Resource teacher weekly schedule template

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A resource teacher schedule lists every block of the week: pull-out groups, push-in time, case management, planning and duties, with each student's IEP minutes checked against it. Build it in four passes: fixed school times, students' general education core blocks to avoid, groups by skill and grade, then a minutes check. A completed example and a fill-in grid are below.

A resource schedule is a puzzle with three sets of pieces: the bell schedule, every student's general education classes, and the minutes in every IEP. The schedule works when every IEP minute has a slot, no student misses core instruction they need, and you still have a block for case management.

This template is built for an elementary or middle school resource room teacher who delivers both pull-out and push-in services. For what goes inside each block, see the resource room lesson plan. For the role as a whole, see the case manager's handbook.

Build it in four passes

Fixed times. Write in arrival, lunch, recess, specials, your duties and any whole-school blocks.
Blocks to avoid. For each student, mark the general education instruction they should not miss. Many schools avoid pulling students from core reading and math instruction in the same subject.
Groups. Group students by skill and grade band, at most 2 grades per group, and place each group where its members are all free.
Minutes check. Add up each student's scheduled minutes and compare them with the IEP. Fix every gap before the first day.

The fill-in weekly schedule

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
______	______	______	______	______	______
______	______	______	______	______	______
______	______	______	______	______	______
______	______	______	______	______	______
______	______	______	______	______	______
______	______	______	______	______	______

For each block, write the group name, setting (pull-out room or the general education class), and students' initials. Keep a legend at the bottom: "R2" = reading group 2, "PI" = push-in.

Completed example: an elementary resource teacher, 16 students

This is a fictional K to 5 schedule. Specials rotate, so the teacher's planning period moves; the case management block does not.

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
8:00 to 8:20	Arrival duty	Check-in (2 students)	Arrival duty	Check-in (2 students)	Arrival duty
8:25 to 9:10	R1 (gr 1, 3 students)	R1	R1	R1	R1
9:15 to 10:00	R2 (gr 2 and 3, 4 students)	R2	R2	R2	Data and graphing
10:05 to 10:45	PI gr 4 math	PI gr 4 math	PI gr 4 math	PI gr 4 math	Make-up sessions
10:50 to 11:30	Case management	IEP writing	Case management	IEP writing	Parent calls
11:35 to 12:15	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
12:20 to 1:00	M1 (gr 2 and 3, 3 students)	M1	M1	M1	M1
1:05 to 1:45	W1 (gr 4 and 5, 4 students)	W1	W1	W1	Planning
1:50 to 2:30	R3 (gr 5, 2 students)	Planning	R3	Planning	R3
2:35 to 3:00	Dismissal prep	Meetings	Meetings	Meetings	Dismissal prep

Minutes check

The IEP states the frequency, location and duration of each service,^[1] so the schedule only works if each student's minutes add up. Here is part of the check for this example.

Student	IEP minutes per week	Scheduled	Gap
L.C. (gr 1)	Reading 225	R1: 5 x 45 = 225	0
T.W. (gr 3)	Reading 180, math 160	R2: 4 x 45 = 180; M1: 4 x 40 = 160	0
N.P. (gr 4)	Math 160 push-in, writing 160	PI: 4 x 40 = 160; W1: 4 x 40 = 160	0
G.H. (gr 5)	Reading 150	R3: 3 x 40 = 120	30 short

G.H. is 30 minutes short. Options: add a 4th R3 session on Tuesday instead of planning, or move him into the Friday make-up block. The teacher chose Tuesday and kept Friday for make-ups. Track the result in the service log.

Notes on each section

Fixed times and duties

Write duties in first. An administrator who sees a duty landing on a pull-out block can move one or the other in August. In October it is too late.

Groups

Keep groups to 2 grade levels and one main skill. A group of four students reading at 4 different levels is four one-to-one lessons in a row. Goals for students served in this setting are collected under resource room goals.

Push-in blocks

Write the general education teacher's lesson time into your schedule, not yours. Push-in fails when the special educator arrives after the lesson starts. The push-in vs pull-out guide covers when each fits.

Case management and make-up blocks

Two fixed case management blocks and one Friday make-up block are what keep a resource schedule honest. Without a make-up block, every missed session becomes a permanent loss. A teacher with a heavy meeting season can swap one IEP writing block for a meeting block from March to May.

What reviewers and parents look for

An administrator checks the minutes column: does every student get what the IEP says? A parent asks a simpler question: when is my child with you, and what are they missing? Be ready to answer both from one sheet. A reviewer will also look at the setting of each service. If the IEP says pull-out in a special education setting and the schedule shows push-in, the schedule is wrong, even if the minutes match.

When the schedule breaks

Schedules break in October, when a new student enrolls or a general education teacher moves a block. Rebuild with the same four passes, starting from the minutes check, and tell families of any time change in writing. If a service time moves but the minutes stay the same, no IEP change is needed. If minutes or setting must change, that goes to the team.

Keep it current

Reprint the schedule after any IEP change, new enrollment or bell schedule change. Total delivered minutes weekly, and keep dates in the caseload tracker. Related guides: time management for special education teachers, your teacher binder, and for intervention blocks, the reading intervention schedule. Self-contained teachers can compare a life skills classroom schedule and the self-contained classroom entry. For co-taught and inclusion settings, plan push-in blocks with the general education teacher first.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a resource room schedule?

Write in fixed times and duties first, mark each student's core classes to avoid, group students by skill and grade, then add up each student's scheduled minutes and compare them with the IEP. Fix gaps before school starts.

Should a resource teacher schedule time for case management?

Yes. Two fixed weekly blocks for case management and IEP writing, plus a make-up block for missed sessions, keep paperwork inside the school day and services on track.

How many students should be in a resource group?

It depends on the IEPs and your state rules. Keeping groups to students within two grade levels who work on the same main skill makes the time far more useful than a larger mixed group.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.