I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: Visual schedules changed my life.
Here are five scheduling tips I wish I would have known before implementing schedules in my classroom.
1.) Color Code
This year, I will be assigning each student a color. Their schedules, PECS, binders, work boxes, and cover sheets will all be represented by the student’s specific color.
The color-coded consistency will provide the students with additional visual support and will also keep teachers organized. Any excuse to add color into my classroom is a win in my book!
2.) Stations and Timers
A good portion of my day is run in 15 minute stations. With so many varying abilities in my classroom, it is the only system I have found that allows me to focus on the individual needs of each student.
Every 15 minutes, a timer sounds and students are instructed to check their schedules.
Students match the “colored table icon” on their schedule to the “colored table signs” at each station.
Colored Table Icons
Colored Table Signs
You can check out my Visual Schedule icons here.
3.) Practice, Practice, Practice
I wanted to name this step “Practice Makes Perfect,” but I find that statement misleading. We are special educators, and expecting perfection is unrealistic.
One of the most important things we can do for our students is instill independence. With limited paraprofessional support in my classroom, I could not provide the one-on-one support my students need without implementing independent stations.
Find activities that your students can complete without your undivided attention. For the first few weeks of school, my independent stations focus more on teaching independence skills rather than academics.
As students learn the routines and expectations of independent stations, I am able to provide academic instruction at my teacher table station with fewer interruptions.
4. Incorporate Movement Breaks
An OT once suggested that I incorporate short movement breaks into my schedule. While this sounded silly at first, these 10 minutes of Movement and Exercise became a game changer.
Not only were students able to expel some energy, but it also made transitions a bit easier, too.
Each day after snack, students remove their Movement & Exercise icons from their schedule, find their duct tape squares on the floor, and we participate in ten minutes of dancing, yoga, and/or exercises.
5.) Don’t get discouraged.
I have had to rearrange schedules more times than I can count. Just because something worked one month, doesn’t mean it will the next.
I like to plan out my schedule with dry-erase marker. This allows me to modify as needed, including changes to station order or student grouping.
Editable Schedule
Be flexible and patient, and structure will follow. With time, you will establish a successful system and routine that works for you and your students.
The Evolution of the Visual Schedule
Be sure to check out Kayla from My Special Learners for more scheduling tips and tricks!
I love your visual schedules. I really need to work on something like your purple table, red table, etc. to make my kids a little more independent. 🙂 You’ve planted the seed!
Stephanie
It was truly a life changing decision!
Where did you get the different color notebooks? Online or in a store?
Hi Michelle! I got everything at Wal Mart! They have so many colors!
Love love love! I need to implement this! Moving to a class of kids who never had their own schedules ?
I thought it would be impossible to implement in my classroom at first, but (with practice), my students thrived with these schedules in place! They LOVE it!! 🙂
Hi! First, love this idea! Second, do you have reuse tables or zones in your room for the different colors of tables or do you really have that many places in your room? Lastly, could you elaborate more on the sensory/excercise break? Love that idea, I do something similar after lunch but it’s whole group.
Thanks!
Where did you get your ideas for your movement breaks? I have started adding yoga into my classroom and like the idea of random sticks with motions.
Hi! I came to your post about visual schedules and I like it! I am a 3rd year teacher teaching in a 7th grade Life Skills classroom. I always have hard time structuring and implementing stations or independent work stations for my students. My classes for next year below and I will have about 10 students. Most are high functioning. 1st period is Reading, 2nd is Math, 3rd is Science, 4th S.S then Lunch, 5th is my conference, 6th is ELA, and 7th is Awareness ( Life Skills). I’ve been teaching all subject areas as whole groups and will differentiate activities for each of my kids. I will be honest, I did not reach all because I focused a lot more on kiddos who were able to work and I know I left my lower functioning kiddos out. I want this year to be student centered and want to have stations. If you were to have my class, as mentioned above, 7 subject areas, 10 students with about half the class as high functioning and can work independently, how would you plan centers and work stations? How would you teach the subject areas? Sorry, I need help!!
This is the same system we use in my PreK class of students with ASD. It’s awesome!