Clean and Simple Schedule Cards that You Will Want to Keep Forever
I’ve been chipping away at some classroom prep this summer, and one of the first things I did was make my schedule cards! Our 2nd grade team is departmentalizing this year, and the schedule was a little tough for our admin to make. It was set back in the spring, and they have said repeatedly that they barely fit everything in.
So, I felt pretty safe in getting that prepped! I wanted to share with you all today how I did it!
If you want the shortcut version, check out this video I filmed, documenting the process!
One note for you all: we have adopted ‘early release days’ in our district. This means that, every other Wednesday, students leave school 2 hours early so teachers can have PLC time. This is great for the teachers, but it also means that our schedule changes every other week. This past year, I wanted to create a way where I could easily rearrange my schedule on the board for my students to reference, so I wasn’t constantly answering questions about ‘when is lunch, again?’ ‘what time do we have math'?
The visuals are important for kids. And with us having schedule disruptions so frequently, it became important to me that my schedule area was flexible. Hence, the schedule icon cards were born!
Schedule Cards Steps:
Print the schedule cards that you want to use in rainbow order (or whatever color order you like!)
Put velcro dots/magnet tape on the backs of the cards (laminate first, if you want). Arrange them on your white board in the order of your day.
Use dry erase marker to write the time stamps next to each subject.
Have a schedule change? Swap the icons around (because they aren’t glued/stapled down…remember?) and tweak the times.
Do you not have many schedule changes, and you’d rather have the time on the cards? Then, do that! Do what works best for you and your teaching life! The key to having a simple classroom is to lean into what works for you, and not what works for everyone else. :)
In fact, whatever style of schedule cards you prefer, I have them all in this one download! There are rectangular styles with digital time stamps, analog clock cards, icon cards that are round, and icon cards that are square!
I went with the round icon cards in my display, but this file is SO customizable, you can create the schedule display of your dreams, and keep it year after year.
Truly, you will never need another schedule card resource. This one is the ultimate.
If you create your schedule display in your classroom this year, be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see and cheer you on!
Always on your team,
Stephanie
