Friday, December 28, 2012

Organizing ...


Hi all!

I like to think of myself as being organized, but the truth is that I am not organized when it comes to paperwork.  I am a logical, sequential thinker, but I tend to put papers into piles.  When one pile gets high, I start another.  Sad, very sad .. and definitely not organized.

But there are some areas of my classroom that are very organized:

1)  My student drawers ... 


I do not have cubbies, so I use these drawers from Costco.  The drawers are numbered from 1-30.  (In the past I only had 20 students, but now I have gone up to 26.)  My students are numbered from 1 to 26.  After I correct their work, it is placed in the correct drawer.  Then homework folders are easy to stuff once a week with their finished and corrected work.  (I am so blessed to have an amazing volunteer aide from the middle school next door; she spends about four hours a week helping me with this type of clerical work.  I love her dearly and will be sad at the end of the semester when I lose her!!!)



2)  Our classroom library ...


I have about 2,000 books in the classroom library.  (The longer you teach, the more books you accumulate!!!  In other words, I have been teaching a long time.)  With that many books, I needed to create a system that would allow students to both find and put away books.  I sorted books by topics and then put each topic into a different tub (example: weather).  I have about 50 tubs.  This photo shows just one section of tubs.  Each tub was given a number and each book in that tub labeled with that number.  My previous post has more information on this system.  I also have a "book hospital" for books that need repair.  My students place books there when they notice a rip (even if the rip is invisible to the naked eye).
Okay, now on to my goals for organizing ... 

 I will create an organization system for my paperwork.  This will consist of:
1)  A tub for papers I want to copy.
2)  A tub for papers that need to be corrected.
3)  A tub for papers that need to be sorted.  NO MORE PILES!

I also want to create a better system for my stations that are supervised by parent volunteers.  I plan to have five tubs (one per station) that I can label and prep ahead of time.  No more scrambling around in the hours before dawn (not really, but you know what I mean).

Whew!  If I keep these goals it will be a HUGE positive change for me!!  Wish me luck!

For more tips on organizing, head on over to Second Grade Shenanigans.  Here is the link!

Love to all,

Camille

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Posted by at 10:26 PM
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17 comments:

  1. Miss SquirrelsDecember 28, 2012 at 10:27 PM

    Those stand up carts for cubbies are a great idea, Camille! I have one set, I may have to go get another- BRilliant!
    Squirrels

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  2. UnknownDecember 29, 2012 at 7:16 AM

    I wish you luck on your organization goals! Love your library system! :)

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    Replies
    1. batchboyJuly 21, 2013 at 2:48 PM

      ;-)

      Delete
    2. batchboyJuly 21, 2013 at 2:49 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. batchboyApril 20, 2015 at 8:22 AM

      Wishing you many more happy successful years Tanya.
      Apologies I couldn't be there for you in your young days, I was hurt beyond belief by Judith disappearing with you and I was subject to a spirit/mind takeover by a Church and nobody was around to help, so it was like a grand canyon opened up between you & your Mom and myself. So I know apologies is not in order, its just random circumstance, wasn't capable enough to handle it all, but I did try for a year to reach Judith. Hope you can understand someday. I felt I was family man in those days, but there were counter forces to shoot me down.
      I'm hanging in there with atherosclerosis and diabetes, God Bless you.
      Your original Poppa Jerry,
      that was responsible and caring for you in those first few years of yours despite what Judith espoused about me.

      Delete
    4. batchboySeptember 13, 2015 at 3:01 PM

      Was sooo like you: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ry38aomp5lfzfib/photo.jpeg?dl=0
      Your original Pops.

      Delete
    5. batchboySeptember 13, 2015 at 3:01 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    6. batchboySeptember 13, 2015 at 3:01 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    7. batchboySeptember 19, 2015 at 12:40 PM

      1) Toot your horn if you liked Opa's Sambal Badjak!
      2) Remember often your first house chore you loved to help out with, dish washing standing on a step-up stool, so cute! (At Windmill Manor apt)
      Love, Jerry, orig Pop. (How can it not be a Poppa's love?)

      Delete
  3. KellyDecember 30, 2012 at 7:03 PM

    Good luck with your organizational goals - it is always a struggle to tame the paper dragon. I love your carts as cubbies. I use hanging file folders for the same purpose but I am not as luck to have a helper! I have tried to get my boys to help out but they are just not interested.

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  4. EmilyDecember 31, 2012 at 9:22 AM

    Thank you for sharing! I'm your newest follower - found you through the linky. I teach 4th.

    Emily
    I Love My Classroom

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  5. BarbaraDecember 31, 2012 at 11:27 AM

    Good luck with everything, Camille! I love those student drawers.
    Barbara
    Grade ONEderful
    Ruby Slippers Blog Designs

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  6. SarahDecember 31, 2012 at 8:56 PM

    I love your library! I have the hardest time getting my kids to return the books back to the right bin.I love your organization ideas.

    Yeehaw! Teaching in Texas

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    Replies
    1. CamilleJanuary 3, 2013 at 11:58 AM

      Sarah, Having the tubs numbered makes all the difference in the world! I used to just have a label on each tub and wondered why my students couldn't just sort the books into the correct tubs. GEEZ! I have come far!!!
      Camille

      Delete
  7. batchboyOctober 23, 2015 at 10:59 AM

    PSA for this here place:
    SONIC fast food bags say:
    WE'RE SWEET ON
    BACKING TEACHERS
    WITH INNOVATIVE
    IDEAS FOR THE
    CLASSROOM

    Limeadesforlearning.com

    In partnership with DonorsChoose.org

    ReplyDelete
  8. batchboyNovember 12, 2015 at 7:04 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. batchboyNovember 12, 2015 at 7:05 PM

    Science experiments for kids' fascination: http://sfglobe.com/2014/12/17/simple-and-fun-science-experiments-that-are-perfect-for-home/?src=fbfan_29929

    ReplyDelete

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