As
you get ready to head back to the classroom, it's easy to
get overwhelmed with all of the back to school insanity. If you are anything like me, you have been to several
teacher stores, browsed Pinterest and TPT, and now the time is here. How
many days until you officially report back to school? I
go back this week!
Here
are some tips
to help you organize and plan your time before
school starts.
1) Get Ideas
You
can learn from your peers
by observing the way they organize, plan &
decorate their classrooms. Go in with an
open mind and heart. Don’t feel that you
should copy what they are doing, but be
sure to look and listen. Let the teacher you are visiting do most of the
talking. You
may walk away with
a new or different idea that may end up saving time and energy. I
have been teaching for over 20 years now (eek!), and I learn daily from my
co-workers.
2) Map Out a Classroom Layout
Draw
a map of your classroom. Think about how the layout can help simplify your daily routine. Is the calendar, rug, library, visuals in the
most convenient locations? Will you teach reading and math in different locations? Will you have a reading word wall? What about a math word wall? Think about how many bulletin boards are located in your classroom.Think
about how your students’ desks are placed.
Would you prefer to have the desks
facing you or would you like to have the desks in small groups?
Moving classroom furniture around
is hard work, so recruit help if needed…
if you don’t have any friends or family who can help, then offer to help a
colleague move their furniture in exchange for helping you with yours. The
saying, “Teamwork makes the
Dreamwork” is true!
3) Student Jobs
Think
about the jobs you want the
students to have and post the jobs on your classroom job board before the first
day of school. Be sure to assign the jobs on the first day, so the classroom
stays organized and clean. About 30 minutes before dismissal, be sure the
students complete the jobs and then meet to
discuss and make
adjustments, if needed.
4) Prepare for Emergencies: Substitute Teacher
Plans
It’s
very important to keep a folder on your desk filled with emergency substitute
teacher plans. Keep the folder in a visible location, so if an
emergency occurs you can rest knowing you were prepared ahead of time. Make sure you let your colleagues and your students know where this folder is located too. I also keep a bin of worksheets
(Scholastic News, Reteach math- skills covered and not covered yet, Enrichment
worksheets of previously taught skills) behind my desk in
case a substitute doesn’t show up. This
way, if my class needs to be split up, they have meaningful and engaging work
to do.
I hope these ideas help you. Have
a wonderful school year,
PS What are your organization tips for back to
school? Share in the comments section!
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