Last year I used caddies on each table that contained markers, dry erase markers and erasers, highlighters, and scissors. I found plastic 2-drawer caddies that held all the materials nicely. This worked really well. I liked the fact that the kids had everything at their fingertips. This year I found new caddies that are similar to the old ones, except they have a 3rd drawer for crayons.
Class jobs
I have tried a bunch of different ways of assigning jobs to the students in my class. I started with a traditional chart, which I rotated on a regular basis. I quickly decided that switching everything out so often was a pain, and that I was constantly having to train different students on different jobs.
As a second grade teacher, I adopted an elaborate classroom economy system, in which students would apply for jobs and would be "paid" with fake money, which could then be used to shop at the school store. While the classroom economy was a lot of work, the payoff was huge. The kids loved it, and I was able to incorporate a ton of social studies and economics standards into the process. I kept the system when I was moved to 3rd grade. However, when I was bumped (again!) to 4th last year, I didn't have it in me to do the classroom economy system AND new standards AND testing, AND....
So last year I didn't really have class jobs at all. I casually identified people who were good at certain things, and would pull them in as needed. While this worked worked out well for ME, it wasn't great for the kids. I tried to informally give kids a job to do, but without a system, I'm afraid it wasn't very fair.
This year, I m trying the system that Mrs. D, my hall neighbor, uses in her classroom. Each day, one student is assigned as the student teacher. Any job that needs to be done, the student teacher is the one to do it. He/She passes out papers, takes notes to the office, leads the line, and helps lead the Morning Meeting. Each student will have a chance to be the student teacher every 4-5 weeks. I really hope that this is a situation where simpler really is better.
Graded Papers
In the classroom, each student has a mailbox. After I grade a set of papers, I sort them (or have a student sort them!) into the mailboxes. Last year, I would have the students check their mailboxes at the end of every day. I believe that this year, I am only going to send home papers once a week, in a folder that the parents will sign and return.
Pencils
You wouldn't think that pencils would be such a big deal in a classroom, would you? Making sure everyone has a sharpened pencil when they need it is more complicated than it sounds. Do you let kids get up to sharpen pencils as needed? Definitely not- it disturbs the class and gives them a great excuse to wander around the room if they want to avoid the task. Plus, kids tend to destroy mechanical pencil sharpeners. I have been through at least six pencil sharpeners in the last six years!
So why not have everyone bring their own personal sharpener to use as needed? Great idea, except that they seem to have a super-special gravity property that makes them prone to falling on the floor and spilling shavings all over the place, usually right when you're at the most important part of your lesson.
I have found it easier to keep a bunch of sharpened pencils in a jar. If a point breaks, they raise their pencil in the air. I can grab a new pencil and deliver it to them without ever interrupting my teaching.
So, those are the organizational changes/improvements I've made this year. What works in your classroom?
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