Optimum Organization

When I saw this linky, Optimum Organization, I knew I wanted to join in!  I have really tried to get organized at school and am continuing to work on it! 
One of the best organizational tools that I am using is my teacher toolbox!  Since I went desk-less this year, I knew I had to find ways to organize my materials.  The teacher toolbox has been perfect and has helped me stay organized with all of these little materials!
I have always liked how my classroom library is set up.  Although my bookshelves are mix-matchy (take what you can get, right?), I do like how I have my chapter books organized by genre.  I worked so hard the summer before my first year of teaching to label every book and make labels for my baskets.  Yellow sticker = realistic fiction, dark green sticker = historical fiction, etc.  Since, I am moving to 5th grade next year, I have to give away ALL of these books.  :( :( :( :(  That's why you see some space missing on the white shelf...I've taken out all of my personal books. 
Although I don't have a picture of my binders, I do have a binder per subject (a very large one for some) that I keep all of my papers that I use yearly.  Now that I'm moving grade levels, I am working on creating new binders!


Now, this is something that I think I will do DIFFERENT next year.  I wasn't going to share it, but thought I would because I like to see what works/what doesn't work and how people make improvements.  I have two main binders: a teacher binder (where I keep calendars, data, MAP test info, etc) and a student binder.  Inside the student binder, I created a tab for each student and planned to put things behind their tab like: their parent contact log, Dominee data sheets, Interest Inventories, etc.  
BUT, I am getting rid of this student binder because for me, it has not been effective.  I've found that lots of things don't fit in it, such as little tardy slips, behavior referrals, small group data, SIP (Student Intervention Plan) and BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) info, etc.  Next year, I plan to use plain ole' file folders and have one folder per student.  Inside, I will place their contact log, Interest Inventory, Dominee data, MAP data sheet, behavior referrals, BIP info, meeting notes from IEP meetings or 504 meetings, etc.  I am going to tape/glue a library pocket inside each one to hold tardy slips.  What I've found is that I neglect to refer students with multiple tardies because those little papers end up everywhere. With this system, I will be able to easily see how many tardies students have.  Also, this year we implemented a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) for a student in my class.  I found that I really needed his referrals and my documentation all in one place.  So, this is how I plan to change this next year!  I really think it will be much more effective than the system I am currently using.  It will be easy to grab that student's folder for meetings and have everything all in one place!

5 comments

  1. I used an accordion file for student info. It held tardy slips, notes from home, doctors notes, etc. very securely and it was easy to transport.

    Diane
    Fifth in the Middle

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  2. I need to do better with with my data binder. I have folders all over the place. You have inspired me. :)
    Brandee @ Creating Lifelong Learners

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  3. I actually use both. I keep most of the data in a binder. But, I also have a file folder for the items that don't fit in the binder (tardy slips, discipline referrals, notes from home, etc.). This is actually the first year that I've used the binder for grades, contact info., IEP accommodations, etc. I do like the idea of all in one place, but for me my "grab and go" stuff worked, too. I think each year we all tend to tweak what is working to make things better. That's why I'm loving this linky and reading everything that teachers are adding. I'm learning so much! Thanks for linking up :)

    Elizabeth
    Fun in Room 4B

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  4. I need to work on this kind of organization as well. Thanks so much for sharing what you do and for linking up with us!

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  5. The library pockets in the folder are such a great idea! I think I will use envelopes for the same thing in my folders. Thanks for sharing what you do! I find that my binder works well for some data summaries, but for the specific kid-by-kid stuff, it really helps to have a folder for each kid. Thanks for sharing what you do- you've given me some great ideas!

    Jenny
    Luckeyfrog's Lilypad

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