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Category Archives: Classroom Organization
Classroom Organization. Everything from Teacher Organization, Classroom Design, labels, flexible seating, and organizing student materials. Here is where we find help in the “daily” activities of the classroom. Tips and Tricks help the classroom run efficiently and effectively.
Back to School is coming soon. I am NOT ready! I love summer vacation.
BUT…I do need to start getting ready.
HOW? WHAT? WHEN?
My vacation brain won’t wrap around the thought of setting up my classroom!
WHAT do I need?
Help is on the way!
Here are 10 teacher items YOU need TODAY!
Like it? Pin it!
1. Flair Pens. You NEED at least 24. The MORE the Merrier! |
2. Astrobright Paper – You will print EVERYTHING in colored paper! |
3. Book Boxes- Where will your kids put all of their independent reading books? |
4. storage drawers- Where to keep all of YOUR stuff? |
5. pencil sharpener – THE BEST! |
6. labels – After you get all of your ‘goodies” unpacked…LABEL everything so YOU can find them later! |
7. Growth Mindset Posters – Helping kids and adults create a positive mindset. |
8. Writing Centers – Every classroom needs a place for writing. |
9. Teacher Planner – YOU KNOW YOU NEED THIS!!! |
10. Balanced Literacy Resource – MY personal FAVORITE! Helps me remember what I need to do! |
It’s time to start the thinking. Begin the planning. Open my teacher Bag.
Check out my BACK to School Pinterest Board! Pin If you LIKE!
First I need to jump in the pool again!
Maybe I’ll start tomorrow!
I go out to our line at 8:15 and  remind ALL of my students to get out of their BACKPACKS their BLACK homework folder (provided by me at the beginning of the year..black because I don’t use black for any other folder in my room..and their READ AT HOME envelope with TAKE HOME BOOKS.Â
They have them “in their hands” before we walk to the door.
WHY? Â
NO ONE has to “dig through” their backpacks when we get in the door.Â
While we are at the door…I have a Home Depot shelving unit next to the door.
Gray Home Depot Garage shelving Unit. this helps with the beginning-of-the-day routines!
They put their backpacks and jackets ON THE SHELVES! Great beginning-of-the-day routine! NO backpacks or jackets on CHAIRS! No room!
 After we enter..2 baskets on the table next to the door. One “homework”..the other RAH (Read AT Home) Envelopes.
Black folders in HW basket, Book envelopes in RAH basket.
DONE!
(Any notes or OTHER STUFF…in HW basket).
NOW, they get a chairÂ
( stacked at the back of the room..see routine #3)
and WALK to their desk. They know the routines.
When the starting bell rings at 8:25
(5 minutes after we enter…)
I choose the HELPERS for the day.
You can only be a HELPER if you are sitting in your seat when the bell rings! I am prompt!
( No tardies, wanderers, “chatting”).
If you are TARDY…you won’t be a helper on that day if it’s your turn. You will have to wait until tomorrow if you are on time.
An incentive for getting to school ON TIME!
I choose my helpers.Â
2 of my 10 helpers for the day areÂ
TECH Â TEACHERS.
I ask the TECH Â TEACHERS to choose a “quiet partner” to help them pass out Chromebooks ( We are a 1:1 school ) and earbuds ( they have their own in numbered baggies.
 (We number EVERYTHING!)
They get their Chromebooks, long into our district reading/phonics practice program, and GO TO WORK!
ALL of this takes 10 minutes.
8:20-8:30
NO MUSS…NO FUSS! Routines help manage the classroom!
When the timer goes off…we freeze! I tell them they have one minute to clean up and return to their desks.
Always return to their desk.
Kind of like their “LANDING Â PAD”.
After everyone is sitting down ( well, almost everyone..there are always the 1-2 stragglers )
I say.. “One, two, three EYES ON ME!”Â
They respond  ” One, two, EYES ON YOU!”
And then a call out… ( I have a list )
Could be “MACARONI & CHEESE”
They respond “EVERYBODY FREEZE!”
AND THEY DO!
