In this episode, I’m breaking down three distinct approaches:

Part 1: Scheduling for a Resource Room

We’ll dig into a practical, step-by-step method for building a workable resource room schedule. You’ll learn how to:

• Use Google Sheets in 5-minute increments for precision and flexibility
• Add all staff names across the top so you can visually track who’s doing what, when
• Assign a unique color code for each para, subject, recess/lunch duty, and transition for instant clarity
• Map out student service minutes straight from their IEPs using color-coded sticky notes, so you can see exactly where those minutes fit best before locking anything in
• Adjust your plan for inevitable overlaps, push-ins, or schedule conflicts

Part 2: Scheduling in a Self-Contained Program

When your students are with you all day, the challenge shifts from fitting them into other schedules to structuring a daily flow that supports learning and regulation. We’ll cover how to:

• “Anchor” your day by first plugging in non-negotiables like arrival, lunch, recess, specials, and dismissal
• Place your most demanding academic lessons during peak alertness times, and save hands-on or lower-energy activities for after lunch or late afternoon
• Run smooth small group rotations with paras leading activities or supervising independent work
• Schedule sensory and movement breaks proactively, not just reactively
• Build in life skills, social skills, and transition time as intentional parts of the schedule
• Use color-coding to quickly read the master schedule at a glance
• Teach the schedule to your students so it becomes a predictable part of their day

Part 3: Scheduling for a Full Inclusion Program

If your special education program is fully inclusion-based, scheduling is more about strategically embedding support into the general education environment. You’ll discover how to:

• Start by collecting all general education class schedules across the grades you serve
• Layer in your students’ IEP minutes so you can match support to the most critical times of instruction (rather than spreading minutes too thin)
• Coordinate with general education teachers to determine when you’ll push in, co-teach, or provide targeted small group support in the classroom
• Factor in paraprofessional coverage so your staff are placed where they’re most needed without overlapping unnecessarily
• Plan for high-need transition times like arrival, dismissal, and lunch to ensure students are supported during those unstructured moments
• Keep a flexible mindset—your inclusion schedule will likely shift frequently at the start of the year as you learn student needs and teacher expectations

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clear framework for making the most of your time—without feeling like the pieces are constantly falling too fast. The key isn’t creating a “perfect” schedule; it’s creating a best-fit schedule for your unique students, staff, and school environment.