Classroom Organization Hacks for New and Veteran Teachers

A new school year is upon us!! Well, ok, that was two weeks ago and I’m just now sitting down for the first time. lol.. but seriously. For those of you who do not know, I am a high school math teacher. This is my 6th year teaching full-time and this makes 7.5 total years of teaching for me! I’m actually taking a break from the large amounts of work I have to do this weekend to bring you my latest blog post (writing is a form of stress relief for me. This math teacher has always loved to write and read too). I’ve been wanting to write this one for a while because I love the transformation that takes place in my classroom each year. If you’re a teacher, you know that first week is probably the TOUGHEST of the year– new faces to learn, meetings, room setup, teaching procedures, RETEACHING procedures (it’s like training multiple new puppies ever year), re-doing everything you did last year (and the year before, and the year before, and the year before), online textbook setup, Google classroom setup, student response system setup, creating attendance rosters, creating new attendance rosters after every schedule change, trying to teach and distribute beginning of year documentation while doing all of these other tasks… well, you get the idea.

When it comes to my classroom, I like organization, structure, and procedure. Do we learn something every day in my classroom? Yes! Do we have fun sometimes? Definitely. Does having an organized classroom with defined procedures assist us in achieving both? Heck YES. It turns out the kids actually appreciate an organized classroom and defined classroom procedures. They might not straight up tell you– but they like structure. If you invest some time in planning and preparing a space that is conducive to learning, you will surely thank yourself later– later in the school year and later in your teaching career.

This is a long one, but it’s organized by section! Hope you find something you can use in your classroom!

 

What Do You Do on the First Day of School?

After introducing myself, telling my students a little bit about me, and passing out the syllabus and student information sheets, I go straight to work on establishing my procedures. In fact, we even do a bell work the first day of school where the students establish 3 goals for themselves for the school year (this is the only time my bell work does not involve Algebra). If you want your students to respect you, your rules, and your procedures, you have to teach them how you want them to behave in your classroom– immediately. That first impression is crucial. Most of my students probably don’t think I’m very “nice” that first day because I tell them what I expect of them and to be completely honest, I expect a lot. I can tell you this though.. set those expectations high right off the bat and I promise you they will meet them with success. “Achievement takes place in the framework of high expectations.” That is one of my favorite quotes.

I display my “ABOUT ME” paper in my classroom, on my door, and on my online Google Classroom! This shows my students I am also a real person with a life outside of school! They tend to think you live and sleep at the school– which some days, it’s kind of like I do (LOL). If you like this template, my teacher friends and I used these templates. They are created for an English teacher, so if you teach another content area like me, you’re going to have to do some re-creating to make it your own. 

 

What’s on Your Desk??

