Where I Aut-a Be

Teaching tips, ideas, and resources for Special Education

4 Student Schedule Changes To Prepare For

A lesson I learned very quickly when I started my first year teaching is that if there was ever a student schedule change, the rest of day was rough. There are countless student schedule changes that can happen daily. It is so valuable to practice these surprises and schedule changes BEFORE they happen. This helps them develop the skills to handle those unexpected moments that are inevitably going to happen. Here are 4 student schedule changes you can practice now BEFORE they happen.

image featuring visual supports for student schedule changes like picture day

1. Picture Day

Picture day is the sweatiest day of the year am I right?! Some may think it’s just another picture but you have to remember that this is someone’s baby. Capturing a smile is important (though not always successful). I have a free picture day checklist to help you and your students make it through this schedule change.

image featuring visual supports for student schedule changes

2. Indoor Recess

Practice for those rainy days before they happen. It can be hard and devastating for students to realize that they can’t go outside. A simple visual choice board can help greatly for students who need additional support learning about what can be done during indoor recess. I’ve got another simple free visual to help with those rainy days.

image featuring visual supports for fire drills

3. Fire Drills

Fire drills can be stressful and chaotic to say the least…but they don’t have to be! With practice and additional visual supports, our students CAN be successful! This free social story can help you teach your students exactly what to do.

image featuring visual supports for fire drills

4. Field Trips

Field trip days are another day of the year that can be fun but also exhausting. Social stories are a great way to review expectations and to communicate the order of events! If one of your field trips includes bowling, I’ve got a free social story to help with that!

There are so many more student schedule changes and surprises to account for. There are birthday celebrations, canceled therapy sessions, substitute teachers or anything else that pops up throughout the day. This is why it is so important to practice change as many times as possible. The more frequently you practice, the more your students will be able to recognize and cope with these changes. 

If you enjoyed reading this special education content, be sure to check out my other sped teacher tips too!

Happy teaching,

Sofie

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