Katherine Callicutt- TLAC

Strategy 4: Seat Signals

Seat Signals are a way for teachers and students to communicate without having to interrupt precious class time.  Seat Signals can be used whenever a student needs to ask the teacher for permission to do something like use the restroom.  Rather than raising his or her hand and disrupting the classroom environment, students can simply show the signal to the teacher and the teacher can respond quickly without having to interrupt the lesson and disrupt the other students.  Seat Signals should be easily done from the student's seat and they should be nonverbal signals.  The signals that are developed should be clear but not distracting, and the request should be answered without stopping class time.  Signals should remain the same each time they are used and they should be met with a clear answer.  A good way to ensure that signals are clear is to post them around the classroom so that each student knows exactly what each signal means.  Finally, it is important that students know when they should present these signals.  If limits are set on when students should use these signals, students are much less likely to use them at a time that is less than ideal.  However, a student that presents a signal in the middle of an important part of the lesson will end up missing part of the lesson.  

 

One main strategy that is used to adapt instruction for students with Specific Learning Disabilities is to simplify how learning takes place in the classroom.  Specific Learning Disabilities are characterized by average intelligence that is hindered by academic difficulties or processing deficits.  One main component of doing this is to minimize the amount of distractions that a student experiences throughout the class period.  Seat Signals help to meet this goal as they minimize how often students draw attention to themselves throughout the class.  For instance, a student with a Specific Learning Disability would be much less distracted if a student were to show a Seat Signal rather than raising their hand and asking to go to the restroom.  So, Seat Signals help in making the classroom environment more effective for students with Specific Learning Disabilities.  Seat Signals are also effective for students with Emotional Disabilities.  An Emotional Disability is characterized by unsatisfactory relationships, inappropriate outbursts, sadness, and physical symptoms.  The main characteristic that Seat Signals can address is that of inappropriate outbursts.  Seat Signals give students a different outlet.  So, rather than giving these students a chance to have an outburst, Seat Signals give students a quiet way to communicate what they need to ask.  In addition, setting clear expectations about what type of signal the students should use helps in giving the students clear expectations.  

 

My classroom will contain a poster that outlines which signal a student should use for each different request that they may make.  The signals will be simple hand signals so that they can easily and quietly signal from their desks. In addition, the signals will be clearly matched up with a specific request so that students know exactly what each signal means.  The signals will be simple enough for me to view and perform while I am teaching so that I can continue with the lesson plan even when I am communicating with a student.  The signals will remain the same each time so that the signals are clear and easy to remember.  

 

The Seat Signal for using the bathroom will be the letter "B" in sign language.

The Seat Signal for getting a Kleenex will be the letter "K" in sign language.