1. Desk Calendar: I have to have a desk calendar to keep track of our 6 day class cycle (ABC/DEF) and any important events/meetings I need to remember! I got this one from Amazon the last two years (in different prints) and love it!
2. Erin Condren Planner: This travels everywhere with me. It’s literally THE best teacher planner and is even customized with my name, cover art of my choice, rose gold binding, and the contents are also customizable (student grade book, lesson plan format, etc.) I wrote an entire blog post on last year’s EC planner here. If you’re looking to purchase one, you can use my referral link for an additional $10 off (they have regular “Life Planners” for those of you who aren’t teachers and also have “Academic Planners” for students. I got my cousin, Brianna, one this year for 8th grade and she loves it)!
3. Staples “Better Binders”/Page Protectors: These things save my life every year (these specific binders are the most durable and come in a variety of colors). I put all of my notes and assignments in page protectors and everything is accessible for future years– literally right at my fingertips. It’s a lot of work up front, but having everything organized and ready to go each school year allows you to spend time revamping and enhancing your lessons– rather than redoing everything you already did. I can tell you up front, it’s going to require a lot of time when you decide to go all in on organizing your content materials, but next year you will be SO glad you did. It’s worth it. This year I’m able to make myself better! I can spend my time working on video lessons and enhancing the materials I’ve already made to create even better lessons! My pineapple and donut bookends are from Target! I had to buy these sturdier bookends this year because my flimsy metal ones weren’t supporting my plethora of binders! Oops.. lol. My marble desk supplies are also from Target (stapler, tape dispenser). I’ve had these marble desk supplies for a while now and they are great quality and hold up well.
4. Printer: At our school, everyone prints to the same two copy machines. This can get a little crazy if you need something printed fast and don’t have time to walk all the way to the copy machine. This year, I purchased my own printer for emergency situations where I may just need one copy or one page printed. This 3-in-1 printer has a copy deck on top and a scanner and has worked fantastic for me so far this school year. And it’s $49.99 (ink cartridges included).
5. My Classroom Binder: Every year, I put together my binder with bell schedules (regular, activity, 2-hour delay, mentor period, etc.), rosters, seating charts, book sign-out, emergency docs, and other important info. I store old attendance sheets here too. I always manually keep attendance in addition to our online system. I have found this to be helpful when the system is down or I need to quickly access attendance records. I got this large binder from Staples (Better Binder– see #2) and my attendance clipboard came from TJMaxx.
6. Student Data Binder: I put together a student data binder that has reports on each of my students’ past math history and previous test results. This allows me to know my students a little better and where they might need extra help this year. They also want to know about how they scored on recent standardized tests or where they need to improve. This allows me to share information with them quickly at the beginning or end of class without taking too much time from my lesson or routine. (Better Binder from Staples)
7. TI Graphing Calculator: I need one with me at all times so I can answer questions and show students exact key sequences to follow. This is such a powerful tool in the Algebra 1 and 2 classrooms! I have a gold one I purchased for home and a pink one that Texas Instruments sent me for my classroom! <3

 

How Do You Handle Classwork and Work for Absent Students?

 

1. What Did I Miss Board?: I create a new setup every year by using permanent marker. (You can always remove permanent marker with dry erase marker the next year– it’s like magic!) My students know to check this after an absence. It helps me avoid the dreaded question: “Did I miss anything?” OF COURSE YOU DID! We’re always learning, silly goose.
2. Assignment Caddy: My husband and I built this out of wood and then I covered it in marble contact paper. It took a lot of hours, but it is working amazing for me. My cardboard one I used for three years finally was falling apart on me. I keep all assignments here for my 3 different classes (different class for each column, 5 rows = M-F tests/assignments)!
3. Absent on Test Day Labels: Our policy is “one unexcused absence per class per semester on test/graded assignment days.” The teacher has to keep track of this. I use the system of labeling absent work, then checking for an excuse in the system before grading. I personally like this policy because it cuts down on students missing every single test day.
4. Class Folders: I always do this first every new school year. It makes my daily life so much more organized. I create a folder for each class period (and homeroom) where I place “work for absent students” on the left side of the folders and “work that needs returned to student” on the right side of the folders. This avoids the “papers everywhere” mess that many teachers have covering their desks. Plus, it helps me not lose items.
5. Google Classroom: I post daily notes to Google Classroom at the end of each school day so students can get the notes prior to the next school day from their homes (working on creating lesson videos now too; I just created one tonight)!

 

What are Some Other Ways You Stay Organized?

