My classroom is self-contained for all academic subjects and what we call “Activities of Daily Living.” Although I teach Life Skills, I still incorporate all academic subjects alongside our self-care, occupational tasks, and vocational skills. Every subject, any time of the day, can be an opportunity to increase independence and communication skills; it doesn’t have to be specifically written into your schedule. Look for those teachable moments!
Building Our Schedule
With seven students with moderate to severe disabilities and varying needs, it can be really tricky to try and build a schedule to fit everything in the school day. I have to sketch everything, scrap it once or twice, try my ideas, and then change things to suit my students’ needs!
To help visualize and build my daily schedule, I used this template!
These templates are available to print, to use with PowerPoint, and use on Google. I LOVE color coding by student and being able to see it all written out helps me plan.
I really love that within these templates, I can write out specific directions for my paraprofessionals as well.
Our Daily Schedule
Every day, we try and stick to our daily schedule. My students are most comfortable when they know what the expect. Students feel safe in their routine, and less anxiety results in less outbursts or behaviors. During the day, most of my students complete one task and then get a small break or a preferred activity. That is what works best for them and helps to reduce behaviors. A few of my students complete up to three tasks and then earn a preferred activity.
Here’s how our day looks in a nutshell:
1. First Thing in the Morning
My students arrive at different times; bus riders arrive at 7:20 am, and students whose parents drop them off trickle in from 7:30 am to 7:40 am. One of my paras assists students into the building when they arrive, and the other goes to the cafeteria to gather breakfast and bring it back to the classroom. My students start their day by hanging their bags, eating breakfast in the classroom, then begin on task boxes when finished.
Need to set up a task box system? More about task boxes here.
We also work on Morning Binders, which contain a lot of ELA, Vocabulary, and Reading-focused tasks as well as IEP goals in these areas. Each student’s Morning Binder has different contents that are designed specifically for them and their needs, and they work with the teacher or paraprofessional to complete them.
2. Morning Meeting
Morning Meeting comes next! My students sit together in front of our touchscreen board for our meeting. I use a pre-made Morning Meeting Slideshow and my students are familiar with the routine.
Each student has their own binder for calendar to participate hands on. Calendars, scheduling, and current events are important so we familiarize ourselves with the day of the week, the month, the date, and a weekly article that pertains to something current. Every student’s binder is also differentiated based on need.
My slides contain what we are learning, a lot of visuals, and a lot of music!
3. PE and Mid Morning
After morning meeting, my students are able to have a break, use the restroom, and get ready for PE. I was very fortunate to think about what would work best for my students and our schedule and choose which period to send my students to PE. I highly encourage reaching out and asking if you are able to look at a master schedule and choose a class period that works for you. My amazing paras go with my students to PE, and I take my conference period.
MID MORNING
My students return from PE with about half an hour before we head to lunch, so I utilize this time for our story by breaking into two groups. I do two different stories in a week so that one day we can focus on vocabulary and another day we can focus on comprehension. Then, Friday, we work on an art project or fine motor skills task that accompanies one of our stories.
Every week I use a different adapted book or story, which just might be my favorite time of the day! Using visuals helps get nonreaders and nonwriters engaged in the story in a meaningful way. Check out these Back to School stories for the upcoming school year!
4. Lunch and Recess
We eat in the cafeteria and pretty early in the day. We enter first before any other students are released from their classes. Myself and the other teachers have decided to do this so that my students have more space in the serving lines, less crowd and noise, and we are able to assist them easier, yet they’re still included in the cafeteria with their peers.
Tip: I created a lunch basket that goes to the cafeteria with us. It contains baby wipes (for mouths, hands, or tables), extra utensils, gloves, sanitizer, food-safe scissors, an apple corer, and lunchtime visuals!
Visuals travel with us around campus. These 10 amazing resources to jump-start your visuals library are available here.
Right after lunch, I give my students a 25-minute recess to enjoy outside and move around. They LOVE this part of the day. We take a recess basket with chalk and bubbles, and it is used every single day! Bubbles are a BIG reinforcer for us.
5. Chores and Activities of Daily Living
After recess, my students come back into the classroom and start on their classroom chores. Our classroom has a small kitchen, and on our refrigerator is our chore chart. Students know they are expected to choose at least one chore off the chart to complete. The chart has 9 different chore symbols attached with velcro. When a chore is chosen, it is taken off the chart. When it’s complete, the student puts it in the “All Done” pouch that hangs under the chart.
6. Math Instruction
Next is math. My students participate in math in 1:1 instruction or small groups. Everyone’s work is tailored to their needs, so each student typically does a different assignment or task. We practice math-related IEP goals daily.
7. Science Group
After small groups, we come back together to do a whole group science lesson. Using our school purchased curriculum, students sit at the board again as we read a symbol supported topic of the week. Students have their own copy of whatever I present on the board. I make sure they have something hands on to engage them in the work.
8. Sensory Room
After science, my students have another bathroom break. Then, we spend time in the sensory room. We have a separate room that was designed with sensory and mobility in mind. It contains many tools for students to take a break, enjoy the atmosphere, and utilize the different sensory regulation tools we have purchased for them.
Read more about sensory room must-haves.
9. Snack and Wind Down
After some sensory time, my students return to the classroom and have a small snack! Then, we wind down our day.
Wind Down is when my students get “free time.” They get a choice in what they would like to do. Popular choices are coloring pages, puzzles, bingo, a light-up peg game, plastic animals, toy vegetables…
Even though my students are in high school and upper junior high, I make sure and incorporate their interests into the classroom. Remember that your upper-grade level students are not youngsters anymore and should be respected as young adults, but don’t feel bad about incorporating their interests into the classroom. It’s a balance you can strike when you know your students.
10. Go Home
Lastly, I set a visual timer during our wind down. My students know that when the timer goes off, it’s time for home. They pack up their items from their “mailboxes,” and get backpacks, jackets, and other items.
That’s it! It’s time to head to the buses or parent pickup line. My paraprofessionals and I walk all the students out to our dismissal area and ensure everyone gets safely into their transport.
Typically, we stick to our schedule and routine as best as we can. Of course, things happen that will knock you off your schedule, but for the most part staying on schedule helps my students know what to expect, and this reduces anxiety and behaviors due to unexpected changes. However, there are times we deviate from the schedule to practice other skills. We take Fridays to complete our coffee cart vocational practice, cooking projects, or special science experiments, and special art projects. I take two days a week to explicitly track IEP goals, and the other to take grades (remember: student’s grades should not be taken on their IEP goals). This schedule works for us! The point is to work out what works best for your students and create an environment that is safe and conducive to learning.
