WHAT IS A DAILY SCHEDULE?
First things first: you are really crushing it this week. You’re awake, wearing pants, and knocking out your unread emails like a boss. Solid effort all around. AND you look fabulous to boot. Way to be, friend. Way. To. Be.
Second, some important knowledge is about to be dropped on you that is going to change your game in the classroom. It’s true.
Last we covered google slide templates 101 with Google Slide Templates: What’s All the Fuss? and now that you’re google slide obsessed just like I am, we’re going to chat all things daily schedule!
A daily schedule slide is a google slide that you display in your virtual or in personal classroom where all of your students can see it. It includes important information about what you’re doing that day.
Having a daily schedule will not only give your students the organization they need, but also the comfort of knowing what’s to come.
This post will tell you everything you need to know about what they are, how to use them, & where to find a daily schedule template for your virtual and in person classroom use.
WHY DO YOU NEED ONE?
Why do I need a daily schedule slide, you ask?
They absolutely help start the day off on the right foot. And I know this is something we ALL want, right!?
Have you ever been in a classroom with no routine? Or a classroom with kids asking repeatedly, “What are we doing today?” or “What are we doing next?” ?
If you have been in this situation then you know firsthand how important it is that your students know what you’re doing for the day as soon as they walk in.
HOW TO MAKE A DAILY SCHEDULE
So, now that you know you need one, let me help you figure out what to put on it.
While it’s completely up to you to decide what to include based on your classroom dynamic and age group, here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Date
Never hear “What day is today?” eleven times an hour again!
- Learning Objective
No matter what, choose an objective that makes it crystal clear what students should understand or be able to do by the time they leave. This may or may not be something you include depending on the age of your students.
- Agenda
This is just like what it sounds: a list of all of the different tasks or activities students will work on. It may even be helpful to list the time estimates for each.
- Morning Question
This has a million different names (bellwork, first 5, welcome activity, morning magic etc.) but this is referring to whatever you call the task you want students to work on as soon as they arrive.
- Materials
Especially for virtual learning, it is so helpful for students to know everything they’ll need for the day so that they can quickly gather anything they’re missing before the lesson begins.
- Homework/Reminders
Can’t have too many reminders for homework, upcoming quizzes, events, etc…, right?! It’s been super helpful for students to copy homework assignments straight from the daily agenda slide into their own planners.
- Shout Outs
My editable template includes space for shoutouts, birthdays, congratulating school sports teams, etc. This helps students know that support their interests outside of my classroom. What an AMAZING way to build community within your in person or virtual classroom!
- School Logo/Mascot
A great place to show school spirit!
- Quote
You could also add motivational or inspirational quotes to help students with their mindset. Something like this is great for kids even as young as kindergarten!
THE BENEFITS ARE ENDLESS
I think you can probably see by now that the benefits of the daily schedule slide are endless, but there are a few we should highlight.
First & foremost, the schedule slide helps establish expectations and daily routine. As soon as the kids come into the classroom (either in person or virtually), they know what the day is all about without having to ask a million questions or feel uneasy about not knowing what the day holds. By doing this, it helps save valuable learning time. Less time wasted & more time learning & having fun!
Speaking of saving time, there’s two other reasons you may not have thought of yet for why a daily schedule slide is a game changer. One, if a child is absent from school, they can reference back to the agenda slide and know exactly what they missed. And two, you can save all of your agenda slides in one folder (with notes on them as to what worked & what did not) and refer back to them as needed for next year. Talk about time saver for planning!
Don’t just take my word for it, by the way, daily agenda slides are loved by administrators. It shows great classroom management & organization skills.
And by the way, pleeeeeease don’t waste time making your own slides when you can buy daily schedule templates that already look amazing! Hooray!
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