Classroom Organization With Tables

This is my 12th year of teaching.  I made it through about 3 months before the mess of desks drove me crazy.   In my district class size just goes up and up; tables have saved some of my sanity with the 30+ kids.  Shinguards would be required for moving around.  So I thought I would share some of how I organize all the stuff my chickadees use on a daily basis.

Drawers-
This is where students store projects and papers they are not finished with.  They also have mile marker cards (a track walking/running recess thing) and other personal items.  Many of my glasses wearing students keep their cases in this space.

Cubbies-
Bookbags and Reader's Studio items are kept here.   That is all.

Supplies-
All supplies, besides pencils, are stored on the counter.  Students grab what they need and take it back to their table.  I also have three tubs of extras if they can't find the color they need or if someone else in the group is already using it.

Binders, Folders, and Spirals-
This summer my roommate was getting rid of the two binder holding shelves....and I think they have found a perfect new home.  Each student has a binder with dividers for each subject.  (This is a new thing for me this year....I will let you know how I feel about it at the end of the year.)  They also keep their folders for math work on these shelves and spirals for their writing journals.  One side has the girls' stuff and the others has the boys'.

Happy Saturday,

Optimum Organization

Fun in 4b and Ladybug Teacher Files are having an organization party. 

I am pretty organized....just not good about putting things away immediately.  Last summer I created some things that have been really helpful in keeping things put away and easily found.  The "famous" teacher toolbox" and then just prettifying and labeling sterlite drawers.

Here is how I organize running records...my favorite reading assessment even though my district loves the ridiculous 1 minute assessments that tell me nothing about a student reader.

I always forget to label the binder....however it is ginormous, so the size is kind of its own label!

Inside the sections are divided by the end of year goal for each grade (kindy, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd).

Behind each grade level tab is the books for those levels, and a page protector with numerous copies of pages needed to administer reading assessment.

And yesterday's post about student mailboxes, may be helpful also....
Happy Wednesday,

Teacher Binder

Scrap booking is one of my favorite activities.  I don't have a lot of things that I take pictures of, so I apply scrap booking funness to other things...like my teacher binder.  I made the cover and back last year...I didn't do anything to them except put them in a new binder.  

I did make new dividers.  The same sections pop up each year, but I usually don't label the dividers.  This time I made labeled sections.  I used Tagxedo (because I may have an addiction to making things with this site.)  For each section of the binder, I made a "chickadee" shaped word cloud.  There are nine sections.  
Lesson Plans-I keep pages for about a month at a time.  At the end of the month, I file the lesson plans into the filing cabinet. At the back of this section I have a page protector with the masters of blank lesson plans for easy copying.
Calendar and Year Long Plan-School calendar and Year Long Plans.  Also pacing guides and weekly schedule.
2nd and 3rd Grade Common Core-Teaching a blend, so need to know what both grades goals are.  I also keep testing info and the like in the 3rd grade section.
Student Checklists-Homework Checklist, In-Class Work Checklist, Math Checklist...At the back of this section I have a page protector with the masters of blank checklists for easy copying.
Student Info.-Addresses, phone number, email, birthday for students.
Sunnyside Info.-This is where I keep information specific to my school.  Assembly schedules, character ed. schedule, PBIS schedule, staff contacts, etc.
Meeting Notes-For things I need to remember from Staff or Grade Level meetings.
Ideas-Plans and to dos for later.
*I do not use this binder for assessment data.  That needs its own binder and well I just don't see a whole lot of purpose in cutetifying that one:-)

The binder goes to and from school almost everyday, although I don't generally use it during the school day.  During the school day, I keep the things I need on my clipboard.  It goes everywhere, takes up less space, and for some reason I can keep track of it:-)  My clipboard has the things I use on a daily basis with my chickadees.
-Current week's lesson plans (at the end of the week I return them to binder)
-Class List
-Student schedules:  For students who may go to speech, ELD, Resource Room, etc.
-Daily 5 checklist
-Reading Group List
-Math Attendance (because we switch kiddos around for math, I need to make sure I have everyone)

 

And on a completely random and unrelated note.....

Scentsy....and a Dodger towel of course.

Dodger tagxedo!

I finished working on downstairs bathroom.  It needed a new coat of paint....and some art.  (I told you I am a bit addicted to Tagxedo.) Here a few pics.  (I don't have before pics...just imagine the walls bare and painted a non-descript white/beige color.)  The walls are now grey...and the Dodgers have taken over!  I wanted to paint pinstripes....but couldn't talk myself into that adventure.

