Schedules

A recent question on the Boardmaker listserv brought up the topic of scheduling. This is always such a challenge, and, to be honest, I like the challenge. It's a giant puzzle that I'm responsible for solving, sort of like Suduko for daily events. I have to meet the needs of the kids and the staff, figure out how to make the best use of our resources (equipment, activities, etc.), schedule in the therapists, community outings, inclusion opportunities, and planning time, oh, and make sure we have some time to just have fun too. This topic is especially timely as my classroom is essentially starting our year over this week. I lost 3 of my 4 paras in the last two weeks, two of whom I've worked with for four years and who were far and away the best paras I've ever had. I haven't had to really THINK for quite awhile as the three of us made an awesome team, had the same goals, and could basically read each others' minds. I'll miss these women who have become as much friends as coworkers, but I'm also viewing this as an opportunity for a fresh start. I've found 2 replacements who so far seem like they will work out. My one remaining para has only been with us since June so we're basically working with an all new staff. I was really happy and excited about this year's ambitious and demanding schedule. I'm hoping we'll be able to keep with it.

In planning the schedule I always start with the things that HAVE to be done: meal times, caregiving, procedures like tube feedings and medications, position changes, etc. Those are the things that cannot change and have to be done no matter what else happens. From there I look at the things I WANT to do: cognitive skills/work tasks, community outings, inclusion opportunities, whole group activities, etc. I figure out how to schedule in the use of the more limited resources like the stander and computer, and also negotiate therapist time. We actually have a pretty good schedule this year, I think. This version isn't as pretty as the one I did in Word, though, and I hope it translates well on the blog. The original version is all color coded with arrows and in a table, which I've discovered you can't do on blogger.

Monday:
7:30 B and N prep for community outing; W and C choice of hall/peers or TV
8:00 B and N leave for community (grocery shop, eat b'fast); M gets water; M, C, W choices while staff organizes
8:30 M, C, W morning meeting
9:00 M, C, W work tasks, yoga/stretches, stander, etc.; C gets water
10:00 B and N return and put groceries away then get a break; M, C, W continue
11:00 Lunch for B, N, W; M lunch feeding; M and C reposition and choices
12:00 All kids break time choies; C lunch feeding; staff breaks where they fit
12:30 B goes to library job
1:00 PM group; M medications Art/Cooking/Literature
2:00 Home prep; finish work from earlier in day
Busses: 2:35, 2:45; 3:00

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday:
7:30 B & N b'fast; C & W choice hall/peers and TV
8:00 Finish b'fast; M gets water; M, C, W choices while staff organizes
8:30 Morning meeting
9:00 Work tasks, yoga/stretches, stander, etc.; C gets water
10:30 Early lunch
11:30 Peer activities
12:00 C gets lunch feeding
12:45 Break
1:00 M gets meds
1:30 Structured leisure activities; finish work from morning
2:00 Home prep
Busses: 2:35, 2:45; 3:00
SLP and PT at 1:00, work with individual kids

Wednesday:
7:30 B & N b'fast; C & W choice hall/peers and TV
8:00 Finish b'fast; M gets water; M, C, W choices while staff organizes
8:30 Morning meeting
9:00 Work tasks, yoga/stretches, stander, etc.; C gets water
11:00 Lunch for B, N, W; M lunch feeding; M and C reposition and choices
12:00 All kids break time choies; C lunch feeding; staff breaks where they fit
12:30 B goes to library job
1:00 PM group; M medications News-2-You/pen pals
2:00 Home prep; finish work from earlier in day
Busses: 2:35, 2:45; 3:00

Thursday:
7:30 B & N b'fast; C & W out of wheelchairs
8:00 Finish b'fast; M gets water; M out of wheelchair; staff gets organized for outing
8:30ish Community outing (whole class)
Return by 2:00 to do bathroom breaks, home prep, etc.
Busses: 2:35, 2:45; 3:00
If back early, the kids choose from leisure options; sometimes we watch a video
Outings include: swimming, shopping, zoo, movie theater, skating rink, salon, special olympics activities, etc.

Friday: Sensory Fun Day
7:30 B & N b'fast; C & W choice hall/peers and TV
8:00 Finish b'fast; M gets water; M, C, W choices while staff organizes
8:30 Morning meeting
9:00 Structured sensory play, yoga/stretches, stander, etc.; C gets water
11:00 Lunch for B, N, W; M lunch feeding; M and C reposition and choices
12:00 All kids break time choies; C lunch feeding; staff breaks where they fit
1:00 PM group; M medications Sensory activities/game
2:00 Home prep; finish work from earlier in day
Busses: 2:35, 2:45; 3:00
SLP all AM

I have 4 kids who arrive at 7:40 and one who arrives at 8:00

Bathroom times are fit in where needed: during transitions between activities and always at meal times

Staff breaks are after the kids have eaten and gone to the bathroom (11:30-1:00 time period) with at least 2 staff in the room at all times

On Mondays we do a group project such as art, cooking, or literature. Tuesday is "peer day" so those activities take the place of PM group. On Wednesdays we read the News-2-You during morning meeting and do a related activity during PM group. I've chosen Friday to be "Sensory Fun Day" because 1.) we're always skipping these activities and the kids really like and benefit from them; 2.) as adults we are TIRED by Friday and this gives us something fun to look forward to; 3.) our SLP is with us all AM and these are great activities for him; and 4.) if anything "special" is going to happen in our building it's on a Friday (assemblies, days off, etc.) so this lets us be flexible.