Smoothing the Rough Edges of Classroom Transitions

Abstract

Many students with learning and attentionrelated disabilities have difficulty dealing with classroom transitions. In this article, the problems that are often associated with this classroom activity are discussed within the context of effective teaching. Short case studies are provided to show how behavior problems escalate when effective teaching methods are not utilized. Several transition techniques are suggested. or many young students, transitions between activities and lessons are problematic. Students are challenged by (a) the need to put closure to the N activity at hand, (b) the need to focus upon and N comprehend the teacher's directions (which presents a special challenge when directions are vague, too frequent/infrequent, too late, or too few), (c) the distractions created by the movements and behaviors of peers, and (d) the coordination of materials during cleanup or preparation of a work area. Teachers are also challenged at transition periods by having to engage simultaneously in a number of activities (Doyle, 1986), such as presenting a series of directions, coordinating the storage of students' materials, managing the students' social behaviors, and supervising the students' physical movements to new locations (e.g., lining up the students to walk to another classroom).For students with learning and attention-related disabilities, the multiple and simultaneous demands created during transition periods can be acutely distressing (Bender & Mathes, 1995). This distress is often due to the combined effects of characteristics related to their disability (e.g., poor attention, impulsivity, hyperactivity) and by the less structured nature of transition activities (i.e., reduced structure and increased student activity). These students may frequently become confused and disoriented when inadequate amounts of time are allocated for certain activities, when routines and daily schedules have not been clearly established, or when rules for appropriate behavior have not been established (Polloway & Patton, 1997). During such periods, the students are more likely than their nondisabled classmates to exhibit decreased levels of attention and an overall decline in the ability to generalize and apply appropriate behavior. As a result, they are more likely than their peers to have difficulty generating the positive attitudes, attention levels, and behaviors that are required for starting a subsequent lesson or activity.An example of this is Mary, a second-grade student diagnosed with learning disabilities (LD) and attentiondeficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD) who is often overwhelmed by the distracting environment that is created during transition periods. She has trouble when moving from small-group instruction to independent seatwork and when she moves from the story-time area to the art table. Her teacher has never established specific routines and rules for these time periods. Mary responds to this l ack of structure by becoming agitated whenever the teacher gives the direction for the class to change activitie...

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