Although I only observed the International Baccalaureate (IB) courses during my Practicum III placement, I did of course discuss the other classes and workload with my mentor teacher. Within all four IB history courses I observed there were no students with IEPs, 504s, learning disabilities nor were there any ELL students. Nonetheless I did discuss with my mentor teacher the other history and civics courses he taught, in which there were students with learning disabilities. The biggest issue that my mentor teacher noted was limiting distractions. In an effort to limit distractions my mentor teacher has a strict no phone policy, with a visual display posted at the front of the class. Moreover, the school encouraged "mask breaks," in which students could go outside, socially distance themselves, and take their masks off. However, being a classroom in the basement by an exit of the building with several classes periodically walking by the single classroom window proved to be another distraction. Therefore, my mentor teacher also closed the blinds in another effort to limit outside distractions. For his other classes my mentor teacher specifically administered and keeps white binders for each student to store their class work. The binders are located within a bookshelf at the front of the classroom. The binders are multi-purposeful, as they provide a safe storage space for students to put their notes and past work within and they provide an easy access for my mentor teacher to view student's notes, homework, and overall development within the class. Lastly, although not a physical environmental accommodation, my mentor teacher heavily incorporates visuals and "chunking" techniques to assist with learning for students with special needs. By "chunking" he breaks down his lesson into smaller components so that the material is not overwhelming, can be easily focused upon, and most importantly easily understood.

No Phone Sign by the Entrance of the Classroom

Classroom Window 

Student Binders