Classroom Organization

This week’s #SundayFunday challenge is “Organization.” I definitely like to think of myself as an organized person. With 5 preps sometimes I feel like there are a thousand things happening at once, so I have to have a system or I go crazy.

Here are a few ways I try to keep my classroom organized.

• Folders for each student. I keep each student’s signed syllabus, quizzes, and tests on file for easy reference. It’s nice for keeping track of retakes and parent-teacher conferences. I have a folder for each student in my file cabinet.
  
• Group tubs. I have a tub for each group of desks in my room with scissors, compasses, glue, etc. This is especially handy for geometry instead of having to pass out supplies all the time.
  
• Paper organizer. Keeping track of copied things is the bane of my existence. I will inevitably pick them up and lay them down somewhere random and lose them forever. This hanging file organizer helps me out there – one pocket for each hour.
• End of day checklist. I am a list person. For some reason I also do much better with printed lists than digital ones. I’ve got a list that I keep in a sheet protector and add to or check off with a dry erase marker throughout the day. It’s got activities that I do every day on it and room to add new ones.
• Whiteboard calendar. Pretty self-explanatory. This helps me keep track of what I’m doing each hour. I write in different colored markers for tests, activities, etc.
• Schoology. We’re a 1:1 school, so Schoology helps me keep organize materials digitally to share with students. I really like it.
  
• Retake forms. I use Google forms for students to set up test and quiz retakes. I have an add-on set up that emails me when a form has been submitted.
  

I’m less skilled at keeping my digital ideas organized, but I do use a few tools that I would recommend.

• Dropbox. Great for keeping files synced between home and school.
• Pinterest. I try to keep my new activity ideas here. The internet is a black hole of things that I find and then can never find again, so I try to pin them when possible.

That’s about all that I can think of at the moment!