FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENTS

PROGRAMS THAT WORKED
Sally Caldwell
e-mail: sally@mostlysunny.com

Qualities of Teacher:

• Expressive. Explicit.
• Obviously affectionate (providing supervision).
• Enthusiastic Interest in students.
• Actively Involved.
• Patient with reteaching/ repetition.

Qualities of Environment:

• Orderly. Areas clearly defined by arrangement of furniture & wall decoration:s.
• Visual cues for Illustrating rules of behaviour & proper use of furniture and equipment.
• Use of symbols.
• Avoided crowding (e.g, child placed at beginning of line or the end: child seated at outside edge of large group on the floor).
• Structured. Consistent. Routine oriented.

PROGRAMS THAT DID NOT WORK

Qualities of Teacher:

• Reserved. Subtle.
• Pre-occupied (perhaps with the program)
• Distant.
• Passive.
• lmpatient & eager to move ahead.

Qualities of Environment:

• Casual. Areas & materials arranged haphazardly or for convenience (e.g. storing things of the same size together instead of all toys together).
• Room decoration that does not clarify program curriculum & class rules (e.g., posters placed In areas unrelated to poster theme).
• Use of only one method of instruction (e.g., Instructions delivered verbally only)
• Crowded space.
• Inconsistency. Frequent interruptions in routine.
• Unpredictability of special events (e.g. guests arriving late for a presentation).