Our Many Faces of Learning

Ilana Safarti

Richmond Hill, NY

I am a second grade special education teacher in Queens, NY. I was lucky enough to loop with my students from first grade to second, and they still teach me something every day! I have learned that being organized and prepared makes transitions so much smoother—special ed or not. Another thing I’ve learned is to incorporate photographs of each student in as many aspects of our daily routines (classroom jobs, centers and goal setting) as possible. The pictures are a visual reminder for students to take ownership of their work, and students and parents enjoy seeing children’s faces all over the room! I also color code everything—the classroom library, center rotations, notebooks, etc. It allows the students to be independent. I love it…and so do they! I hope you enjoy our classroom as much as we do!