Some of my favorite memories from school are from my extracurricular activities. I was part of almost every club my school had to offer. I learned a lot but I also had a ton of fun! As special education teachers, we want our students to be part of these experiences as well. So why not work with your students and families to get kids involved in extracurriculars?
Use Visuals
We’re special education teachers: of course we use schedules in our classroom! But, giving students personal schedules to use during extracurricular activities is just important! Having a schedule helps kids to know what to anticipate when they are going to an extracurricular. The schedule can be very simple. I like to set up a “first, next, last” schedule board for my students to use during their club. First, go to the music room. Then, have chorus practice. Last, go home on the bus. That makes it simple for students to know what to expect during their extracurricular activities!
Another way to utilize visuals by using them to give students expectations. For example, if a student is going to band, pictures can help them know how music stands should be put away. If the student will be participating in a cooking project, visual recipes can help them without needing to read.
Work with Club Leaders
My school has a variety of clubs, such as Green Team, Chorus, Band, Theatre, Robotics, Fitness, and more. The advisor of the extracurricular activity may or may not have experience working with students with special needs. So, you will be doing both them and your student a service by giving them an overview of what to expect when working with a specific student. Let them know about any behavioral or academic challenges that may impact participation. At the same time, advisors can let you know what the club will entail so that you can prepare your student beforehand.
Paraprofessional Support
If you think your student will need support from a para, ask for it! It will make things go more smoothly for the student and the club overall. If a child has paraprofessional support in their IEP services, you can request that the para go to clubs as well. If the child does not have para support as part of their IEP, but you notice after a few sessions that they are struggling, and you can ask for an accommodation to be made.
Have Fun!
Extracurricular activities are meant to be fun! Lean into it and help your student embrace being part of the crew. When one of my students was in the school play a few years ago, my paras and I went to watch him and we made signs to let him know we were his biggest fans!
Do any of your students participate on extracurricular activities? Share your ideas for helping your students succeed! Or, if you have any questions about how to get your students involved in school groups, leave your questions below!
