FUNDAMENTAL USERS
teachers, interventionists, staff
What makes a good classroom for teachers, interventionists and staff? • • • • • • • •
Flexible and stable furniture Quiet rooms Easy access to materials and technologies Good acoustics Sightlines and visibility Storage Natural light Natural materials
What we should know about teachers, interventionists and staff? •
• • • • • •
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A feeling of “Lack of support from colleagues / supervisors” is a critical factor. Day-to-day stress is significantly higher for special education teachers because there are multiple points of potential disruption to monitor. Para-educators and teachers should have shared goals with students – communication. Proactive teamwork strategies lesson the communication gaps that lead to frustration. Role-based training can be helpful to having a shared approach to interventions with students so that teamwork can be consistent. Emotional intelligence and self-awareness by the educator are important to be able to better understand how they will react in a given situation.
Special educators & facilitators suffer “burnout” at a higher rate than regular teachers – +50% leave the profession within 5 years and 75% leave the profession in 10 years – the average teacher (40% within 5 years). Lack of communication is a critical issue – from administration & from parents. Educators need quiet rooms to de-stress. Educators who get more training, have better engagement. A discussion of purpose is helpful for re-centering. Student expectations can often lead to feelings of failure – set more realistic goals with students. Time management can be difficult due to the amount of paperwork and planning. Automation / Talk to Text technology could be beneficial.
Figure 19
AERO Therapeutic Center
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