The Well-Organized Classroom
There is Hope
The beginning of the school year is an exciting time. Fresh notebooks with uncracked spines, pens that haven't yet been uncapped, and neat rows of bins waiting to be filled. Fast-forward two weeks, though, and some teachers are already feeling overwhelmed and rushed for time.
You can't help it if the principal stuck three extra kids in your class, and your students tore through that first week's worth of lessons in two days, so you've been scrambling for new material. You don't have time to redo the filing system, and the papers are already piling up.
Relax. We're going to help you create a game plan for organizing your classroom. Here's how it'll work:
1. You're going to identify and sort your classroom props, such as:
- Different sizes of worksheet papers
- Markers, paints, glue, and other project supplies
- Oversize paper, like poster board
- Other instructional materials you use regularly
incredibly simple for you and your students to prepare for parent-teacher conferences.
3. It's easy to keep things organized when you've got a designated place for each classroom
activity. You'll know where and how each item should be stored by the end of this Knowledge
File.
4. Ever have to move your classroom on a moment's notice? You'll learn to create a mobile
office that you can take anywhere with very little preparation.
5. When your desk is neat, it sends a great message to your students. You'll find out some of
the ways you can eliminate clutter and work more efficiently.
Are you ready to get started? Let's get you -- and your classroom -- organized!
Make Instructional Materials Easy
You've assigned your students a project to work on at their desks, and right away the hands shoot up in the air. "Where can I find scissors?" "I need a ruler." "Where's the next worksheet?" It's enough to make you wish you were back in the humidity of summer vacation.
First, consider your supplies. What kinds of things do you and your students need to get your hands on quickly? Make a list of the instructional materials you use regularly, and then decide whether you need to further subcategorize. For example, if you teach more than one subject, you can assign a different color to each one. If you teach just one subject, but you do different kinds of activities with your students, use your color distinctions for those activities.
Standard-size worksheets can be filed in Pendaflex hanging folders. The new marble-colored folders appeal to students of all ages -- and they offer InfoPocket, which is a file within a file where you can store small memos, instructions, or even small supplies that go with worksheet activities. You can also use hanging file folders with dividers to separate and store different worksheets within the same subject.
Project supplies such as markers, paints, rulers, scissors, staplers, and glue can be stored in clear plastic bins. Use markers or small, round stickers to keep your color-coordinated system in place.
Oversize paper and other supplies can be stored on shelves in your classroom -- again, label and color-code the spot on the shelf where paper should be filed.
Take the time to walk your students through your new system. Show them where they can find things and how to properly store supplies they've finished using. Let classroom organization be a lesson for everyone.
Keep Track of Student Work
You can teach your students how to organize their papers and keep things presentable. Start by making labels for each student -- show younger students how to peel off and affix labels to notebooks and other materials. Then teach them some basic filing tips and tricks.
Keep two extra folders with all student worksheets for each subject or class from the beginning of the year forward. If you get a new student midway through the year, you can give her organized references, which makes it much easier for you to assess her placement in your class.
Use windowsill space or an extra desk in the back of the room and create a series of drop-boxes, one per subject or class. Label and color-code each box, and teach your students to place completed assignments in the boxes. Return work directly to students for filing; when absent students return, they can retrieve their work from a labeled "Corrected Work" box.
Set aside five minutes at the end of each day to review your filing system and make sure that all paper has been properly handled. Show your students what you're doing, and talk them through the process. Say something like, "Sometimes, in the middle of the day, I get busy or rushed, and I forget to put my papers and supplies where they belong. So I'm going to take just a moment now to make sure that everything is filed in its proper place. That way, I'll be able to start fresh tomorrow. Why don't you take this time to make sure all your papers are properly filed, too?"
As projects are completed and ready to be displayed, provide students with Oxford slash pocket project folders -- they're perfect for work that deserves to be admired.
Once a week, set a timer for 15 minutes and work together with your students to make sure the entire classroom is properly organized. If projects have built up on the back tables or supplies have strayed to new homes, now is the time to organize the papers, as well as find and return the supplies. Make a game of completing the task before the timer buzzes. With older students, show them how just a few minutes is plenty of time to keep them organized and on top of their work.
