Classroom Organization Tips: Flexible Solutions
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By :
Sharon Mann
Submitted
2008-12-01 16:14:38 |
Classroom organization makes every task go more smoothly, and teachers have no excuses. In this article, you'll look at the different areas of the classroom - from student supplies and files, to your own desk - and explore ways to organize and maintain each one with readily available products. Specifics may vary; however, the following includes helpful guidelines from which everyone can benefit.
Flexibile Solutions: 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 file folders with info pockets. 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.
Label absolutely everything. Make it easy for you, your students, and any substitute teachers in your classroom to find items quickly and easily.
Use your color-coded system in computer workstations 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. 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 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.
Regular filing is even more critical if you're constantly moving around. Take two 5-minute breaks daily to make sure papers aren't getting lost in the shuffle. 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 re-file your papers to prepare for the next day. |
Author Resource:-
Sharon Mann is President of the I Hate Filing Club, a group of nearly 100,000 office professionals who hate filing but love finding new ways to become more organized. Here are some great classroom organization products that will help keep all of their activities in order. Visit our site for details.
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