10. Preview The Days Plan
Planning out the day is a huge help to your students. The plan should not be kept a secret though. Write out the preview of what will be done throughout the class or the day so that students know what to expect. This will help with transitions as well as students will have a good idea of what they are transitioning to. Try to spend a few minutes at the start of the day to explain the plan in rough detail and answer any questions the students may have.
If you can time-stamp the particular activities it is worth a shot, but see how your students, especially the ones that are the subject of this article react. They may feel more anxious if you don’t give a time frame for each activity, or the fact that specific times are coming up may trigger that response as well. It may be a good idea to simple give a rough estimate of when things are going to start and stick to them loosely. That way the students learn that around 10 a.m. something new will start. It may take until 10:30, or it may start at 9:45, but they have a good estimate of when to expect a transition.