The Co-Teach Classroom
The preschool routine and natural environment are designed to address the diverse developmental needs of young children and provide continuous opportunities for children to engage in play and discovery. Teachers intentionally plan and implement lessons that alternate between child-directed (e.g., outdoor play) and teacher-directed (e.g., whole group circle time) activities that focus on teaching social, readiness, and cognitive skills.
Safety Safety is the number one priority at Co-Teach. In order for learning to take place, everyone must feel and be safe. The physical arrangement of the classroom and materials is an important tool for eliciting appropriate behavior and addressing concerns of safety and accessibility. The environment is arranged so that all adults can see each area of the classroom easily. Low shelves, tables, and chairs allow for simple visual access.
The children's bathroom is semi-private, allowing adults to assist children when necessary. As a rule, children are never left alone with only one adult. For instance, at recess time if a child needs to go inside to use the bathroom, one adult informs the supervising teacher, and then two adults accompany the child inside. This protects the child, the adults, and the entire program.
Co-Teach staff teach children prosocial skills and to follow safety rules such as: walking in the classroom; holding the railing to walk up and down stairs; touching friends and teachers gently; playing without risk to themselves or others; holding hands on field trips; and responding to safety instructions such as "Stop", "Wait", "Listen", and "Look." Adults describe fire/evacuation drills and practice safety routines with children 8 times throughout the school year. Families are welcome to participate in safety drills with their children.
In addition to the above safety procedures, each staff member wears an identification badge with their name, picture, and job title. University practicum students, families, and visitors are also required to wear a badge identifying them as adults who are welcome in the Co-Teach classroom. Proper identification provides reassurance to children that they are safe with that adult. Additionally, it assists families and visitors to easily recognize the adults' roles at Co-Teach.
The Co-Teach Playground 
The playground is a large, fenced area which provides an excellent social and physical engagement outlet for Co-Teach students. Outdoor play allows children to move freely and explore the natural environment as well as enjoy a large variety of toys/equipment and cooperative play. To ensure child safety, the areas under the climbing structure and swings are covered with sand or bark. During outdoor play time teachers are assigned to specific zones to monitor safety and facilitate play interactions between children.
Student/Teacher Ratio: Generally, there are 20-25 children enrolled and 5-6 adults working in each program. Adults include: at least one certified special education teacher, three or four university student employees, university practicum students, volunteers, and one or two special education service providers (physical therapist, speech and language pathologist, or occupational therapist).