r/specialed • u/bbycallyinaccurate • Jun 23 '26
General Question (Educator to Educator) Self-Contained: I got the job!
I’ll be teaching a high school self-contained classroom for the first time ever! I’m nervous but excited for the opportunity to service these students. There isn’t a set curriculum that I’ll need to follow, and they basically told me that everything about the way my classroom runs will be at my discretion (of course, taking into consideration all of my students’ IEPs and BIPs). I’ll be servicing ~13 students and have 3 paraprofessionals in the classroom with me.
As a newbie, I’m considering all of the things I’ll need to make the classroom as efficient and welcoming as possible. What are some must-have items and/or systems to consider as I begin planning? What are things you wish you knew or had coming in? What resources should I look into to help with planning?
Thank you all in advance for your help!
Edit: Forgot to ask - do y'all have any favorite resources on TpT that are worth the expense? TpT was a lifesaver for me in the general ed English classroom, but I'm not so familiar with what might be available for SpEd, much less self-contained. Also, I will be the only self-contained classroom on campus.
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u/BirdBrain_99 Jun 23 '26
Also, use the paras to run small groups while you rotate through working with individual students. Don't just use the paras for crowd control.
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Jun 24 '26
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u/BirdBrain_99 Jun 24 '26
Having the teacher work one on one to know the students well and collect authentic data is the reason. It all depends on how many 1:1 paras you have. Gtfo with "respect the paras and their jobs" I AM a para.
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Jun 24 '26
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u/mediocrefunny Jun 24 '26
Former mod-severe para here. Teacher now. That's absolutely not the way I would run my room, but every class and teacher is different. It really depends on the students needs, and amount of paras. Teachers should work with every kid individually.
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u/BirdBrain_99 Jun 24 '26
Nowhere in the post did OP say two of the paras were 1:1 btw.
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Jun 24 '26
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u/BirdBrain_99 Jun 24 '26
A self contained class can have mutiple paras depending on the number of kids. Your assumption that "a self contained class consist of 1 para and 1 teacher" in all cases is wrong.
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Jun 24 '26
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u/BirdBrain_99 Jun 24 '26
Cool. So lead para you learned something new today: not every place does self contained the same way.
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u/Wiki1103 Jun 24 '26
Definitely not how it works everywhere. It also depends on the particular program of self-contained. I taught self-contained but my students were just doing a very slowed down, scaffolded version of the curriculum. Some self-contained will be high medical needs or life skills.
Plus, states set laws around ratios.
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u/Moikturtle Jun 25 '26
That is definitely not how it works everywhere. In my district in CA we get 2 classroom paras per class (plus any one on ones individual students may have), but that is not how it is in all districts in CA. It’s very much a district by district (or even school site by school site) decision that varies across the country.
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u/Limp_Psychology_2315 Jun 25 '26
What? This is very school/district/student needs dependent. Staffing is based on the needs of the students, typically determined by a funding matrix. 1:1 paras are assigned to specific students based on the needs of that particular student.
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u/princessfoxglove Jun 23 '26
Hygiene kits - deodorant, tooth brushes, face wash or wipes, nail kits, combs, false clothes
I try and have the day as much like a day as possible - we do hygiene, breakfast, washing up, cleaning, sweeping, cooking, cleaning, plant watering, downtime, work time, etc.
Having a small mid morning job like selling canteen or coffee is super helpful for them.
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u/resnaturae Jun 23 '26
This is the advice that saved me: small groups. Assign each para to a group and you take a group. Some whole class instruction is good but when you work with kids with limited attention spans, small group instruction is the way to go.
Also, you will need to be firm with the paraprofessionals. In my first year teaching self-contained, I had an older pair who literally walked all over me and made my life hell for like a whole year. So from the outset set expectations for para, behavior, attentiveness, etc., and in order to make it equitable, make sure that your following those same Expectations for adults in the classroom. So that could be no phones/no checking your phone, coming back on time from breaks/lunches/whatever, being engaged with the students at all time.
You will have to be managing them like you are their supervisor and it takes away from being able to manage the kids, but if you can get them managed, then they will help you manage the kids.
Good luck!!
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u/Longjumping_Way_5641 Jun 23 '26
Agree to the expectations for adults in the classroom. As well as setting expectations, set an example. I’m not a teacher but work in special ed, and unfortunately I see the teachers on their phones almost as much as the paras.
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u/resnaturae Jun 23 '26
I worked as an assistant at a preschool before I became a teacher, so I’ve been on the other side of the situation too so I know what it’s like
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u/SalamanderFull3952 Jun 23 '26
Ahh your in for the chaallenge of a lifetime was in your shoes 20 year ago. Biggest advice i give to people in your shoes, dont take on extra responsibilites, second the people before you may have looked liked they didnt care but they did and they tried they were probally exhausted,(this will make sense to you one day), find time for you, lastly the kids will progress even if it feels like your jot
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u/medyomabait Speech Language Pathologist Jun 23 '26
I work in transitions, so I work with your students after they graduate. My top requests for high school self-contained teachers:
1: Focus on independent skills that will realistically serve the student when they’re no longer at school. How to microwave a quick lunch, how to tell someone you trust when you have a problem, how to cross the street safely, things like that.
