Did you know that Heart of the Matter specializes in “Teacher Organization”? Did you know that we have the privilege to work for the Waterloo Region District School Board in relation to “Health and Wellness”? Check-out our website to see the services we provide for teachers.
As an Ontario College of Teachers graduate, I (Rhonda) understand what it means to be a teacher, balancing family life with my day to day teaching workload.
Look what I came across recently while going through some old photos! This is me with one of my first classes back in 1997 or 98. Yikes! I look almost as young as my students 🙂
Organization is essential and foundational to be able to keep up with the demand of the curriculum requirements and daily lesson planning. I would love to share with you some of the tips and tricks I have learned over my years of teaching!
One of the most important ways to start off a school year on the right foot is to have the classroom organized and ready to go.
We have gone into many classrooms that start off the year with full shelves and piles of paper everywhere. Remember…….the foundation of organizing is that “everything needs a home”.
Think through the flow of your classroom. Imagine the flow of the students as they come into the room.
Here are some of the questions you may want to consider:
- Do they have to hang items on hooks in the classroom before they sit down?
- Is there room between the coat racks and the desks so that students aren’t pushing each other?
- Is there a clear and obvious path to their desks?
- Can everyone see the board from all the desk angles?
Classroom supplies and equipment also need a home. To maintain this order, it is important that everything is labelled. Bins should be labelled with a large, clear label. For ease of maintenance, we suggest having a label on the shelf as well, so that everyone is clear where the bins belong.
Make sure the bins aren’t stacked so that it will be easy to put the things away.
Remember………Everything needs a home!!
- do you have a spot to keep the projects that aren’t completed?
- do you have a home for student work until you have the time to mark it?
- do you have a home for scholastic order forms/money?
We recommend that you do a two week check in once school has started. After you have two weeks completed, look around your room and anything that is laying out probably doesn’t have a permanent home. Were there any items that you lost or couldn’t find? These items probably don’t have a home either. Take the time to find a home and stay tuned for Part 2 – Mid-year Maintenance Mania.
If you are a teacher that would like an organizing boost either before school gets started, or once things get rolling, please contact us! Some of our our best days are with teachers in their classrooms!
Check out our website to see the services we provide for teachers!
Check out our pinterest boards for organizing ideas for classroom teachers and for homeschoolers!
Food for Thought:
