If you're a teacher or work in an educational environment of any sort, you probably understand that sometimes organization can mean the difference between getting something done properly and effectively and having your entire classroom (and your class) become a disaster. The more organized your classroom is, the more likely you are to be productive and teach effectively.
But getting it organized and keeping it organized is the true challenge. That's why, with back to school time just around the corner, these tips will help you get started on your way to an organized and well-managed classroom this school year!
Purge the Old
When you first walk into your new classroom for the year, or even if it's a classroom that you've had in previous years, throw away anything that may still be hanging on the walls from previous teachers and previous classes. Purge all of the old materials to make room for new and fresh ones.
If there is a storage cabinet filled with old (and usually much-needed) supplies and materials, instead of throwing them away, simply pull all of them out of the cabinet or drawer and get to work re-organizing all of the contents.
Get Your Label Maker Ready!
As a teacher, you probably have a ton of extra little "stuff" lying around that's necessary for your classroom to fully operate. That's OK, and there's really no need to get rid of all of that completely, but make sure you have an organizational system in place to keep track of all of the little things.
Get our your label maker, designate containers to each little item, and put similar items with other similar items. Label accordingly. This way you'll have quick, easy and organized access to the small materials that you use most in your classroom.
Separate Incoming and Outgoing Papers
Make sure you have an organizational system in place when it comes to paperwork that comes in to you and that you have to send out. For example, place a bin on your desk where students can turn in their homework assignments when they're due, or even consider having a separate bin for each subject that you teach, if there are multiple. This will help you keep track of the students' assignments all in one place, and it will provide an organizational structure for the students that they can follow, as well. They'll always know where to turn in their assignments.
Keep a more personal bin or tray around for anything that you may need to send out of your classroom, like notes to go home with students, or even designate a tray or mailbox-type setup divided with folders to the students - you place their graded assignments in a folder and "send it" back to them using this method.
Organize Your Students
You need a plan to help you keep track of your students just as much as you need to be able to keep track of your teaching materials and supplies. Be prepared with a blank seating chart to pass around on the first day so that you will know where to find each student in your classroom every single day.
Assign numbers to each student based on your seating chart, and have the students write their names and numbers on every assignment that they turn in. Keep the same names and numbers in your grade book for easy organization when it comes to grading and reporting.
Organize Your Technology
In today's digital age, it's becoming increasingly popular to use laptops or computers in classrooms on a regular basis for learning purposes. If you are fortunate enough to have access to your own set of laptops in your classroom, make sure you have a good system in place to keep this technology organized.
A good route to take is to implement a convenient bar code technology across the entire school to help keep track of every piece of technology on school grounds. Apply a bar code label to the back of each laptop or computer and scan it into a school-wide tracking program. This way, if anything ever goes missing, you'll know exactly what it is and most likely where it came from to help you in retrieving the item.
Assign Jobs to Students
Once you have your classroom well-labeled and organized, you'll want to maintain that cleanliness and organization. And it will take a lot more effort than just you to keep it that way.
Assign students daily or weekly "chores" in the classroom to help you keep it clean. Put up a poster or chart outlining each student's responsibilities and on which day they are responsible for completing which tasks. This way, they will know what is expected of them, and you can be sure that your classroom stays clean and organized all year long.
About The Author
Patricia Goldblum is a writer who has worked in teaching before and knows how challenging it can be to get an entire classroom organized. That's why she's always used custom labeling supplies from Camcode.com to keep everything from technology to supplies well organized.
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