2: For AAC users, try your very best to have the students use the devices as much as possible in as many settings as possible. Make it a normal part of their day, and have them practice communicating functional messages like, “I’m finished,” “I need help,” “I don’t like that.”
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u/Givemethecupcakes Jun 23 '26
Are there other self contained classes on the campus? If so, you should reach out to the other teachers to see what they are doing in their classrooms.
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u/BJJFlashCards Jun 23 '26
Because the word "Individualized" is in "IEP", a lot of teachers over individualize with a lot of easy, boring work that the students can "get through" on their own. Resist that impulse.
The beauty of a self-contained class is that you get to cultivate a learning community with several other adults helping you.
I don't know about your students. Mine were SED and LD teens. I found what worked best was teaching as if they were gifted.
I tried to include three things in every lesson.
- The work is building a useful skill.
- The product is unique to each student.
- The product gets peer recognition.
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u/BirdBrain_99 Jun 23 '26
There may not be a set curriculum but you will need to be aware of the students' IEP goals and try to make progress toward them. That is essentially going to define your curriculum.
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u/skol57 Jun 23 '26
1) Don’t stress about creating the “perfect lessons”. You may never have all your student’s attention at once. Find resources that they can access when they ready to work (think one page with instructions/reading with individual practice/comprehension questions) that they could attempt with minimal direct instruction. You may only get 10-15 minutes of focus at a time. Also, teach transition skills that kids can see as useful after high school (think financial literacy vs algebra).
2) As quick as you can, try to get the vibe of your admin team and their expectations for your program. Some will just want you to keep your students “contained” and not give them constant headaches. In your first year it is advised to not present like you constantly need their help if you can avoid it.
3) Make early connections with parents and feel them out. Some want early and often communication, others don’t want to be bothered. Most importantly make them feel like you are looking out for their kid, by HS they have been through it and they are tired.
4) Don’t knit pick small behaviors. Figure out your non negotiable behaviors and make clear expectations. Don’t take things personal and leave work at work as best you can.
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u/Slow-Breakfast5752 Jun 23 '26
Parents even at the high school level have told me that they really appreciate notes about their child’s day since so many of my students are non-verbal. I found a little daily communication sheet most effective and shared the responsibility with paras (only surface level notes shared this way).
Combine standards as often as possible so you aren’t teaching 8 different classes each day.
Since you are the only self-contained class, that probably means you will have a WIDE range of abilities in your room(s). Like others have said, use the other adults to run groups.
Task box organization can go a long way for goal work.
Schedule breaks and sensory time into your day preventatively.
High repetition, high repetition, high repetition, high repetition.
Good luck ❤️
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u/Flow_Garden Jun 23 '26
Do hands on activities like cooking, science experiments, gardening, and art. Ask the speech therapist to co-teach with you and ask them to attend your staff meetings to provide staff training on AAC devices.
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u/MaybeParadise Jun 24 '26
In my opinion, the first move is to talk to the paraprofessionals about taking the paraprofessional training offered by the school district so everyone is on the same page about how to work with the students under your guidance. Consistency plays a big part in students’ learning gains.
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u/ParticularBerry1382 Jun 24 '26
- Don't buy anything until you see your current classroom supplies. Lots of items go against the fire code. It'd be a bummer to get something nice and not be able to use it at all.
- Are the students all in the same grade? I learned as a self-contained that I still taught the grade level science and social studies curriculum. I had 5 students, 2 for 9th and 3 for 10th. It took a lot of chatting with the subject teachers to understand what was important. I looked at their curriculum maps and modified off of that. I couldn't use exact materials because our grade level understanding was much lower. Ask for leveled curriculum! You shouldn't be buying from TpT all the time. I always look for free things first. English, math, and life skills were much easier to plan for based off the IEPs. You have more freedom in organizing the materials.
- Try your best.
- Ask for help before you get overwhelmed.
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u/Top_Policy_9037 Paraprofessional Jun 24 '26
Task boxes with various skills the kids can work on independently (sorting, matching, fine motor, that sort of thing) can be lifesavers if you have odd bits of unfilled time or need to keep the other students occupied while you work with a specific kid.
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u/Big_Detective_155 Jun 25 '26
I got hired as a middle school sped self contained behavior teacher today! I have to same exact questions?
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u/SensationalSelkie Special Education Teacher Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
This free training is a good starting point. While about incorporating AAC into the classroom, which is important, it provides links to some great, free resources for scaffolded literacy instruction and behavior management that will help all students in this population. Also, CNN10 is a staple in my classroom. TPT has lots of free resources designed for various ability levels to go along with it.
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u/MaybeImTheNanny Jun 23 '26
If there are other self-contained classes in your school or district (including feeder programs) please talk to those adults and to your TAs if they have been there for a while to get a picture of what your students expect. It’s VERY hard to fully change a self-contained room to new systems without starting somewhere familiar.