We are seven stupendous teachers on the journey of a lifetime to provide students with the tools they need to thrive in the 21st century. We are riding down the highway of learning as we infuse our classrooms with passion, creativity, fun, and rigor.
Organization is key in the classroom! Ask anyone I work with, even my students, and they will tell you that I am a freak about being organized. One thing I like to do from the first day to keep us organized is color coding. My students have colored duct tape on their notebooks. Each color is for a certain subject. I also have a sign that hangs on the board and tells them which notebook we are currently working in. Each morning when students I arrive I have signs telling them which supplies they will need from their cubbies for the day. These signs include the colors of the books and notebooks. I also have students turn in their work to a bucket that is color coordination. Y'all, I'm here to tell you, color coordination is awesome!!!
The stacks of important papers on my desk cannot be contained on just one desk. I use extra student desks along the wall to create more surface area, and hide the actual desk with a table cloth. :) On these extra desks I use crates with HANGING FOLDERS to organize papers. This is a lifesaver! In one crate I store all my texts and running records for guided reading. In another I have a folder for each day of the week. All my copies and plans go in—every morning I pull out what I need. Super simple!
#2. THE BOARD. The school day goes MUCH more smoothly when I have a clear idea of our schedule and when the kids know what to expect next. Having the schedule posted on the front board is vital for my sanity. :) I also post our learning goals on the board. It helps me stay focused on the tasks at hand throughout the day, and I love having a visual organization that everyone in the class can refer to.
I use colorful file folders for organizing my classroom. In 5th grade, students have trouble keeping their work in one place. I number the file folders with calendar numbers (this way I can reuse them year after year). Each student is assigned a number, and they put all of their work through out the week in their folders. On Friday, I have the students sort out the work from their folders into *my folders*. The teacher folders are labelled with the assignment name. Inside of each teacher folder, I have a grade recording sheet. After I am done grading each folder, I just need to enter the grades from the grading sheet into my grade book. When I return assignments to students, they can 1. take them home, 2. throw them away, or 3. store them in a hanging folder file to show off their work during parent teacher conferences. Most good students like to store their work through the year. This system helps my students stay on track. Many of them choose to keep an assignment sheet in their folders, so they can "check" things off as they go. I also keep extra file folders with me in case of a surprise test or pop quiz, so I can easily find them.
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