The most common characteristic of a self-contained classroom is that of a single lead, or master teacher. The lead teacher sets the routine for the room and delivers the instruction. The lead teacher is responsible for the overall performance of the room and is in charge of handling any behavior issues, as well as parent concerns. The lead teacher may have assistants in the room, but he maintains the programs put in place for each of his students.
One advantage of self-contained classrooms is that they allow for the grouping of students with similar needs or abilities. This grouping arrangement can be classified by common grade level or by similar learning styles. Many self-contained special education classrooms groups students based on their learning disability, making it easier for the master teacher to tailor instruction to meet the needs of her students. Depending on the dynamics of your school, self-contained classrooms can also provide for smaller group size as well, allowing for more one-on-one contact between the student and the teacher.
Self-contained classrooms have the ability to be flexible in scheduling because the lead teacher is only responsible for the students in his class. The benefit of this flexibility is that the teacher can take as much or as little time as needed to meet expected learning outcomes; he can move at the pace of his students on a daily basis. Not only that, self-contained classrooms can work special subjects, such as gym, music and library into their daily schedule and move things around, if need be, to make the schedule work.
Another common characteristic of self-contained classrooms is the presence of educational paras. In special education classrooms these paras may serve as one-on-one aides for students with severe disabilities, helping the student to perform everyday living functions, such as eating and toileting. In general education classrooms educational paras can serve as tutors for small groups of students who either need remediation or enrichment, allowing the lead teacher to focus on the remainder of the class. Depending on the size of the class, and the needs of the students, some self-contained classrooms may have multiple paras in the room at one time, while other classrooms may only have one or none.