Redding School District

Make Sure Students Know When They Will Leave the Classroom

For younger students, put the schedule on the desks for those designated to leave the classroom. Show a picture of a clock with the time the students are to leave, and write down the days they are to leave the classroom.  For older students, put schedules on the board or give a copy of the schedule to the students to keep in their desks or notebooks depending on the nature of the pull-out.

Acknowledge Students When They Return

When students return from a pull-out program, acknowledge them in a subtle but friendly manner. Welcome them back, thank them for coming in quietly, and let them know you are happy to see them.

Stay in Touch With Specialists

Communicate with the specialists who work with your students. Ask them for ways that you can help the students in your own classroom, and offer any information you have about your students that might be important for them to know. Think of yourself as part of a team in which each player is important to the student's success.

Know Where Your Students Are

For safety and instructional reasons, it is important for teachers to know exactly where students are throughout the school day. To keep track of your students, provide tent cards (a piece of folded tag board) labeled with specific destinations.  When the student leaves, the student can grab the appropriate tent card and place it on his or her desk. With just a glance, you can quickly tell other teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, or other students the location of specific students.  You can keep the tents options in a basket by the door or other classroom location.  This is especially important during fire drills or calls from the office asking for a students.  Older students might use a form on a clipboard by the door to write their name, their destination, the date, and the time of the pull-out program.

Have a Buddy Help the Student Catch Up

Arrange for each student to have a buddy who will quietly explain anything important the student has missed.  This buddy can also be responsible for taking extra copies of handouts to give to the students and for retrieving the student from the pull-out program, if needed.