“A place for everything, and everything in its place!” From day one, my students are given ideas for staying organized at school. Books on the left with spine out (to read the titles), folders on the right in rainbow order, supplies in the box in just the right arrangement. Why? First of all, it makes for quick transitions and maximum use of our learning time. Second, it eliminates student stress and teacher frustration because items aren’t “lost” . . . and replacements aren’t needed. Yeah! And what teacher doesn’t cringe at the sight of cesspool desks bubbling over with crumpled papers and random supplies. Well, I certainly can’t ignore it! So, we altogether avoid it. Being disorganized just isn’t an option. I want students to take pride in their learning spaces and feel empowered to take charge. A little extra effort goes a long way in this case.
classroom organization
First Aid Center
How many times is your instruction interrupted by students needing a bandaid, ice pack, mint, or lotion? And the walk and wait at the nurse’s office takes valuable time away from learning. Of course, there are times when the nurse does need to evaluate the student’s health, but about half of the time I can triage the need in just a few seconds. And having a First Aid station in my classroom helps me teach student to be assertive and self-sufficient. My area includes ice packs in the mini-fridge, lotion, tissues, and sick bucket. The drawers house bandaids, Lifesaver mints, Lifesaver fruit candy (for kids who don’t like mint), latex gloves, cheap sandwich baggies to wrap around the ice packs, and hall passes to see the nurse with a pen. Everything is in one location. During the first days of a new school year, I spend time talking to the students about how to evaluate, communicate, and treat their needs. Together we create a “HOOT – How Oakland Operates Together” poster with action statements such as, “Return ice packs to the fridge and throw away the baggie.” Our First Aid station has been a great addition to the classroom!
Luscious Library
Color and variety! Lots of books at many levels! I LOVE an organized classroom library that stays as organized on day 100 as it is on day 1. Does that mean no one can touch the baskets? No. However, I train my students to understand how the books are grouped and my expectations for taking/returning. Every teacher has a method that works best for him/her. My baskets are arranged by genres with a thematic display on the top that rotates out every 3 weeks. I prefer to let students check out one book at a time using a place-holder checkout card. Any books that I read aloud are stored in a special “Read Alouds” tub after I share them. This allows students to easily locate those titles to re-read themselves. Plus, I can pull those books and reference the stories or literary features at any time. This is great for compare/contrast or reminding the class of great writing techniques. The library is one of my favorite sections of the room, and I’m sure the kids would agree!
Kristen Foley 