The resource room is a place where children can get extra help in a variety of subjects where they might be having difficulty. It’s a placement that happens through the implementation of an education plan within the school district. Most of the time parents have seen that their child needs extra help, so they have the child tested for difficulties in learning and an IEP is put into place for the child.
What is a Resource Room?
The RR is a special classroom where a child can get their education needs met. These children often find it difficult to learn in a larger setting. It’s especially hard for them when new concepts are being introduced. The child is taken out of the regular classroom for a few hours to get more attention. The type of extra learning that the child needs will come from their IEP. The child is pulled out for a certain amount of time each week to receive that individualized attention that supports them with the areas they have trouble.
How Long Will a Child Be There?
Each child shows up at this specialized classroom with their own individual needs. This means that they are scheduled for the time that they require. It could be as little as 45 minutes three days a week, or the child might need more attention than that time provides. Many specialized classrooms are meant to be a part of the inclusive learning classrooms, which means that they are never pulled out of the classroom for very long. The time spent in the specialized classroom will depend on the child’s IEP and will often vary with age. There are specialized rooms in all levels of school from elementary to high school.
The Role of the Teacher
The teacher working in the specialized classroom has a challenging road ahead of him or her. The children each come into the classroom with a different IEP, and the teacher has to work with the child’s regular teacher to support the classroom curriculum. The RR teacher will be on hand for many of the IEP reviews and will meet with other professionals in the child’s life if that’s required. The approach that the teacher takes with the child will depend on their individual needs as well as how many other students are in the classroom at a time.
Further reading: 5 Tasks of a Resource Room Teacher
The Help Provided to the Student
If the child has a problem with standardized tests, this room is where they would go to be tested. It’s less distracting, and they can receive other help they need during the test. It can be a place for children to calm down if the classroom setting is too disruptive. The child could end up spending a few hours in the specialized classroom depending on their learning requirements. For older students, the room will be a place they can ask for extra help with any topic from math to history.
The resource room is a place where the child can get all the help he or she needs to succeed in their regular classroom setting. The help needed will depend on the child’s IEP and where he or she is having issues.
