The BIG "O": Organization in the Classroom

     Whether you are a new teacher, a seasoned teacher, a substitute teacher, a paraeducator, or if you fit in the classroom/school somewhere in between, organization is a BIG deal; it can make or break a classroom, or a teacher. There are so many tools, tips, resources, opinions, tricks, ideas, concepts, ways, and materials that you can find and implement, but how do you know what will work? I am afraid there is not a direct answer here. All you can do is trial and error - find what fits your needs, what works in your classroom, what meets the needs of the students, what makes things easier. 

     There are a million, resources on the internet! By simply typing in, "Organization Tips for Teachers", I had thousands of sites pop up:

     Where to begin? I started at the top, sites that offered me multiple ideas and tools in one location. We all know that we do not have a lot of time, so a one-stop-site works really well for me. Some of my favorites are Scholastic, Hacks for Teachers, Kim's Korner, Happy Teacher, and Teacher Hub (just to name a few. You can also check out Youtube videos for organization tips and tricks in the classroom. 

Find what works for you and feel free to share what you discover!

     So, aside from organization, another important piece to the classroom is lesson plans. Oh the dreaded lesson plans! I remember when I was working on my Bachelor's, we had to create numerous lesson plans, in a given format and each plan was AT LEAST 4-5 pages long. I remember thinking, will I ever do this in the classroom? While I am not in the classroom, the general consensus is NO, but you DO have to create plans (maybe extremely detailed and maybe not depending on your style and experience). It is my belief however, that one does not have to recreate the wheel. If you are stuck on planning for a unit or topic that you are unfamiliar with, SEARCH! The web is full of awesome lesson plans that give you ideas and a base for your plan. Two of my favorites are Teachers Pay Teachers and Scholastic. 

     Throughout this week, I have also researched tools that help with classroom management (Classdojo), online manipulative (timers and noise monitors), websites that help manage your to-do lists (Thoughtboxes), and Google Calendar. While theses are all great resources, it is reality that not everything works for everyone. While times are changing, and I am doing my best to hang on to the coat tails of the technology revolution, I am still a strong believer in keeping a paper trail. Some the sites I just mentioned appeared to me that they would not be time-saving, but that they would create more work and take up more time that I could be using for teaching, planning, and communicating. 

     It is ultimately up to you what you choose to use and not use. You have to find what works for you. So get out there and learn something new today! Find something new that helps improve your classroom, saves you time, or organizes something that you struggled with before.