By @jw_teach – Inclusive Classroom: 5 Things to Consider when Including a Student in your Class

I thought I would write a few ideas about seating a student with SEN or who has difficulty focusing on your classroom. Each student is, of course, an individual and these are just general ideas that may help you.

This is a re-blog post originally posted by Joe White and published with kind permission.

The original post can be found here.

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1) Can they see you easily? If the student has to turn their head or look up to look at you they will become uncomfortable and fidgety. Make sure no student is having to crane their neck past the back of another students head.

2) Are you giving them an opportunity to interact with their peers? Consider who is close enough for each student to talk to. Are they likely to share an interest? Identify the most empathetic students that could act as peer mentors.

3) Will they be dominated by another student? Is there a student who demands attention and is always first to answer or put forward an opinion. Strong characters can be fantastic role-models but ensure each student has thinking space and time.

4) What is located behind them? If there is a cupboard or resource area the noise will make it very hard to focus. Is there a door that bangs or squeaks? Sit in different areas of your classroom during an activity and listen, there are probably a hundred possible distractions that you can easily rectify: for example, placing a mat at the bottom of a drawer stops glue sticks rolling about.

5) Who is behind them? A loud student or busy table is very distracting for noise sensitive students, consider whether the child might be wary of those around them. A corner or wall behind them may make them feel more secure and in control of their environment allowing more focus on the tasks ahead.