As a teacher, one thing could make or break even the best lesson plans. For me, these were all the little things that were essential for a smooth day. There are so many things to consider. Here are my three favourite planning tips that make planning an easy and enjoyable task (it’s not surfing Netflix, but it can be fun!)
Planning Tip #1: Best way to plan your day
First things first
The first planning tip you need to consider is how you organize your day. Planning your day as a teacher is valuable to what we do. We, after all, love our teacher planners for a reason! So let’s put it to good use.
When planning your day, remember consistency is key and showing your students that you have structured things meaningfully helps children know what is coming and allows them to prepare themselves for what will come next.
Making classroom schedules over the last twenty years has given me lots of practical experience in what works and what may not.
Typically, I plan a month to give myself a general idea of what I want to do. Next, I plan more specific activities and lessons one week at a time.
I start with what I know.
In my schedule, I always write in the class activities, such as time with specialists (these vary from school to school and class to class), recess, lunch, etc., that are planned for me by our administration first.
Transition Time!
Another planning tip is to prepare for transitions. There is a ton to consider, but they are essential for our children. The children need to know what to do during the school day, not only during lunch or physical education.
What is a transition?
Transitions are the “in-between” moments of a school day. These are the small actions that lead you to the next activity. While your schedule may include six classes/activities daily, there are MANY more transitions. In a day, there may feel like a million of them!
For most children, transitions can be very challenging. Just the hustle and bustle of the classroom at these times during the day can be overwhelming. Imagine the significant stress and anxiety it can cause our children with special needs!
Bear in mind. Once you plan and teach the transitions at the beginning of the year, planning the rest of your day will be as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Attention-Grabbers
A great place to begin is with some attention-grabbers. They are short, silly expressions or sentences that refocus your students and grab their attention. You say something, and they must reply with the sentence you have already taught them. Their reply shows you they are listening and ready for the next instruction.
Suppose you are unsure what these are here; click the button below. I created a list of some of my favourite attention-grabbers to get you started. Whether you teach English or French, I have got you covered!
Your day will be smooth, and your students will be happy knowing the plan. I use these for everyone in my full-inclusion class, and all my children benefit.
With any luck, this will not only help your students, but it will also help you, the teacher!
What’s next?
Once you have their attention, it is time to set the stage for the next activity or lesson. What you plan next requires thought. Consider preparing a calm literacy or math activity after they have physical education or set up a group or interactive activity first thing in the morning to get their energy up and their brains thinking.
This careful and methodical organization creates balance in your day. You can optimize your time, strengthen relationships with your students, and teach them to reach their full potential.
Planning Tip #2: Visuals
I bet you are thinking. The schedule is done; now what? Another planning tip is to help your students remember all these little things. Remembering things can be challenging, especially since all students learn differently. At the same time, some may require visuals, as per their IEPs; having them in the class is helpful to all classroom members.
Visuals are any poster or label you hang around the classroom to identify critical parts of our day.
Some in my class are the most beneficial for a smooth day.
Schedule
You did it! Now that you planned your whole day take time each morning to explain your program to the class. Tell them what you will do, who they will see, and when activities occur.
Once you have explained the plan, the easiest way to ensure your students understand is to have a visual of your day in the classroom.
The schedule is a great reference tool for those anxious learners and can help our early finishers start on what’s next.
Rules
Since rules are so important to set the groundwork for a smooth year, let alone a day, having a copy of these hung in the class is also super valuable. While this may be the first thing taught to your students, it can be easily forgotten once they get into the swing of things early in the school year.
An invaluable classroom visual for your class, rules lay out your expectations for your students. They are up on the wall as a reminder to your students at all times. You are teaching them what you require from them to have a successful day.
It is essential to go over these rules often at the beginning of the year and as needed to ensure they remember them. In a short time, they learn these rules and can easily say them. Once they are understood, it is easy to abide by them. Despite this, I recommend reviewing the rules regularly and keeping the students on their toes as you check their memory!
I have loved using the whole-brain teaching method for the rules. They are clear, concise, and easy to add gestures to help my students make connections and learn them fast.
Completed & Unfinished Work
There should always be a place for complete work and a designated spot for unfinished work. Children need to know where things go. During this transition time, we must move quickly to another task. As a teacher, this can be my busiest time of day. It makes my job simpler if the children can be autonomous and responsible.
In my class, I use a small table with a basket for all the complete work. If some students did not finish their work, it goes on my desk. We use baskets and organizers for all our workbooks.
Belongings
Designate an area for their materials. For older students, it is safe to say that most children use a desk. They can also use a basket if they work at large tables.
This can be trickier for little ones as they don’t use the space in the class the same way. We use every inch of our kindergarten classroom. It is time to be creative and think about maximizing your space.
Each child should have a specific spot for all their classroom materials and belongings, like their coats, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc. We often identify these areas with a fun label or tag.
By offering your students their own space, they are growing independent. They need to be responsible for their items. Teach our students how to keep their area organized and neat. They will be able to find their things easily and will not lose them if they put things back where they belong.
Bathroom Slips
My little ones are fortunate to have bathrooms in our class; however, my colleagues highly recommend this helpful visual. Bathroom slips are another excellent tool for a smooth transition.
Here’s a little advice. Set out a certain amount of slips available and place them where you can see them no matter where you are in the room. You will teach your students how to use them so they can take them freely and without disruption. You can keep track of your students and continue with your lesson!
Leaving the Room
While your young students learn how to transition inside the classroom, do not forget to teach them how to transition when they leave the room too! The bathroom slips will be helpful to keep order in the class, but you also need to ensure the children know what to do once they leave the class.
Having a list of your class line-up near every doorway allows the children to learn what you expect anytime they head out of the room. This could be a simple handwritten list on a piece of paper. While we like to make things look pretty, breaking your head here is unnecessary. Let’s not forget that “teacher writing” is usually pretty decent so the list will look great!
Equally as important, your students should know where certain school rooms are. Ensure your children know how to get around the building if they ever need to go somewhere alone too.
This comforts most children; leaving the room can be unknown and may be overwhelming. There are other children, other noises, tasks and responsibilities, etc.
Final Planning Tip: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
Lastly, my final planning tip is to practice, practice, practice! Your students will need many reminders and time to transition between activities.
An easy way to practice is to ask questions. Take a moment during circle time to ask the children role-play questions. What should they do if they hear a certain attention-grabber? Where do they place their work? How do they line up when they leave the room as a class?
The more practice they receive at the beginning of the year, the easier each transition will be daily. Checking in on what they know is the best way to figure out what you still need to review and practice. You will save time in the long run, and you can have more fun.
In conclusion
Plan and discuss your day with your students with thought and attention. Use visuals to help make transitions clear and easy to understand. Offer your students lots of time to practice. These tips will guarantee smooth transitions.
Smooth transitions make for good classroom management, and good classroom management makes for a school environment with great learning and opportunities for everyone to thrive and grow.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and if you have tried any of these planning tips, please let me know in the comments below.
Not completing one task and being expected to move on is a challenge. I feel that if one can successfully help these children transition from one activity to another, the more successful they can be in the class overall and the more they can learn.
Here are some simple and easy planning tips on how best you can help your special needs students in the classroom transition well throughout their day.
While these were created with the special needs child in mind, I use this for everyone in my full-inclusion class, and all my children seem to benefit.
Check out this post on how parents can set up their child’s day at home.
French 
English