This year, we are trying a new approach to scheduling. Different times of the day affect kids in different ways. Medications that in one class were effectively helping kids control their impulses have declined in effectiveness. The energy levels of some kids increase through the day and of other kids decrease. Some periods during the day are closer to times when kids have eaten, and this can make them sleepy as the blood starts to shift to their digestive systems or tired as they run out of fuel to help them move and think. Some teachers have more patience at the beginning of the day; some teachers have more energy at the end of the day. And all these facts interact with each other, affecting students’ learning and teachers’ effectiveness. All this means that some kids will learn better earlier in the day and some kids will learn better later in the day. REcongizing this, our principal enacted a shifting schedule this year: at the start of each new quarter, the order of the core classes (math, English, science, and social studies) flips — the last class becomes the first class, and the first the last.
The difference for my inclusion class, which is a mix of regular education students and special education students, is remarkable. When they were my final class, they were my most challenging class. They were tired; I was tired. Their meds had worn off; I was hoping for any kind of medication myself. Now that I see them first, they are a different class. A joy to work with.