William Blount High School CDC Classroom

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devastation

This CDC special education classroom provides core academics for students with physical and intellectual disaibilites, who are significantly below grade level.

daily challenges

• Back pain and physical strain for teachers in Changing room, transferring and lifting students.

• Cluttered. Needed more storage to organize supplies, materials

• Large open room had no purpose

• Existing furniture was worn out, many years past It’s useful life, and inappropriate for learning

• The minimal toys and games  in the room were from thrift stores or hand-me-downs

• Few opportunities for Sensory input, or motor skill development

design solutions

• Provided an electric height adjustable changing table that is bleach cleanable.

• Learning side: this side of the class brings students together, allowing teacher’s to present academic material at the student’s level.

• Sensory side: We built 3 large Nooks for increase focus and minimize environmental stress - Reading, Calming, and Sensory areas -  Flexible Furniture: students have the choice of where and how they want to sit, study, work, play, and interact.

• Organization: redistributed supplies and learning materials into each area of the room and provided ample storage.

• Lockers: these students wanted “lockers like the normal kids have”. Now they each have their own lockable space for their belongings.

impact

Safety: Teachers can transfer and change students from a comfortable position, minimizing back/neck pain.

Increased Focus: the 3 Nooks now provide opportunities for one on one learning & anxiety relief for teachers and students.

Teacher Efficiency: new workstations with abundant storage for organization

news story

https://www.wate.com/news/positively-tennessee/nonprofit-business-partnership-transforms-william-blount-teachers-classroom/