindergarten classroom.
Miss Carr is the teacher in this classroom. She stays with the kids and all of her

assistants. This classroom is called a Lifestyle classroom and consists of one teacher (Miss

Carr), between three and four Instructional Assistants, six children, and one nurse. This would be

considered a self-contained classroom which would typically enroll(s) fifteen or fewer

MISS CARRS CLASSROOM 2

exceptional students with particular characteristics or needs. (Daniel P. Hallahan, 2015, p.

29)They all seem to get along pretty well and work as a team. In a Lifestyle classroom students

are taught not only how to read and write, but skills they will need for living in general. They

will learn everything from street signs to teeth brushing as a regular part of their day.
The children that are present are three third graders, two second graders, and one fifth

grader. In this school there are two other Lifestyle classrooms. One of the other Lifestyle

classrooms houses younger children and the other has children who are older. It was explained

to me that the way this school district organizes their students is by age. Children stay at the

Elementary school until they are 11 years old, then they move to the Middle School. Once a child

is 16 years old they move on to the High School and stay there until they are about 22 years old.
The Carr Team works together to get the children ready for the day. As the busses

arrive they have a quick mini meeting about what the day should look like. The routine of the

childrens day was just changed in order to serve the children better. The team agrees on the

changes and they all voice the same concern for a certain child who doesnt respond well to

change. There is a plan in place to make the switch an easier and make it a fun transition.

Suggestions are presented to Miss Carr who in turn praises the suggestion. This is a team. These

guys work together very well and are very supportive of each other. You can see that all of the

people in this room care for the kids they work with and they all respect Miss Carr as well as

each other.
The morning goes very well with everyone on board! The kids are gathered from the

front of the building through the door that leads to the outside. They come directly into the

classroom, put their items away, use the bathroom, do morning work at their own desk, then

gather together to talk about the calendar. The kids have small laminated pictures that they look

at for their schedule. You can hear the Assistants say, Check schedule. or Coat away. as the
MISS CARRS CLASSROOM 3

kids go through their routine. It seems like broken English to me, but it is my understanding that

too many works can make the task seem confusing.

A lot of things are similar to every other classroom. However, there are some things that

are very different. You can see assistants getting on the floor with the children to work with

them. I noticed one child was very active, Miss Carr noticed too so she brought out a yoga ball

for the child to bounce on. He was bouncing pretty high but was able to control himself on the

ball and pay attention to the lesson given. The children use a Star Chart system to reward good

work. They get to work for . something that is considered a reward. For example, they might

work toward playing with a slinky or a doll house. After completing tasks, the kids get to add a

star to their chart (they are laminated and Velcro adheres them to the chart). Once they earn five

stars they receive their reward (whatever it is that they are working towards). When they get their

reward, it is timed using a sand timer so that the children have a visual to understand when the

time is up.
During centers time where the children rotate to different areas and work on different

tasks in small groups. Most were either one on one with an assistant, or two children to one

assistant. Two of the children were working with Miss Carr and were using sand to write their

letters. Miss Carr would say the letter out loud and the children would use their finger to write

the letter in the sand, repeat the letter, and then the letter sound. One of the children has a cast on

her arm so Miss Carr hands her a pencil to use. I asked if the other child would like one too and

she said she rather he didnt have one. She explained that the sand was to have them feel the

texture as they are writing. She also pointed out how large the pencils were that the kids use. She

said that the larger pencils help the kids by being easier for them to hold.
I feel like the practices I observed in the classroom lined up to what our textbook

explained. These students are in a typical self-contained classroom. Some of the things I

observed I recognized from our textbook. I was able to see some of the communication that Miss
MISS CARRS CLASSROOM 4

Carr sends out to the parents of her students. I have attached a copy of that communication at the

end of this reflection. She uses a mix of a home note program and a traveling notebook. The

home-note programs are a way of communicating with parents and having them reinforce

behaviors that occur at school. A typical home-note program consists of a simple form on which

the teacher records yes, no, or not applicable to certain categories of behavior. (Daniel P.

Hallahan, 2015, p. 80) Traveling notebooks, which go back and forth between school and home

are less formal than home notes and are particularly appropriate for students who see multiple

professionals. (Daniel P. Hallahan, 2015, p. 81) Miss Carr circles information but also writes a

note and usually a parent will not only sign but also write back. These notes are kept in a

notebook that the children bring back to school daily. She also has a copy of this same form in

Spanish for her ESL students and their families.

Interestingly enough, I happened to be observing during a day that Miss Carr was

working on an IEP. An IEP is an individualized education plan that is the legal document that

describes the educational services a student receives. (Daniel P. Hallahan, 2015, p. 26) Miss

Carr informed me that she updates the IEP and the goals within the IEP for each student at the

end of each trimester along with their report cards. Each of the IEPs written will take about 3

hours to complete.
Although I wasnt there, I know that the students in Miss Carrs classroom experience

peer-mediated instruction on a regular basis, which is a research-based instructional strategy to

enhance the integration of students with disabilities. (Daniel P. Hallahan, 2015, p. 33) She

partners with other teachers so that her class can mingle with other non-lifestyle classes.
Before going into Miss Carrs classroom and observing, I didnt have a great

understanding of why she would need such a large team to work in her classroom. After

observing not only the amount of paperwork, but the amount of attention needed to provide a

safe and educational environment for these children with specific special needs, I now have a
MISS CARRS CLASSROOM 5

better understanding of the need for this type classroom. The most important thing I learned is

that it is important to have a great teacher and great assistants with a lot of patents and

teamwork!!

References
Daniel P. Hallahan, J. M. (2015). Exceptional Learners an Introduction to Special Education
(13th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.
MISS CARRS CLASSROOM 6

Miss Carrs Daily Note For: ________________________________

Date: __________________________ M T W Th F

Mood: Positioning/Physical Work: Sensory Needs: Today I had:

Happy Rifton Chair Ball Pit Compression Therapies:

Okay Therapy Ball Stairs Heavy Lifting OT

Silly Trampoline Stretching Brushing PT

Tired Swing Playground Bouncing Speech

Sick Bean Bag Walker Jumping Vision

In Pain Dynamic Stander Mat Roll Ball Pit Specials:

Angry P.T. Goals Swing Gym

Sad Art
Food:
Media Center
AM Snack: ___________________ All Most Some None
Music
I Need:
Lunch ________________________ All Most Some None
Diapers

Wipes
Toileting:
Extra Clothes
Overall Days Behavior:
Toilet: Briefs:
Snack:
Wet: _____ Wet: _____

BM: _____ BM: _____

Dry: _____
Teacher Note:

Parent Signature: _________________________________________ Date: _______________________