Schedule

This is what my class schedule looks like this year.

7:15 – arrival, breakfast ...We have a "peer buddy" program at our school and each special education student has a 4th or 5th grade friend that helps them from the bus to their classroom and stays with them until 7:55am.
One para is out at the buses with the peer buddies in case anyone needs extra assistance :-)
I meet the students at the door, provide help if the peer buddies need it, and toilet the trip-trained students
One para is in our classroom kitchen and supervises breakfast (the buddies eat with my kiddos at our dining table).
When the students finish eating, their buddy brings them over to our group tables goes over yesterday's journal page with them to review what happened the day before, helps them put their page in their binder, assists them in "signing in" (writing their name on the board) then makes sure that the student gets their hygiene bag out of their cubby and combs/brushes their hair, helps them put on chapstick if needed, check and file nails, make sure their hands/face are clean, etc. (by this time the para from the buses is inside and assists with clipping nails if needed)


7:45 – Students put hygiene bags and watch the morning announcements on TV - peer buddies assist them in standing for the pledge, make sure they're paying attention, etc. (did you hear what he said is for lunch? I love pizza!) When the announcements are over (around 7:55) peer buddies go back to class and we take my students to the gym to run for 3 minutes (just to get in a tiny bit of aerobic exercise and some sensory input)

8:00-8:45 - group rotations (3 rotations of 15 minutes each)
one para takes 3 kids at a time to the sensory room - while there, she works on communication activities
one para reads library books with 3 students for 15 minutes
I work with the remaining 3 on various IEP goals

8:45 – Circle Time/Math (during math one of the paras changes the child who isn't toilet trained)
We first count to 100, then go over the calendar, make a "graph of the day" as a group (graph boys/girls, hair color, eye color, shirt color, sometimes I just pass out random pictures of things like animals, school supplies, shapes etc. and we graph that), then we use the Intellitools Math (Oshie Otter) program on the interactive whiteboard - each student gets two turns.
Then, depending on what we're studying, we will do another activity - weighing things, measuring things, counting money, etc.

9:30-10:15 –More rotations - 3 rotations of 15 minutes each
One para takes three students to the kitchen for snack (where they work on preparing their own snack and communication)
One para takes three at a time to the sensory room (where they work on communication)
I work with the remaining 3 at a time on various IEP goals.

10:15 – The students go to their independent work desks and complete their independent work schedule (currently 3 shoebox tasks, 3 file folder tasks, etc. for most of my students - some do worksheets, some do puzzles, etc.) and one of us toilets the trip-trained students

10:30 – Language Arts - We use the Intellitools Balanced Literacy program on the interactive whiteboard, supported with other "stuff"

11:00-11:10 - Recess

11:10 - Centers/Independent Leisure activities (I pull students one a time for IEP work as needed) - one of my paras changes student

11:30 – Science/Social Studies - we do different activities at the group tables, depending on the unit

12:20 – One para leaves for lunch break, the other passes out sensory toys and supervises while the students play at the group tables, I call students one a time to wash their hands in the bathroom then get their lunch in the kitchen

12:40 - Second para leaves for lunch, 12:50 - first para returns

As students finish their lunch, they scrape/dump their plate into trash, wash their plate and cup then return to kitchen table. When everyone is finished, students pass a wet/soapy dishcloth around and clean up their area of the table. One student takes the dishcloth, tablecloth and dish towel to the washing machine and starts the laundry.

12:50 – Students return to tables and play with sensory toys (para supervises) while I call them one at a time to brush teeth in the bathroom (while they're in there I change/toilet the ones who need it)

1:10 Second para returns from lunch, paras start lining up students who have finished brushing teeth for specials

1:15 – Specials (my paras and I all go with the students)
Monday – Computer Lab
Tuesday – Music
Wednesday – Adapted PE
Thursday – Media Center
Friday – Art

1:45 – Journals at the group table, pack up backpacks, toileting

2:10 – load buses