“A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days.” -Annie Dillard
The easiest and most efficient way to create consistent routines, promote independence, and break down steps of tasks is through schedules. Schedules can be used for ANY and all activities!
WHOLE GROUP SCHEDULE
When discussing the importance of schedules with teachers, I often reference a day of trainings and meetings without an agenda. What does our day look like? When will we get a break to go to the bathroom? What are we doing today? Most importantly, when is lunch?! Schedules set the tone for the entire day. It allows students to process what their day will look like and what to expect without any surprises. A whole group schedule should be reviewed first thing in the morning, allowing students to ask questions and get ready for their day.
INDIVIDUAL SCHEDULES
Let’s take the whole group schedule one step further! As much as we would love to have a classroom on the exact same schedule, we’d be dreaming! Managing multiple schedules can be exhausting! Parents are constantly referring to family calendars, white boards, planners, etc. to find out what activities are that day, where each child needs to be at what time, variety of appointments, etc. It can be chaos! Teachers feel the same stress. Special education teachers are managing classrooms across multiple grade levels with different independent needs. Every student’s schedule varies based on their grade level, push in and pull out services, academic mainstreaming, independent functioning, the list goes on. Individual schedules allows teachers, paraprofessionals and students to reference what their day will look like.
Academic Rotations Schedules
Due to the diverse needs in a special education classroom, most academics are taught through academic rotations or centers. Each designated center is working on a different skill set: ie. guided reading center, independent center, technology center, word work center, etc. Providing students with their own academic rotations schedule promotes independence during the academic block, maximizes work time and assists in smoother transitions.
MINI TASK SCHEDULES
Mini task schedules can be used to provide step by step instructions for specific tasks or activities. Mini task schedules break down a designated task into simple, straight forward steps to promote independence and help guide students through a task or activity.
