he classroom or program schedule for each of your classrooms and programs. With the help of your trainers and coaches, you should make sure the schedules outlined meet the expectations of your program (e.g., ample free-choice time, individualized for infants, etc.). Work with your trainers and coaches to make sure that staff generally follow the schedule they’ve created, adhering more to sequence than clock time. Ensure that the schedules outlined in each classroom work with the staffing schedules you develop (it may be difficult to conduct small-group activities in the morning before all the classroom staff have arrived). With the help of your trainers or coaches, negotiate when you can with staff members to make both their individually developed classroom schedules and the larger staffing schedule of your program work together. The typical drop off and pick-up times for families in each classroom or program may very slightly, so work with staff to see when coverage is needed, or when you may be able to combine classrooms, again, staying sensitive to what staff know about the children and families they have contact with every day.
Also, follow your service operational procedures or developed program standards regarding staff work hours and breaks. Remember that just as children may need some private moments throughout their day to support their emotional regulation and productive engagement, your staff members should have appropriate breaks to take some moments for themselves to recoup before rejoining the children or youth. It is important, for children and staff alike, to ensure that these breaks happen, and as discussed in Lesson Two, staff members have comfortable spaces for their break time.
With help from your trainers and coaches, it is also important to find some time in staff members’ weekly schedules for them to do curriculum planning as a classroom or program, or perhaps some time for lead teachers to work on child assessments or portfolios. With the help of your trainers, coaches, substitutes, or perhaps through creative scheduling during nap times (e.g., shifting a staff member to another classroom temporarily), you can give each teaching or caregiving team the time they need to work on curriculum and activity plans for the upcoming week. Scheduling this time sends a strong message that you value staff members as professionals, that you want to give them the time to develop high-quality experiences for the children or youth in their care.
Examples of Schedules and Routines
Watch this video for examples of how routines and schedules support children at different points in development.
In your work as a manager, you may come across issues with balancing individual staff members’ scheduling requests, or the needs and schedules of individual classrooms, and the larger staff schedule of your whole program. Download and print the Scheduling Scenarios activity. Read the scenarios and decide how you would respond. Then, compare your answers to the suggested responses.
Download and print the Jigsaw activity as a resource that you, trainers or coaches could use with staff members who are struggling with their schedules. Follow the directions on the activity to help staff members identify issues and brainstorm solutions.
Schedule Jigsaw Puzzle
Jigsaw Puzzle Sample
Chung, A., Gannett, E., & La Perla, A. A. (2001). After-School Programs: From vision to reality. Retrieved from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/afterschool/index.html
Cryer, D., Harms, T., & Riley, C. (2003). All About the ECERS-R: A detailed guide in words and pictures to be used with the ECERS-R. Lewisville, NC: Kaplan Early Learning Co.
Dodge, D. T., Colker, L. J., & Heroman, C. (2002). The Creative Curriculum for Preschool (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies, Inc.
Feldman, J. (1995). Transition Time: Let’s do something different. Lewisville, NC: Gryphon House.
Feldman, J. (2000). Transition Tips and Tricks for Teachers. Lewisville, NC: Gryphon House.
Hemmeter, M. L., Ostrosky, M., Artman, K., & Kinder, K. (2008). Moving right al