Make spot checks during the week. Stop by a student's desk and ask to see a specific paper. If the student can find it immediately, offer a small reward. If you discover a filing fiasco, don't get mad. Instead, help the student understand the importance of organization, and work together to put the papers and other items back in order. Follow up regularly, and look for opportunities to reward organized behavior.
Organize Other Classroom Areas
If your classroom is home to several work areas, you need a plan for each one. For example, a classroom library should have some sort of system for keeping track of books. A printed notes folder offers an easy way for students to sign things out; students can file book reports, essays, questions, and worksheets inside the folder for you to review later.
You can also set up activity centers using Pendaflex hot pocket file folders. They offer plenty of space for filing worksheets, and they have an outside pocket where you can store tools your students need for their activities -- protractors, vocabulary flash cards, scissors, photos, and other materials. If you store everything in a single folder, students can simply grab it and go, and then you all get more done in less time.
A Pendaflex vertical file is a great addition to a computer workstation. Use your color-coded system to store worksheets corresponding to different subjects or classes. Students can remove only the folders they need, or file their completed work when they've finished.
For labs and other group projects, hanging files with dividers work well; each partner can use half the folder. Pendaflex 2-in-1 poly folders make it easy for students to store files in a hanging file cabinet in the classroom; the hanging tabs retract so that folders and other papers aren't damaged if students take them home.
Expanding file pockets are terrific for yearlong projects that students will constantly add to. Label one for each student, and show students how individual folders can be stored inside. Designate specific filing cabinets for each subject or class, and teach your students how to store their materials at the end of each work session.
Create a Mobile Office
Even if you have your own classroom, you sometimes have to stand in for a different teacher. And if your schedule requires that you constantly move around your campus, you don't ever have the luxury of a permanent desk. You need a mobile office that you can pack up and take with you at a moment's notice.
Start with a vertical file -- you can hang it wherever you land for easy access to important files; when you're on the go, the file folds up to a portable size.
The Pendaflex file carrier is another innovative solution for teachers who constantly move around. Open your hanging file cabinet, pull out just the folders you need, and store them in the carrier. Its elastic closure keeps your papers from falling out when you're racing through the hallways, and the professional look means you'll never confuse your documents with your students' work.
Each time you arrive in a new classroom, hang your vertical file immediately. That way, you can reach in and retrieve worksheets as you need them. Keep your file carrier close at hand for easy access to those papers. Stock your file carrier with folders that do double duty, such as the hot pocket file folders and the printed notes folders. You'll maximize the information you can carry around without breaking your back.
Designate one folder to yourself that will hold your notes. If students ask you questions or you need to look up information, write it on a full-size sheet of paper and file it in your notes folder. At the end of the day, review everything in that folder, answer any questions, and refile your papers to prepare for the next day.
Last But Not Least: Your Desk
If you do have a permanent desk, it should be well organized -- you can't expect your students to learn from you if you're not setting a good example. If your desk currently looks like a disaster area, don't worry -- you can sort through it all relatively quickly.
Just as you went through your classroom earlier, go through your desk and identify the different kinds of work and activities you need to manage. File any stray papers in the folders you've already established throughout your classroom. Determine whether you need new categories for the papers you're left with, and then create folders and label them appropriately.
Use an Oxford index card box with Oxford rainbow-colored index cards to write yourself notes for each subject or class you're teaching. Create a card for each subject that notes the location of all the other important supplies for that subject in your classroom. That way, if a substitute comes into your classroom, she'll be able to find materials easily.
Use a desktop frame to hold the worksheets you'll need to access during the day: papers you want to return, new topics you'll be covering, and other important documents.
You can also designate one folder to hold the previous week's lessons so if you miss a day, a substitute can quickly review what your students have already learned.
Moving On
If you incorporate organization into your classroom planning and block off time for it in your lesson plans, you'll find that it takes very little effort to keep your classroom, your students, and yourself in perfect order. In fact, you may even find that the end of the year offers as much promise as September -- all your papers will be neatly stored, and you'll greet each new day with a clean slate -- er, blackboard.