My cousin made the adorable LA t-shirt.

Found this treasure at Goodwill.

Happy Saturday,
 

Tips and Some Random

This is what I do the other 90% of the day that I not blogging, stalking, or pinteresting....

All the picture is missing is when I move to the couch or the chair outside!  But I will take a break from my reading adventures to share some (possibly) helpful ideas.

Tip 1:  Bulletin board border happens to be the same height as the plastic drawers.  So I cut it to the appropriate length and used a glue dot to keep it in place.  Then I had some extra, blank calander squares and used them to label what is inside each drawer.

Tip  2:  I used to keep my read alouds organized by subject, or by what reading strategy they could be used for.  However sometimes, I would think where is the book and I all I could remember was the title, but not how I had organized it:-)  So I decided to take library advice and keep them organized by author.  That way regardless of the many ways I could use the book to teach, I will know exactly where to find them.

Using strips of bright construction paper and letters of the alphabet I can easily see where each section begins. 

A few books really don't stump me, for example Johnny Appleseed, Holiday, and Poetry books.  They really are only used for a very specific purpose and so I keep them organized on the shelf under the other read alouds.

The same bright construction paper helps separate my teaching books as well.

Tip 3:  These clip chart behavior systems are everywhere.  At the beginning of the year, I decided that have a portable version would be helpful, and then the pull-out teachers could use it as well.  So I made the signs, laminated them into one solid poster and taped them to the back of a yard stick.  I put a piece of ribbon through the top, put a tack in the door, and hung it up.

A bit random, but maybe one of these is helpful for you!

For more random....I found one of the coolest before and after projects on Pinterest today!  If only I still had one of these tables somewhere....check this out!

source..Caroline's Crafty Corner

source...Caroline's Crafty Corner

And one more pic...just because it made me smile!

"Raise your hand if you have read Hunger Games."

Happy 
Friday,
 

Teacher Bag Organization

Week 7 of the Clutter-Free Classroom is all about teacher bags. 

BEFORE:Here is my bag:  It is a LARGE bag that I throw or shove a LOT of things into.  Anybody else fill their bag each night with the intention of getting back to it, and then losing the momentum to get it out:-)  This happens to me repeatedly....it is better to just stay at school into the evening hours and get it done there!

The bag is a Vera Bradley bag (which is unusual for me, I generally find her prints too busy.  I LOVE that this print had little birds all over it...since I call my class my chickadees, it was meant to be! 

It has lots of POTENTIAL to be organized, if I would stop randomly tossing things into it.  This is my attempt to corral the mess that is my bag.





Inside I usually have a professional book, Lucy Calkins curriculum, Investigations math curriculum, possibly a picture book.  I also have papers to look through and my laptop.  And the binder of all things important:-)  There are also camera cords and batteries, pencils, post-its, all kinds of little things.

AFTER:  First, using a colored binder clip and a Sharpie, I labeled each pocket.  And put the matching item inside.

I put all the pens, markers, highlighters, and pencils in a zippered pouch.  This is also a good idea to save your bag from disastrous ink explosions:-)

Finally I put an expanding file folder to sort the curriculum and papers by subject.












And finished!  The bag still doesn't weigh any less....but now at least I can find what I need without going through every pocket first:-)
Happy Saturday,
Laurie
P.S.  Don't forget about my give away...

Math Fluency

I have a love/hate relationship with timed tests.  For reading I absolutely despise it....in no part of real life does reading for speed help you out.  Recall of basic math facts, on the other hand, is essential as math skills become more complicated.  To help with this, every Friday, we take a 10 minute math test.  Each test has 100 problems and is by number...+1, +2, +3 you get the idea.  The goal is to get 90 or more correct.  All students start the year with +1 or they may choose to challenge the math skill (they take the end of the book addition mixed test)  If they pass then they do the same process for subtraction. 

I keep track in a binder and up on a great set of cupboards that are perfectly sectioned into fours.  One for addition, one for subtraction, one for multiplication, and one for division. Each student has a baseball glove and earns colored baseballs for each test they pass.

Most students are on addition.  A few have moved onto subtraction and one is working on division. 











So when students walk in the door, on Friday, they get their test out of the math test file drawer, put their name on the paper, and turn it upside down on the desk while they work on morning work. The files match their baseball glove so they know which color folder to find their test.

I realize this sounds complicated, but students have been doing it since September and have it down to an art:-) Once they all have their test, I set a timer for 10 minutes and off they go.

Happy Tuesday,
Laurie