I am sure that it is a bit Ironic that in an inquiry blog dedicated to “inclusive education” that I am going to talk about Life Skills classrooms, which are more of a traditional Special Education model where students spend more time in isolated classrooms. I think it is important that teachers have an understanding of these spaces, and so I thought I would make a post with some quick tips for an effective Life Skills classroom.

What is a Life Skills classroom?

A Life Skills classroom is a classroom setting outside of “mainstream” classrooms that teaches functional skills such as learning how to do laundry, create a budget, and navigate the community. Life Skills classrooms are generally separate from traditional classrooms and have their own spaces within a school.

Some key tips…

Keep your space clean and organized: Students in Life Skills rooms tend to be especially sensitive to being overwhelmed by visual stimulus and so these classrooms should pay extra attention to being clean and distraction-free.

Make relationships with your EAs: Education assistants will often be placed in Life Skills classrooms and will have important relationships with their students. Teachers should ensure they are using their EAs as a resource and getting their input on programming.

Use your community: Community-based programming can be a great way to teach important life skills. You can teach financial literacy with a trip to the grocery store, teach how to get around the community through walks and bus trips, and social skills by interacting with service workers.

Divide up your space: A Life Skills classroom should have distinct work spaces set aside within it. For instance, you may want to have separate spaces for small group work, one-to-one support, and individual work. You might also want spaces like a “messy space” or a “quiet space” for specific purposes.

Morning Meetings: Here is a video on how Morning Meetings might work in a Life Skills classroom:

This of course just scratches the surface, but I hope these tips can be useful if you end up working in a Life Skills setting. In the comments, let me know if you have any experience with Life Skills classrooms and if you have any thoughts of your own.

YIT,

Markus