Example Weekly Schedule

Junior weekly schedule

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
8:45-9:00 (15 minutes)	O Canada, announcements, Morning activities	O Canada, announcements, Morning activities	O Canada, announcements, Morning activities	O Canada, announcements, Morning activities	O Canada, announcements, Morning activities
9:00-10:30 (90 minutes)	Literacy	Literacy	Literacy	Literacy	Literacy
10:30-10:40 (10 minutes)	Recess
10:40-10:50 (10 minutes)	Mindfulness	Mindfulness	Mindfulness	Mindfulness	Mindfulness
10:50-11:10 (20 minutes)	DPA	DPA	DPA	DPA	Phys ed
11:10-11:40 (30 minutes)	Science	Social studies	Science	Social studies	Science
11:40-12:40 (60 minutes)	Lunch
12:40-1:00 (20 minutes)	Independent Reading/ Literacy	Independent Reading/ Literacy	Independent Reading/ Literacy	Independent Reading/ Literacy	Independent Reading/ Literacy
1:00-2:00 (60 minutes)	Math	Math	Math	Math	Math
2:00-2:10 (10 minutes)	Recess
2:10-2:45 (35 minutes)	Social studies	Science	Social studies	Science	Social studies
2:45-3:15 (30 minutes)	Arts (Drama)	Arts (Art)	Arts (Music)	Arts (Dance)	Genius hour
3:15	Dismissal

I believe that routines are important at the junior level and the weekly schedule should include a routine, as I have included in my example. Throughout the week, there are similarities between the days for the students to fall into a routine and know what to do and to expect when coming into the classroom. Literacy, math, science, and social studies all follow the same routine, so the students know what to expect and are ready to learn. The required time allotments for each subject are fulfilled weekly.

The first part of the day always starts with O Canada, announcements, and morning activities.  Morning activities could involve things such as a question or task of the day or morning meetings, so that the students feel comfortable in the space and prepare themselves to learn. As the students are coming in and getting ready for the day ahead of them, they know what they must do because they have a routine to follow. I want to teach students to be mindful and aware of their mental health, therefore everyday there is a short mindfulness check-in after recess. A mindfulness activity could involve something about their emotions, a short video and debrief, or a breathing exercise. This will allow students to self-regulate better and regain their focus. I included arts at the end of the day because the students have had a full day of learning and I believe the arts are a good way to end the day. Each day will be alternating between visual arts, dance, drama, and music, depending on the week and the day. I also included a genius hour time slot at the end of the day on Friday where students guide their own learning by exploring and learning about something they are interested in.

Cross curricular learning can be very beneficial for students. When the subjects are integrated with each other, there is a higher chance that what the students are learning stays consistent and allows for students to build on their previous knowledge. One downfall of cross curricular teaching is that it involves a lot of planning on the teacher’s part and it may be difficult to execute at times. Teachers have to try multiple things to see what works best for their students and adapt the lessons based on needs.