The Organization of a TEACHER

The organization of a Teacher 

is Key for Success!

How do you go about to be organized?

Well here are some items to chew on:

Item 1

Calendar

• Do you have a Calendar month by month on your desk?
• Do you set up the calendar on your email?
• Do you get a month by month planner that you can carry around with you everywhere you go?

I put all of my calendar events in my phone and in a monthly planner I carry with me. 

 For example, I type in workshops, field trips,  special events at school, ARDS, SITS, and etc.  

Item 2

Papers for the Week

• After you run your copies for the week where do you file them?
• Do you place them in a file folder hanger?
• Do you place them in your top filing cabinet drawer?
• Do you place them in individual color file folders by your teacher area? 
• Do you file them by the day of the week ? 
• Do you file by the subject? 

For me, I file in a file folder hanger using the day of the week. In the extra spots I put extra copies of math/ela/science just in case I am absent.
Also, as I file for the week I put the copies in the order as I will teach for that day.  

                                               Item 3

                                 Turning in Student Work

• When students complete their work where do they place it?
• Do they turn it into a tray?
• Do you have different trays with each subject area?
• Do you collect all papers together?

 I collect all papers and clip them together.  I place them in a red tray to grade after school.  As students are working in Daily 5 they place their activity from their station in the tray so I can assess their work!

Item 4

                                            Graded Work

• After you assess students work what do you do with it?
• Do you file in a mailbox for students to come get their work?
• Do you place the work in their homework folder? 

After many years of teaching I have tried this many different ways you have to do what is best for you!!

Item 5

Pencils

• Where do you place sharpened pencils?
• What do students do with broken pencils?
• How many pencils do you give your students? 
• Do your students have a certain place to put their pencil? 

  Oh how students love their pencils!  I have given my students 2 sharpen pencils that go in their home when they are not using them.  You might be wondering where is the pencils home, they place it in the top of their desk!
When the pencil breaks they go place it in a can that says "Unsharpened pencils".  Then they grab a new  sharpened pencil.  This has helped me from having pencils just walk away!

Item 6

Organization of Files

•  What do you do with all of your master paper copies of each unit?
• Do you separate your filing cabinet drawer by each subject?
• Do you alphabetize your filing cabinet?
• Do you file in order of the units?
• Do you keep a Big Binder for each subject and place the copies in it?

I love using my Filing Cabinet and everything is always alphabetized!  Here is how I organize mine:

1st Drawer- ELA Reading then Writing and Word Work

2nd Drawer- Math

3rd Drawer- SS/Science

4th Drawer- Themes/Months of the Year/etc

In my desk drawer I keep files from Trainings/etc

Item 7

Communication Log

For Communicating with Parents I set up a binder with numbered tabs for each student.  This way I do not have to get new dividers each year! Under each tab I  put the Student Info sheet that the parents filled out.  Next, I place a Communication Log to go with it.  After I call/email/conference with the parent I jot down notes to remind myself what we discussed.

Also, when I make brag calls or send home certificates I log in the notebook! 

 

Item 8

Conferencing with Students 

Yes, I keep another binder with numbered tabs for each student.  Again so I do not have to change the dividers year after year!  In this binder I keep notes on conferences from reading and writing!  This way I can see how they are growing and target skills we can hit in both reading and writing!

 

Item 9

Guided Reading 

4 Drawer Stand

Next to my Guided reading table I have a 4 drawer stand so I can grab whatever materials I might need for that day!

Whats in the 4 drawer?

 Drawer 1 are markers/pens/pencils/dry erase markers/ little dry erasers/map pencils/glue sticks/scissors

Drawer 2 Flip Charts of different activities to do with students that are laminated and on a ring

Drawer 3 Graphic Organizers

Drawer 4 magnetic letters/small cookie sheets/dry erase boards/cut sentence strips

 

Item 10

Daily 5 Stations

Every station has a HOME in my classroom. I have a designated area with supplies which means students can use whatever they need during their station.  After you model and teach they become great at keeping the supplies very neat.  When I ring the bell for clean up I build in time for clean up!  This has created student ownership of each station!

