Saturday, December 29, 2012

Getting Organized for the New Year!

 
Organization...Now there's a problematic situation for probably 99% of teachers.
 
When our day is going 90 to nothing, it is SOOOOOOO hard to keep things organized.  That's one reason I am so excited about my first day back to school.  We get to work in our rooms!  YEAH!!!  I have such a PILE on my bookshelf.  (I did manage to get my desk cleaned off before leaving.)
 
I am known around school for my super organizational skills.  However, those are just in PLANNING organization.  I don't do too well with "stuff." (As my husband can attest to looking at our bedroom right now. Somehow, all the Christmas "stuff" has ended up there! ha!)
 
However, here are some of the organizational ideas I use in my classroom.
 
This is a picture off of Pinterest.  I have a green bucket for sharpened pencils and a red one for broken.  Pencil sharpening is one of my pet PEEVES!!!  Just absolutely drives me bonkers with all of that pencil sharpening!!  Well, not this year!  :-)

I have all of my construction paper separated into hanging files on a bookshelf.  EASY access!  AND, an added benefit is that all of the colors aren't mixed up, so it helps with my OCD!  (hehe)

Another organizational tool I implemented this year was using a pocketchart to show students where to read during their  Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) time.  (Referred to in our room as FROG time - Fun Reading is Our Goal.)  I rotate the students name each Friday afternoon, so on Monday morning, they have a new frog to read with as well as a new place to read for the week.  This has worked FANTASTIC in my room!

At the beginning of the year, I hot glued laminated construction paper to the hallway outside my room.  By adding clothespins, it keeps the students work organized and on display.  (We don't have bulletin boards and nothing, I mean NOTHING will stick to the walls except hot glue!)

On my math focus wall, I have headings in this cutie-patootie font from Mel over at Graphics from the Pond.  Having headings helps to keep my focus wall organized.
 
Which, BTW, is a FREEBIE I have for you.  This unit, contains headings for you to use on your own focus wall.  Grab it here.

I think one of the best ways I keep myself organized in the classroom is using my Curriculum Mapping guide, "At a Glance."  In fact, my co-workers tell me they can't function if they don't have this posted next to their desk and in their lesson plans to help them with their planning.  It's another FREEIBE you can grab in my store.  Is is in Microsoft Word so that you can edit it to meet your needs.  I have mine included as a sample guide.
 
Here are my New Year's Organizational Resolutions:
 
 
 
I purchased 2 of these cute lime green plastic toy chests at Walmart.  I plan on using one for Common Core materials for MATH and the other for LANGUAGE ARTS.  The plan is bouncing around in my head of exactly what I want to do.  I just know that's the idea!  LOL


 I have 3 of these rolling carts.  I plan on completely revamping by making them into a game center with all of my games I've made and purchased.  I use a LOT of games in the classroom for review and I need some new organization of them!

Pinned Image

Lastly, to get some of the stacks cleared off that just seem to pile up on my desk, I'm going to put them in one of these drawers. At least it will look a lot neater!

My BLOGGING Goal is to continue posting info you will enjoy reading about with LOTS of pictures!!

What do you do to organize and what do you PLAN to do?

Don't forget to enter to WIN MY STORE (a $350.00 value) and also my BUY 1 GET 2 FREE Sale!!!

Both will continue until the 31st for my BLOGIVERSARY!!! :-)

Classroom Freebies Manic Monday

27 comments:

  1. I LOVE the hanging folder bin for construction paper. It drives me nuts that my construction paper colors get mixed together!! I will try that!!...I glued poster board in the hallway like you did to display my kiddos work. It makes putting work up SO much easier! The kids like it too because they can just yank their goodies off the wall when it's time to switch work out.
    Hope you are enjoying the rest of your break!
    Christy
    Mrs. Christy’s Leaping Loopers

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    1. Yep, I so agree! Both ideas have worked super well for me this year!!! Thanks for stopping by and leaving comments! :-)

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    2. This is a picture off of Pinterest. I have a green bucket for sharpened pencils and a red one for broken. Pencil sharpening is one of my pet PEEVES!!! Just absolutely drives me bonkers with all of that pencil sharpening!! Well, not this year! :-) دانلود موزیک

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  2. I love the ideas!!! Will keep in mind for future use! I am student teaching starting January! :)

    Come over and visit!
    Just Diving In

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    1. Good luck with student teaching! What an exciting time! You will LOVE it!

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  3. I love the FROG center idea... I am an organizer too.. I have been using those plastic cleaning caddies, you know the ones with a left and a right side and the handle is in the middle. I put markers on one side and crayons on the other. They I label each caddie for each table. :) My plan for this year is to go through all of the fabulous Brainpop.com videos and down load their worksheets onto a jump drive. I often incorporate their videos into the SmartNotes files when I conduct a whole group lesson. I am moving toward digitizing as much as I possibly can this year. Space saving at its ultimate.

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    1. I have monthly folders listed on my computer. Then I have a folder for each subject area for the standards we are teaching the month. I save links to all videos for Brainpop, jr., United Streaming, You tube, etc. so I can get to them easily. :-)

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  4. Wow! I love all your organization!!! Good luck with your resolutions!!

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  5. What fantastic ideas Cynthia!! I so need to get organized in my classroom. One step at a time!! Happy 2013 to you!!

    Aloha,
    Corinna
    Surfin' Through Second

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  6. I just love all the organization ideas! Thanks for sharing!
    Diane

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  7. I love your grade, copy, and file box. I may have to come up with one of those. Of course, that requires finding space for it :) My team also does hall displays how you do yours. It makes it easier to change them out and it keeps the hall from looking cluttered. By the way, we also have to use hot glue. Tape used to work, but whatever paint they used a few years ago seemed to disable our tape (even the $4 Mavalus tape). Great ideas!!! Hope you are having a good break :)

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    1. It's so hard to stay ahead of it all isn't it??

      Thanks for the comments. I enjoyed reading them!

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  8. I love your organizational ideas! I too went with a "sharpened" and "not sharpened"pencil bucket with my class this year. I LOVE it! We have an inservice day our first day back after break ,and I'm hoping to get that pile of books on my desk labeled and filed in my classroom library.

    Happy New Year!

    Krista
    stellar-students

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    1. We have an inservice day also....whoo!! hoo!!!

      I'm so looking forward to getting some stuff taken care of!!!

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  9. I love how classroom ideas can be used by anyone... even homeschooling parents!

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    1. So glad there is some information on my blog that you can use!

      Keep stopping by! :-)

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  10. Hoppy Blogiversary!!! Thank you for sharing your awesome ideas!

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    1. Thanks so much! I hope you'll keep visiting! :-)

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  11. My name is Kristen and I just began following your blog. I am beginning my student teaching this semester and I'm excited to gain some ideas from your blog.

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    1. Student teaching...HOW EXCITING! You will love it! I hope you'll keep stopping by! Hopefully, you'll find some more ideas to help you out!

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  12. Love your organization ideas. FYI, I overloaded one of the rolling carts with consruction paper and it collapsed. I took the wheels off and managed to make it through the year with it.

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  13. I love your FROG idea...I really think I need to give my friends a place to read instead of letting them choose. I have one small couch and it's fought over everyday. At least I could keep track of who gets a turn on the couch!
    Your Giveaway is great....someone is going to be very lucky!

    Deanna
    aprimaryowl

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  14. Your construction paper is ready for learning.

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