Allisence: Schedules and Schedules and Schedules—Oh My!

I started with three and things were easy. Two weeks into the school year, I got another and things were still going well. Two months ago, I got another one for half a day, which was something I could handle. Two weeks ago, I got another and all of a sudden everything was thrown for a loop. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m talking about students.

I’m certainly not complaining about the size of my class. I’m pretty sure I have the smallest class in my entire district and I dare say one of the smallest classes ever, but considering the students that are currently on my caseload, things are definitely not easy.

You see, with the newest addition to my classroom, I now have students spanning all the way from kindergarten through fifth grade, operating in a single classroom. Since my room is technically K-6, the range isn’t even as wide as it could be, so scheduling is a tad difficult.

All but one of my students are resourced out or are in their general education room for various parts of the day. This makes figuring out a schedule that truly fits everyone’s needs practically impossible, especially when (not even considering academics) my kids attend four different speech groups, all their individual grade-level specials, all their individual grade-level recesses, all their individual grade-level lunches, and various other activities with their grade-level peers.

And it seems like every time I get to a point where I’ve finally figured out the schedule, have it memorized, and can operate fairly routinely, everything is thrown for a loop because of a new student or someone has gotten to a point where they can spend more time outside the room. I’m not saying I don’t love the new additions to my class or that I don’t personally push for them to be outside my room as much as possible, but it all makes me feel like a time bomb. At some point, it’s all going to explode, right? Well, I hope not!

So as I’m sitting here writing this blog post and staring at my two-page weekly schedule that includes where every child is at all times of the day, I’m wondering how you do it or what your thoughts are on scheduling. Is it as big of a constant year-long headache for you as it is for me? If you’re not teaching right now, is it something you’re worried about? How do you cope with all the craziness in general that is scheduling? And, most of all, am I being more than just a little too much of a control freak here?

In other news, I’m really looking forward to the CEC 2012 Convention & Expo in Denver — I hope you are, too.

And in even more other news, my mini class (prior to our newest student and without the half-day student) went on a field trip to the post office. Here is a fun picture from the trip of my students peeking into the mailroom.

Comments

[Kim D]

Love the photo of students! The things we take for granted (i.e. visit to post office) cannot be taken for granted with students.

[Andrea]

I am finishing up my senior year as a student teacher and scheduling is one area my mentor teacher has told me she really cannot teach me. I cannot tell you how many times our schedule has changed this year. At some points it was weekly and at others monthly. This past school year my role was to aide my teacher in making the schedule--I would help by listening to her talk about different students' schedules and remember the little details that can turn a perfect schedule upside down. I am worried what scheduling will look like when I have my own classroom. Who can you go to for advice and guidance? I am curious on how teachers handle the frustration of putting forth so much effort to create the "ideal" schedule and then have to change it within a week, month, etc. However, I am confident that a organized, color coded schedule helps a whole lot!!! (from my experiences that is) While at an interview, I saw a teacher's schedule on a white board with sticky notes. When students needed a change in schedule, she just had to move all the sticky notes around. I don't have many details on how it worked, but it appeared to be a good idea. I believe a few years of teaching will help develop skills in scheduling and it is an area teachers master when they are knees deep in it.

[Mariah Woods]

The same thing you are struggling with right now, is my greatest fear when I get into my own classroom. I am curious to see how you handled it and what you found most effective for your particular classroom. I think this may be something that you can master with years of experience. I've learned through one of my classes that scheduling can be very difficult, but with color coding and a good deal of time it can be done.

[Mark in NC]

I can certainly relate to that. I was in an elementary school resource/inclusion setting. 30 students across k-5, with the k’s more on the level of 3-4 years old, for half the day. 7-8 different 1-5th graders every 30-60 minutes…it was a zoo. That was the afternoon, when they are wound up. My morning bounced around to 4 inclusion classes. The impression was given that the schedule had room for more kids…student class limits were seen more as a goal. Somehow we made it through. But honestly, it was nowhere near what you could consider a “best practice”. My advice, ask new teachers how they make it work. Old ones will just tell you stories of how they walked 10 miles uphill in the snow both ways carrying the bucket of coal to stoke the fire in their one-room schoolhouse, and then tell you they had to figure it out, just like you should.

[Jessica]

From the misery loves company department, I feel ya. I feel like I change my schedule every couple weeks. There's always some reason, some need. I think anyone teaching in a multigrade classroom must be prepared to change his or her schedule at a moment's notice...