 

As you begin making decisions about your own classroom if you have any questions.  I am happy to help you!

Happy Friday,

Jenn

My NEW FAVORITE APP

Not only is
 my new Favorite APP FREE

it has no Commercials

You can choose any genre or it will ask you what type of music you are in the mood to listen to...

READY

its called

SONGZA

Thank you to the Roberts clan I can listen to this while working out, driving in the car, or working around the house. 

If you would rather listen to a genre you can click on the top left side the 3 line bars and it will give you more options!

I have enjoyed listening to songs I have not heard in years or car dancing to some of my NEW favorite POP songs!

So what are you waiting for go download 

SONGZA!!

Enjoying the music,

Jenn

The Brand New Teacher

For the brand new teacher who is so Excited to start off their 1st year in the classroom this is for YOU!!

Here are some tidbits as you start thinking about your upcoming School year and Classroom!

Let's start with the classroom:

1.Ask your family/friends/neighbors/facebook friends for the following items

Old magazines- students can cut and add to their journals

games- for rainy day indoor reccess

treasure chest toys- especially kids meal toys are great for prizes

dominoes

playing cards

stationary/colored paper

stickers

envelopes

baby wipes 

bean bags/ comfy pillows- great for reading to self

kids socks- to wipe off their dry erase boards

childrens books-(sometimes kids grow out of books)

I have learned over the years that I have friends who are constantly throwing unused items away and will call me to see if I would like these items.

2.  What will your classroom walls look like? Will you use the paper from school or buy fabric?  I have gone both ways and the past two years I have used fabric!

( Side note- Walmart has really cute fabric)

3. What will you hang above your outside door?  I put a cute piece of fabric with Miss Smith on top with bling on each letter.

4. Layout of your classroom- What will be on each bulletin board?  Will you have a place for student work either inside your classroom or in the hallway? What type of letters and borders will you use?

5. How will you arrange your desks?  Will they be in groups of 3, 4, or 5? Where will your teacher desk be?

6. Will you have different stations in your classroom?  I  highly reccomend reading the book Daily 5! This helps you with implementing a structure were your students are successful, you are using your time more efficiently, and you can focus on guided reading with your kids!

With Daily 5 in my classroom I have incorporated stations around the room but the students can go get their supplies and then head back to their desks or an empty area in the room to work.

7. Classroom Library- You start small and build up- Remember I have been teaching for 12 years.  I started with clear long containers from the Dollar Store and cereal boxes.  

How will you code your books?  I havewritten on the outside of the container on a book of the genre/author/theme with a number on the outside of the container and on each book inside it has the exact number on the top right hand corner.

8. Calendar- I have a calendar on the wall each month I put a holiday/special event/field trip/birthday on the day of that month.

9. Birthday Chart- this is HUGE to keep up with students birthday- How will you celebrate their birthday? Will you give them a birthday certificate or sticker? (Talk with your team on how they implement things!)

10. Tooth Chart/Graph- In the lower grades (K-2) they loose lots of teeth and the kids are so excited!  I have given my students a sticker that says I lost a Tooth!

11. Fun incentives- Kids love pencils, bookmarks, and certificates!  

12. If you have cubbies/backpack hanger will you use a cutout to label their cubby. Will you do a number or their name?

13. Nametags--  You will want to help the specials teachers out on the first day by having nametags on each student!

14. How will you do your lunch count?  Will you do it on stickers for the child to do choice 1, 2, 3, or brought lunch?- I bought the star sticks from the teacher store and let my students put it in their choice each day!

15. Classroom Jobs- What will that consist of?  How often will you change them?

16. Music- Do you have a cd player or an iphone deck- check with your campus library to see what you have access to!

17. What will you put the students extra supplies in?  I have containers that are labeled that I put the extra supplies in and when students need it I get it out!

