How to Get Organized in Teaching
Staying on top of your lessons and your classroom organization is essential to your success as a teacher. Unfortunately, it can be hard to get organized in teaching, especially if you've fallen behind. Still, with a bit of persistence, you can get your classroom together and stay on top of the never-ending cycle of papers and notes. Teach your students to do the same and you'll have even more success.
Instructions
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Designate a place for everything. Clutter builds up when you don't have a specific location in which to put everything--you'll simply pile it on your desk thinking that you'll find a place later. If you want your classroom to be organized, you have to find a place to put everything and follow through by always putting it there. This applies to both classroom supplies and your management notes. Have students help by clearly labeling areas so that they can always put items back in the proper place.
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Separate curriculum materials and management materials. Undoubtedly, you have a number of papers related to your work--some are worksheets and other handouts that you need for curriculum, while others are related to the management of your classroom, such as notes about students and messages from the administration. Do not mix the two.
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Keep files on each student. This could be an actual file that goes into a file cabinet or it could be a file on your computer if you're trying to reduce paper. In this file, you want to keep your notes on the student, samples of the student's work and any correspondence with the parent. When you have something new to add, do it immediately so that the papers don't pile up.
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Plan lessons in advance. Plan for your classes long term. Start with a general idea of what you're going to cover each month, then as the month approaches, plan out each day in detail. Planning ahead of time ensures that you'll be able to gather any materials that you need for your lesson.
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Organize your file cabinet. Keep one drawer for student files and the other for curriculum ideas. You have to find a system that works for you. For example, you may want to separate files by month or by subject area.
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Use colors to organize subjects. A color-coded system can help you to easily find your materials. Elementary teachers may want to use the colors to separate subjects. Secondary teachers might use the colors to separate different units.
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Tips & Warnings
Reuse items, such as coffee canisters and plastic zipper bags, to keep things organized without spending a lot of money.
References
- Photo Credit class room image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com
