Do you have a schedule or agenda posted in your classroom? You should! Here are 5 important reasons to make your schedule predictable.
1. Promote Feelings of Security
When your students know what to expect at every turn of the school day, they feel safe and secure. Students thrive on routine and predictability, and having a visible display puts everyone at ease.
2. Students Are More Engaged
When students know what is coming next, they’re prepared for a shift between subjects and are more engaged and able to take responsibility for the materials needed to get started quickly.
3. Expectations Are Clearer
When you post your daily classroom schedule, your students are more aware of what is expected of them at any given point in the day.
When my students see Morning Work on the agenda, they know to work on their growth mindset activities and get their whiteboard ready for our math warm-up, which always comes next. When they see it is literacy, they have their books out even before I give instructions.
4. Behavior Problems Are Reduced
When students know what will happen ten minutes, thirty minutes, or an hour from now, they are less likely to act out and cause problems because uncertainty can create anxiety.
5. Scaffolds For Students With Exceptionalities
Having a daily schedule or agenda posted is especially vital for your students with exceptionalities. Predictable routines reduce their anxiety and uncertainty and set them up for success rather than failure.
When my student with Autism enters the classroom, the first thing he does is check our agenda, and he refers to it many times throughout the school day. Having this visual aid posted puts him at ease and reduces his stemming.
Posting your daily schedule can be as simple as writing the day’s subject or activities on the board. I have chosen to make a reusable set of cards that I print, laminate, attach with self-adhesive magnets, and use year after year.
I’ve made these available with and without the images in an editable format in my TPT store. You can grab them for your classroom by clicking the image or right here.
You might also be interested in the ideas I’ve shared in this blog post:
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