18. Classroom meeting area- Will you have a special chair you sit in?  Will you have a rug of some sort?  (which Target or Walmart has rugs pretty cheaply)

19. Bulletin Boards around the room- I have a Math wall, Writing, Daily 5, Kids Work, Word Wall, Technology- on my storage cabinets- to show what we are learning

20. What will your classroom rules be?  Last year my class and I made a poster that had our rules/expectations.  Then each child colored a little doll representing them and we laminated it to our poster.  This was a great way to reinforce all year what we created as a Class!

Being a Teacher is a blast- but Yes starting out can be overwhelming- so if you have any questions I would love to help you!

From the Life of a Teacher,

Jenn

 

 

Ocean

 

Calming

Breathtaking

Beautiful

Miles and Miles

Soothing

Washes Away

Smells Fresh

Quiet before it breaks apart

Roars

 

How often are our lives like the ocean?

Everything can be calm one minute , but the next minutes  life happens roaring loud. 

In these moments Christ is speaking to our lives. 

The question is Are we listening?

Are we truly enjoying the beauty of life around us everyday?

Do we get caught up in the day to day of life?

The past 5 months have been a blur in some ways.

Losing my cousin Bill has been devestating, lots of changes in my own life,

 and in the midst I stop bc I see God at work by:

placing people in my life at just the right moment and by hearing others stories.

I'm in AWE.

As I sat at the beach and my body finally just went into relaxation mode

all the distractions were gone

Just God and I.

Its been the first time on a trip I haven't read all the books I brought with me.

I just got alone with God and did alot of Journaling.

So if the hustle and bustle of life has worn you down

Take some time to get alone with God -

it truly is the most healing time 

and he will speak to you in the quiet moment.

Remember you are in the Palm of his hands,

Jenn

                           What's a Girl to do?

Well I left for Lufkin so quickly thinking I had packed everything for Punta Cana..

I went into panic mode when my straightener was not in my bag...

A very quick run to Sally's to purchase a new cheap one.. Let me just say if you need a flat iron this one has become my favorite... It was on sale which was a huge perk!! 

                       A Girl needs her flat iron,

                            Jenn

Music Monday

Well,  I have lots of new fav songs that consist of different genres.

Today, I have to share with you the song that I look forward to a Guy singing 

to me one day!

Not only is it just the sweetest song but it has the lyrics 

Hey Pretty Girl- which every lady needs to hear!!

Moving to the Music,

Jenn

God's Got This(You)

in the Palm of his Hands

This has become my new favorite saying! 

 Sometimes it is so hard to fathom that God has each one of us in the palm of his HANDS.  

I was thinking about this statement last night as I was talking with a friend. 

 Can you imagine God's hands so strong and the palm of his hand?

I have been so blessed to walk with certain friends lately through their trials, 

and even in my own life

God keeps whispering to me

"I've Got this in the Palm of my  Hands"

Just trust me!

BE obedient with me!

Spend time with me!

Pray and Give it to me!

No matter what you are going through in your life whether it be 

Everything is great or you are in the midst of the storm

Remember God has you in the Palm of his hands

he has not forgotten you,

HE is Working in ways you may never SEE!

Keep Believing, Expecting, and Trusting!

I'd love to hear your Story about What God is doing in your life!

Praising God that he's Got this,

Jenn

                 Let's get organized

If you know me well then Organization is a big deal to me! Well last week I decided to reorganize, clean out and redesign my closet including all my clothes, shoes, purses and then the jewelry... I've had a container box with different compartments to store all my bracelets. Over the years students have given me bracelets or friends have for different occasions causing the box to overflow. I started doing some investigating of different ways to organize bracelets which meant a trip to the container store. I found something but decided to just sleep on it the next day I went back and purchased it.. It was even on Sale!! Now I have my bracelets on my bathroom counter on display for friends to see.

If you ever need help reorganizing let me know!! I love it!!

                                Enjoying summer,

                                      JennSmith