I hold them “frozen” for 3-4 seconds.
THEY LOVE THIS!
While a few stragglers are getting to their desk, we play a game! A TRANSITION game. I only need a doc camera, my riddle cards, and a SOFT VOICE. If they can’t hear me..they can’t play! See my post on the TRANSITION GAME!
After we are settled, I can give directions for our next
activity. Â I do this SAME ROUTINE ALL DAY FOR TRANSITIONS!
No problems!
The third routine!
The LAST 30 minutes of CLASS. End-of-the-day routines.
It’s almost OVER!
The day has come to an end.
HOW TO GET THEM OUT THE DOOR?
STOP!
Many things to do BEFORE we leave.
REMEMBER…The class is ALL of yours.
It’s NOT my job to clean up, put everything away, and pick up the classroom AFTER they leave.
We ALL work here. The community is for ALL of us.
We dismiss at 2:30.
Clean-up ROUTINES!Â
At 2:10Â
we STOP, put our work away,
 and FREEZE to go back to our desks.
At 2:15 Â we begin the EXIT PROCESS.
My 2 TECH TEACHERS (helpers) put ALL of the Chromebooks back into the cart ( I have taught them HOW to do this MANY TIMES.They know the routines.)
*UPDATE… They now put them in the cart & plug them in! I put a number on each Chromebook with Sharpie Paint Pens. Then I put a RED dot (Sharpie PAINT pen) on the side above the plug. They know ALL the red dots must line up, every number has to have a matching Chromebook, and they PLUG them in on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays! TECH TEACHERS are awesome! Â
2 of my other HELPERS are theÂ
CLEAN UP CREW.
They EACH choose a ‘friend’ to help them
STACK ALL OF THE CHAIRS
into stacks of 6.
Push the stacks to the back of the room, and clean all papers, crayons, pencils from the floor.
While these HELPERS are working SILENTLY..
the rest of the class goes to the carpet. Workers who are TOO LOUD..can be FIRED! If you don’t do your job in the real world with a “respectful” tone..YOU can be fired! #lifelessonsÂ
Each day 5-6 of my students can come toÂ
AUTHOR’S Â CHAIR Routine.
( 5 Â color coded groups )
As we transition to the carpet, I ask “RED GROUP” if they would like to “READ…in the teacher’s chair” OR Â PASS (for this week).
They read one story from their JOURNAL. Their choice.
We LISTEN ( being a good audience )
and then they can choose 1 person to
“ASK THE AUTHOR A QUESTION”.
We must listen, to formulate a HOT question.Â
At the beginning of the year, we learn the difference between a HOT question…and a STORY!
After all 5 have read…I have one student bring me EVERYTHING from their cubby. (Student mailboxes ).
I go over ALL work we are taking home.
I open the BLACK  HOMEWORK folder, where I have taken out last night’s HW and put in tonight’s HW.
and
I show them their RAH books to read tonight.
After all of our work has been reviewed,
I excuse them 3 at a time to clean out their cubbies, take everything to their desk, get their backpack & jacket, take it to their desk, LANDING PAD, and pack up to go home.
WAHOO! Summer vacation. The Beach. Family BBQ’s. R&R.
BUT, WAIT! NOT YET! First I need to pack up my classroom so I can find the things I need when we come back. Back to School is crazy enough without me NOT being able to find my MOST needed items! ( Where is MY stapler???)
Are YOU packing up your classroom?
What am I packing?
What is on my classroom packing list?
Here is my list:
Number One
It’s ALL about ME! What will I need the first week?
Teacher Editions and Lesson Plan Book
My Teacher Editions & Lesson Plan Book. I need them to plan for the first weeks.
Mostly Routines and Daily schedules. (Work on THIS before VACATION!)
Sticky Notes
Sticky notes inside to remind my “aging” brain…what I INTEND to do!
What MATERIALS will I need to accomplish this? What lesson to focus on those first weeks? What went well? What didn’t?
USE THOSE STICKY NOTES INSIDE YOUR TE!
You will NOT remember months from now… what you are thinking about TODAY!
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