Heads-Up Cards: Transition Warning and Schedule Change Cards with Visual Countdown, High School

A lot of refusal is really a transition problem. The kid was in the middle of something, nobody warned them, and now they are being asked to stop. A heads up card shown quietly, the same way every time, takes a lot of the fight out of it.

What's included:

• A short guide to giving warnings that help

• Time cards: 10, 5, 2, and 1 minute, time to switch, and next is...

• Cards for clean up, finish your sentence, and save your spot

• 12 change cards: schedule change, sub today, assembly, fire drill, indoor recess, early dismissal, new seat, different bus, different room, field trip, testing day, and something is different

• 21 cards in all

How I'd use it:

Go to the student and show the card. Do not announce it to the room. For a change in plans, tell them what stays the same, because that is the part that calms most kids down. Put the cards on a ring and carry them.

Print the cards on cardstock, laminate them, and keep the blank lines so you can write in the time, the room, or the bus number with a dry erase marker. They are small enough to fit on a binder ring or in a lanyard pocket. Families can use the same cards at home for leaving the park, turning off a screen, or a change in weekend plans.

Who it's for: Teachers, paras, and families. Grades PreK 8.

What you download: one printable PDF, 2 pages, US Letter.

Made by Jeremy D. Gooch, special education teacher and transition coordinator. Drafting and layout had AI assistance; every page was checked by me.