Self-contained classroom - American Education

The standard preschool and elementary school classroom, where students from a single grade remain for most or all of the school day under the direction of a generalist teacher who is able to offer instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, science, history and other subjects and schedule instruction in each as flexibly as student needs dictate. When necessary, specialized resource teachers may be brought into the classroom to teach foreign languages, music, art, dance or drama, although students in some schools leave their own classroom to go to specially equipped art, music and drama studios for lessons in those subjects. The advantage of the self-contained classroom is that the teacher gets to know each student more intimately (and vice versa) and can provide individual attention and remedial work when required, while allowing more gifted students to progress at their own pace. From the young child’s point of view, the self-contained classroom and the single, all-day teacher provide a sense of security—of having a “home” away from home with a surrogate parent.