1. Baskets for Everything: There’s a homeroom basket, assignment baskets (back of room– purchased from Five Below a few years ago), and test basket (on my desk). I also have a box where I put tests that need checked. This helps me establish a procedure for collection of assignments and assessments; I always know where everything is. It takes them a few days to get used to what goes in which basket, but once they catch on, my life becomes easier!
2. Bell Work: My students pick up a bell work paper every Monday (or Day A/Day D for the letter day classes) and turn it in at the end of the week. Though it’s extra work to put up bell work every day, the routine is perfect. It gets the students thinking and focused on what we did the day before and also gives me time to take attendance and take care of housekeeping items (such as work for students who were absent).
3. Class Numbers: Each student has a class number assignment for them for calculator, clicker, and whiteboard.
4. Checks for Understanding via Twitter Whiteboards (I made these): No unnecessary ripped out notebook paper! Just take down your veltcro Twitter bird, write your Ticket out the Door Answer on the white part of the laminated square, and post your tweet (velcro it back up there)! I can quickly scan them to see if they understood the lesson after class, then wipe them off with a cloth so they’re ready for the next class period.
5. Student Center: The things they ask you for in the middle of class that interrupt your lesson and other students’ learning– they’re found here! (Stapler, tape, 3-hole punch, graph paper, tissues, sign-out sheet, etc.) Pencil sharpener is in the back of the room to avoid distraction.
6. Hanging Shoe Organizer as Calculator Caddy: I have one classroom set of graphing calculators. It took me a long time to get them so I protect them with my life. Each student has an assigned number and picks up their calculator from the caddy on their way in each day before beginning bell work. ( I recommend a mesh shoe caddy like the one I used last year and this year, as my plastic one could not support the weight of the graphing calculators and many of them pushed through before a year was up!)
7. Pencil Loaners: Students can sign out pencils in emergency situations. Free template here.
8. Laminator: My friend Kelly got me a laminator for my birthday a few years ago and I use it all the time. It’s so helpful to have one for a classroom teacher. You need laminating pouches to go with it too!

How Do You Stay Happy and Positive at Work?

1. I make my classroom somewhere even I want to be. If my classroom is a dull, boring place, I won’t want to be there and neither will my students. I don’t mind taking the extra time in the summer to go in a few days and set up shop. It’s my responsibility to create an environment where my students feel safe and comfortable that is also conducive to learning. Decorations, bulletin boards, items that make my classroom a  little more “me” and not like the rest. I have a Steelers Math board with photos of my Pittsburgh football adventures so I can share that special part of my life with my students!
2. Positivity: There is positivity sprinkled all over my classroom. I have little Rae Dun ceramics with quotes (check your local TJMaxx)! and I also have a letter board you may have already seen on social media! I share these every day to my social accounts (my teacher Instagram account is @TheOrganizedMathTeacher; I started it last year with my friend Ang, who teaches English! English teachers, you’ll want to follow her– @EnglishWithMrsRyan). My little quote board has thousands of shares on Pinterest and is loved by more than just my students! I wrote an entire blog post on it here.
3. Coffee: Just kidding.. no, actually, I’m not. I don’t get a lot of sleep during the school year. There are a lot of nights I’m up until at least midnight and then, I wake up at 5:00AM. I like to have my kids’ tests back to them the next day, so I stay up and finish when that’s the case. I like to write feedback so it takes a while! I got a new Keurig at home last year, so I brought my old one to school partway through the year. I share it with my teacher friends who bring their own favorite k-cups to enjoy during lunch and prep periods. It’s the little things that keep us motivated.. and caffeinated.. when there’s no time for a Dunkin’ run! (Mini coffee bar items: marble table, Keurig, k-cup organizer)
4. Recognition: I created a corner of my classroom dedicated solely to celebrating student achievement– every kind of achievement (academics, athletics, improvement, or just being a nice person)! I choose 3 students each month and write why they were chosen on the marble whiteboard. The students’ Instax photos are displayed! These photos are then moved to the “Wall of Fame” bulletin board at the back of the room when a new set of students is chosen!
5. Bitmoji Stickers: The kids love these! They’re simple to make too! Just send your favorite Bitmojis to your computer and drag them into the Avery template for these labels.
6. The Great Teacher Friends I Work With: We inspire each other to be better and give each other pep talks as necessary.. lol.
7. Knowing I Made a Difference in Some Way for My Students: Reading the notes and cards they’ve written is what keeps me going on the tough days.
8. Organization: All of those organizational things I do in my classroom make both me and my students feel more at ease. There’s never a question as to what’s going to happen; they know the routine and they know what is expected of them. I have had students tell me they feel better just entering my classroom because everything is organized and in place. I love when former students have me again for class and they come back with a binder and tell me I inspired them. lol We teach just as much by example in how we run our classrooms.

 

Best wishes for a great school year,
Ashley

 

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