Paper Organization

I had a sub come up to me at lunch last week and tell me what a pleasure it was to sub in my room because I was so organized. I smiled and thanked her while thinking in my mind, “Oh, good, I fooled someone!” She must be telepathic because she then said, “No, really!” and started listing things about how my class was organized that she appreciated.

I am constantly fighting to be more organized. I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I’m ‘organized enough’. But, in reflecting, there are quite a few things that I’ve done to help myself out. When I saw Stephanie’s Linky, I knew this was my chance to ~~convince myself~~ share with you.

Monday-Friday Bins:
I have a bin for each day of the week. I place papers for each day in each bin. I put things for the following week to the right of a file folder.

Teacher Table
At the front of my room I have a teacher table. I keep my manuals on that table. At the end of each day, I get the papers from my Mon.-Fri. bins and put the papers for the next day on my table. I use fancy paper clips to mark my page of my manuals.

Cubbies
My cubbies used to be for passing out student papers. Now that more than 90 kids go through my class, I can’t do that. So, I use the cubbies for myself. I keep papers that I’ve copied for the future organized in the cubbies. There are papers we use weekly like Mental Math, Weekly Behavior Reports, etc. Those have homes in the cubbies. When a child needs another one, they have to go to the cubbies to get what they need.

One of the things on my To-Do List is making labels for some of these cubbies.

My favorite thing about having papers where the students can get them is this conversation:

“I don’t have that paper.” “I guess you should do something about that.”

I love hearing students tell that child where to get the paper as I walk away.

Homework

I have a white board by the door. On that white board is a magnetic pocket. I put the homework in that pocket. Homework is due Friday. I put out Monday/Tuesdays homework (two sided) on Monday. I put out Wednesday/Thursdays homework on Wednesday. It is the students responsibility to pick up their homework. I love this because I don’t have to waste time passing papers out and waiting for them to be put away. I started this because so many kids leave for intervention, speech, etc. This puts the responsibility in their hands.

I wasn’t thinking of my homework pocket when I took this picture, but there is the top of it.

On a table under white board, I have a bin marked homework. The bin has three folders, one for each class. The class’ folder contains a classlist for checking off homework.

Classwork

Before my first math class, I put the day’s math papers in a magnetic pocket on the door. Sometimes I have two papers in two magnetic pockets. On their way in, the students take the papers for the day. (Students that come in from an intervention or speech or something else can still grab the paper on their way in).

Bins

I love those bins that Target had in their “Dollar Section” (for $2.50!).

I have a red one where I keep tests that I am grading, entering, etc. I use binder clips to keep them separate. At the bottom of the pile I keep extra copies of the tests so I can put a name on one if a student was absent or their test was missing. I put small stickers on some binder clips that say things like “Needs stickers” “Corrected” “Needs Correcting” so I can keep track of what is in the bin.

I have an orange bin for students to put their Math Intervention tests in.

I have a bin for papers from the office that are to go home on Mondays. (I have a set of file folders that they can be placed into like cubbies but I usually just pass them out during homeroom).

I have a bin for each group. My UCSC Banana Slugs have a yellow bin. My UCSF Gators have a green bin. My Sonoma State Seawolves have a blue bin.

I have a giant red bin where students can turn in important papers from home.

I have a wire basket that I call the extra basket where all extra papers get dumped. If I child looses something, they can look in that basket for extras.

I have a place where students can get blank and lined paper.

My papers

The black storage unit on the left is for blank papers, graph papers, transparencies etc. I have a pocket chart by my desk where I keep papers or items I want to access quickly. I have a spinning file system next to my desk where I keep important papers. I have clipboards lined up on my desk. One clipboard has my to-do list. One has class lists. One has a description of how I grade papers that I leave for subs so they can grade papers for me. I keep my answer keys on that clipboard.

~~Filing~~ Binder Cabinet

I’ve converted my filing cabinet into a binder cabinet. I’m not good about filing. So, I have a binder for certain things and keep my originals in page protectors. When I want to make copies, I bring the binder with me. While it is copying, I put the original back into the binder. (I used to have giant piles of originals to file.) If I have the original on the computer (like for items I’ve made), I recycle the original.

I think I’ve missed some things, but wow thats a lot of paper. I’m looking forward to the days when I have access to the technology that allows me to use less papers!

Check out the linky to see what other teachers are doing.

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