Imagine yourself waking up tomorrow morning and having no idea what your day is going to look like. Sure, you know you are expected to show up at work, but what if that was all you knew? How would your anxiety level be? What would you be feeling?
Kids are the same way. True, it is not their job to plan and deliver lessons, but it is their job to be active learners. So if they are worried about what is coming next… or if they perceive that “math is going to go on forever!” are they actively engaged in what you are teaching anyways?
Front loading helps all students, not just those with behavioural concerns. Try implementing a visual schedule at the front of your class and going over the shape of the day verbally with your class at the beginning of each day. But what if the day plan changes, you ask? — A math lesson is interrupted by a fire alarm, or that science experiment goes longer then expected. This is okay. The visual schedule is not a contract that must be followed to the letter. In fact changes in the day are a great opportunity to teach flexible thinking. Remember to let kids in on what the change is and how it is going to look instead.
30 Reasons to Use Visual Schedules
This article / list was put together by POPARD, so it focuses on the benefits for children with Autism. However, the benefits of a visual schedule can be reaped by all students (and it can help keeps us teachers on track too)!
