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Last week I offered a few strategies for organizing your classroom
space when teaching multiple subjects. These including moving
desks, organizing wall space, creating special spaces for different
subjects, and using bulletin boards to post information for
different preps. This week you'll find some specific strategies for
managing classroom materials when teaching multiple subjects. If
you've been subscribing to this newsletter for a while you may
recognize some of these strategies as they are my
favorites.
1. Use
Day of the Week folders. I can't stress enough how helpful these
folders are. It's not a very creative name, but the strategy works
to save time and headaches when keeping materials organized. For
each prep you teach (not necessarily each class period - unless you
want to go to that length), have a set of colored file folders. You
can organize this two different ways - color code by day or color
code by prep. If you color code by day, you'll want to use a
sticker or other identifier to help you differentiate between
preps. If you color code by prep, you'll want to clearly mark the
day in large bold letters on the front of the
folder.
As
you collect materials for the following week, place the handouts,
detailed lesson plans, and other materials in the appropriate day
of the week folder. For example, if you are teaching voice for your
Writing I course and have a handout for Wednesday to use in class
or send home for homework, place the copies of that handout in the
"purple" Writing I folder labeled "Wednesday." If you plan to use a
children's book such as Junie B Jones to introduce the idea of
voice on Monday, place the book in the "purple" folder labeled
Monday. Once your lesson plans are finalized for each day, place
those in each folder as well.
I
highly recommend setting aside a specific location to keep these
folders so you'll always know where to find them. On Friday, locate
all of the Monday folders (one for each prep) and place them on
your desk before leaving for the weekend. If you've placed all the
materials needed for each prep in the Monday folders, you should
now have everything you need for Monday ready to go on your desk.
Should you need a substitute, the plans and materials are all ready
to go and you don't have to stress about last minute
plans.
2. Although
this is a repeat from last week, it is a useful tool. Use student
mailboxes to keep student portfolios, graded work, journals, and
other student materials you want to remain in the classroom.
Multiple subject-area teachers can use plastic crates and hanging
file folders found at any office supply store. Each class period is
assigned a crate, and each student has their own hanging file
folder. Crates can be stored under station tables or on a dedicated
table near the door. If you have large classes, you might want to
consider using a tall filing cabinet for this purpose. Each drawer
holds student hanging folders for a particular class period. This
takes up less space in the classroom. This is also a fabulous
system for passing back graded papers without taking up a lot of
class time - especially if you don't plan to use class time to
review the graded assignment or test. Place graded work in each
folder either after or before school. Before class begins, have
students get their journal, graded papers, and other necessary
materials.
3. Assign
different bookshelves to specific preps you teach. These
bookshelves should hold only the materials for that prep. If you
don't have bookshelves, check with your school custodian to see if
there might be old encyclopedia carts or bookshelves in storage.
You can also find bookshelves for reasonable prices at a thrift
store, local Good Will store, or local Salvation Army store. Label
the bookshelves and color code it similar to your day of the week
folders. If you have loose materials such as math manipulatives,
props for speech, or art supplies, clear plastic shoe boxes are a
great way to keep these organized and neat. These can easily be
stacked on bookshelves as well.
4. Seating
charts, behavior logs, and classroom observation charts can all be
organized using the same colored file folders as the day of the
week folders. Staple the seating chart on the inside left of the
folder and the observation/behavior spreadsheet on the right side
of the folder. Each class period should have a separate folder. Use
the same colors as the day of the week folder for each prep, but
label the outside with the class period number to help you keep
track of each. I keep all of mine on a clipboard and switch them
out at the beginning of each class period. It is very easy to
rotate them to the back so that at the end of the day
1st period is once again on top.
This
organizational tool is also helpful for substitutes to know where
students are seated and to record behavior while you are away. An
Excel spreadsheet with student names down the side and
behaviors/class objectives typed across the top (I also leave a few
blank) makes a great tool for quickly recording student behavior
and skill mastery. I staple multiple observation sheets on the
folder to last several weeks. The completed sheets are then pulled
out of the folder and filed in a 3-ring binder with tabs for each
class period. This helps me refer to student behavior and in-class
observations when meeting with parents.
5. The
teacher notebook is another great tool for staying organized with
different preps. Use a 3-ring binder with tabbed dividers to create
your teacher notebook. Each prep should have its own divider. I
also include one for homeroom/advisory to keep track of locker
information. I also include dividers for each class period. My prep
dividers hold lesson plans for the grading period as well as
masters of handouts in case I need to make more copies for any
reason. My class period dividers contain book checkout information,
special student information and schedules for that class
(computers, library, etc.), parent communication logs, and other
information specific to that class period.
6. Use
your presentation station (computer and projector or tv) or
overhead to help transition between classes. When posting a focus
assignment, objectives, and other material that changes for each
prep, use a Word document. Type out the information you want to
post for each prep on a separate document and save. Be sure you use
a large font so students can see the focus assignment and other
information. If using a presentation station, before school starts
pull up each document for each prep you'll be teaching that day.
Minimize all documents except the one you'll use for first period.
After first period, pull up the document for your next class.
Another option is to create one Word document with each page for a
different class period. Copy and paste depending on the course
taught for each class period. Then, at the end of class before the
bell rings, move to the next page and have it ready to
show.
If
you do not have a presentation station and are using an overhead
projector, print out the "beginning of class" document for each
prep you teach on a transparency. This document should include the
focus assignment, your class objectives, and any other information
you want to express to students at the start of class. At the end
of class, switch out transparencies depending on the course you are
teaching. These two strategies keep you from cluttering up your
whiteboard with information for every class. You can turn off the
projector or tv once you have finished going over your focus
assignment and objectives. Switch the documents and you are now
ready for your next class.
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Inspiring Teachers
