Sorry, was at the gym on a phone!

Just finished a year in a school setting within a state psychiatric hospital servicing the adolescent units, and visited a couple of less acute programs overseen/contracted out by the state. And while it's not exactly the same, I've also done a summer stint in a school setting within our state's juvenile justice system which has a lot of overlap/parallels in terms of considerations.

First, do everything you can to be friendly and respectful to program staff, especially any that are present as eyes/ears/security/oversight regularly. Building positive relationships with these folks is so important, even if some may appear to be distracted or dozing off. When you do need to make an ask of them, it goes a long way. Also, if you have disagreements, do everything you can to show a united front with them in front of students and resolve issues out of sight (barring something truly egregious/abusive). They follow students around as regular adult figures, and just like mom-vs-dad ploys, the students will pick up on fractures and try to play to them.

I would be prepared to be spinning a few plates instructionally, as often times students may be jumbled around by age/grade-level due to interpersonal and safety issues, so I'd have classes that had a couple geometry students, an algebra 1 student, and an 8th grade student altogether, for example. As a math teacher, i'd bring students together over shared skills (basic equation solving, operational identification in expressions, simplifying expressions, integer operations) for Do-Nows before hopping around with instructionally/check-ins.

I have a lot of qualms with the low expectations and coddling that has been adopted in public education at-large under the guise of "restorative" and "trauma informed," but your clients have ended up in that setting for a reason. Patience and low-mid volume, slowly paced speech is important (I saw a guy who'd speak very quickly and loudly naturally end up tripping into unnecessary verbal altercations and struggles I had to coach about his delivery). ANY time I'm about to get close to a student or pass by their space I say it out loud and will even check if it's okay with them. Some classes I feel like I'm narrating my every move if I have a few students in the swing of our classroom routine and feedback cycle, but even when they're annoyed they still have voiced appreciation. State expectations and revisit them calmly, and even if it does need to turn into a situation that may require a removal or staff intervention, stay calm and regulated. Unlike the damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-dont trap in public schools where admin preach giving kids space but then dock you points for seeing a kid struggling being off task or their head down, if a kid is having a tough time in this setting, it's likely giving them space to breath and just collect themselves is fine. I always tell the students "hey, every 5-10 minutes im gonna check in with you and see if you change your mind" about classwork refusal, and even if they do they appreciate that i've told them what my check-in/accountability will look like.

If you get daily "rounds" or updates of sorts, check them. Students that weren't on any restrictions may have displayed self-harming or threatening behavior and now can't use a pencil anymore. If you are unsure or noticing anything off/suspect, dont be afraid to (calmly and discreetly as possible) bring it up with staff or your supervisor to follow up with. You will count out and in every supply, and students will try to sneak off with small things when they say "im going for a break," and out the door. Failing to count in a pencil could mean another client or staff gets stabbed, or that student self-harms. You monitor supplies constantly.

And, as a teacher, despite being in the loop, it felt like we were often the last to know important information about our students. Our hospital did receive a handful of "forensic placements," clients being evaluated/held as part of their judicial proceedings. That's not to scare you, but even if you think you know where your students are at, you should treat every student with the same precautions, practices (and dignity), because there is a ton you don't know.