Spreading Joy...One Giggle At A Time!: Organization

organized classroom full of tables and chairs

Many years ago, I had the option of switching from desks to tables in my first grade classroom...and I JUMPED at the chance! (Now when I say many years ago...I LITERALLY mean MANY YEARS AGO....we are talking 20 or more! (Feel free to comment on how well I look for my age...you never know when a random gift card will be thrown into the mix for best comment from a reader...:) just kidding!) But I really did jump at the chance, and I will tell you why...

I HATED DESKS!

I hated that they NEVER stayed in one place. I hated that the kids ALWAYS had the lids up and their heads inside of there...as if looking for some long lost treasure...that didn't actually exist! I hated that things went into those desks...NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN...ALA THE BLACK HOLE! And I absolutely hated when I would have to GULP...stick my hand inside of one of those "disaster zones" to help a student look for something important because LORD ONLY KNOWS WHAT SLIMY, WET, STICKY SUBSTANCE then was stuck to the side of my hand.

GasP sHiVeR aCcKk BLeeCckK

So we started using tables and I never turned back. The main questions I get when I tell people I LOVE tables instead of desks are these:

1. How do you keep the kids from talking?

and

2. What do you do with all their stuff?

Well...the answer to question #1 is....

HahaHahahaHahaHaHahaHa

that's funny...I'm a teacher..not a magician

But the answer to question #2 I can give you in 5 easy steps!

Table Crates

crate on floor next to table to collect student supplies

Each table is assigned it's own table crate. You can get these crates from lots of different places in lots of different colors, especially in the summer when college students are getting their dorm rooms set up. I will just caution you that in this case...CHEAPER IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER. I realize you may not have a lot of money to spend on things like crates and bins, however, having done this for so many years I can tell you for certain...when you go with the cheaper version of storage items that the students are going to be using daily...they WILL NOT HOLD UP WELL, and you WILL IN FACT be buying new ones again next year. So, paying double the first time just may save you time and money in the end. The crates I ended up settling on came from Big Lots.

The crates are where my students keep their take home folders, their journals, math books, science books, and any other items that we use repeatedly throughout the day/week. Each crate contains an expandable file.

expandable file to collect extra papers and folders to keep them organized

This is to help the students further organize their materials. So, all of the journals and/or morning work booklets are kept together in the expandable file where they can easily be found and easily accessed when needed.

Take Home Folders

I provide each student with a sturdy folder at the beginning of the school year which will be their take home folder. *This is something that does not have to be provided by the teacher, but could instead be asked for on a supply list sent to parents at the beginning of the year. I label the pockets of the folder to help keep the lines of communication open with families and students. Then, when I pass back papers or when we pack up our things at the end of each day, we take time to talk about which side of the folder each paper belongs on...Leave At Home, or Bring Right Back **Teacher Hack...Papers to be LEFT at home go on the left side of the folder, and papers to bring RIGHT back go on the right side of the folder...a-ha! A teachable moment! #youarewelcome

Table Baskets

Each table has it's own table basket. I have tried many different shapes and sizes of baskets over the years, but the ones I have settled on, that have held up the longest have been these caddies from WalMart. Each section is labeled, to help the students stay organized. This is important, because little kids are not naturally going to organize and compartmentalize their supplies on their own...they just aren't. So expecting them to, and then getting frustrated when they don't really isn't fair....is it?

In the baskets I use in my classroom there are three compartments, so they are organized simply:

pencils

I provide each student with TWO sharpened primary sized pencils labeled with their

name. **Teacher Hack- Print out several sets of labels with students names on them. These can be used for SO MANY different things throughout the school year.

table basket showing pencil compartment label

crayons

Each student has a 24 pack of crayons. I always label these with their name and tape the bottom of the box shut to avoid "crayon catastrophes" as the weeks go on.

table basket with crayon compartment label showing

learning tools

Each basket has two sets of learning tools so that they can be shared by

the students sitting side by side. *More information about how and when we use learning tools in our classroom will be coming in a future blog post!
You can click HERE to check out the learning tools in my TPT store.

table basket with learning tools compartment label showing

table sign freebie product from One Giggle At A Time

***If you would like this set of table signs for your classroom...which includes table crate signs, table basket signs, and matching signs to hang above the tables....
you can download it HERE

Community Supplies

10 drawer colorful cart from Michaels knobs removed

labels for 10 drawer cart crayons, post it notes, scissors, glue sticks, etc

All other supplies that the students need are kept together in a cart with multiple drawers that I purchased at Michaels. The students can access the supplies in this cart whenever they need them (glue sticks, scissors, extra crayons, markers) I kept the knobs off and just added these labels to the fronts of the drawers.

Clear Expectations

inside of take home folder showing examples of papers to be brought back to school and papers to be left at home

But in all honesty, the only way to get this to go smoothly...to work like a charm...to make you sit back proudly and say "wow"...is to give your students clear expectations. That's right...no matter how well you think it all through and no matter how beautiful you make it look, if you do not clue those kids in on what you expect, clue them in on EXACTLY what it is you want them to do with those supplies and how you want them to do it....

it will still look like a DISASTER ZONE!

So show them how to use the crates. Model how to use the table baskets. Act out how to put papers in the take home folders. Read specific social stories to help explain the expectations you have...In this can I use a Social Story all about Respecting Property.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Social-Story-Respecting-Property-1899318

Click HERE to learn more about this Social Story.

And do these things over, and over and over again.
It may take a little extra time, and it may seem a little redundant...

but in the end

you will be so glad you did!

Are you ready to get your classroom supplies organized and your room running efficiently? Your students are so lucky to have a teacher that takes the extra time to help them understand the importance of taking care of their things. If you have any questions I would be glad to answer them, and I look forward to hearing from you about your room set up...tables? desks? Have you tried any of these things already or maybe have some great ideas of your own to share.

Are you looking for a stress-free way to organize your Guided Reading Binder? Here are some great tips, tools, and strategies for keeping your guided reading group data organized and keeping parents informed, all at the same time!

Hello Friends! Thanks for stopping by! I am so excited to share this great information with you, because honestly, it has been a life-saver for me when it comes to Guided Reading time! I have been using a reading workshop/guided reading format in my classroom for at least fifteen years now, and over the years, I have probably tried at least twelve different ways of organizing my data and notetaking! I am happy to say that I do believe I HAVE FINALLY FOUND AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY THAT WORKS!

First of all, there are a couple must-haves that I need to tell you about. I purchased two of these Better Binders from Staples. These are the best! They are sturdy and they have a special pocket with a loop fastener inside to hold extra papers. They come in lots of different colors and sizes.

I label them as My Small Group and Conferencing Data Binder, and My Guided Reading Binder.
Each serves an important purpose in my Guided Reading process. (More on the specifics shortly.)

Another must-have are these Double Pocket Plastic Tab Dividers from Staples. I use these in my Guided Reading Binder to keep copies of mentor texts from each reading level so that I always have them right at my fingertips.

Okay, so let me tell you about my Guided Reading Binder first. I have it divided by levels. So, typically in first grade student reading levels range from level A-level M. For each level I have:
1. One or two mentor texts I can use to model relevant skills/strategies used at that level
2. An explanation of reading behaviors to notice and support at that level, as well as characteristics to look for in the structure of that level book
3. Multiple copies of a parent explanation of reading behaviors at that level and reading behaviors to support at the next level.

In my Small Group and Conferencing Data Binder, I keep:
1. Data Collection Sheets to keep track of individual student reading levels
2. Dibels Reports and Results

3. Conferencing notes and record sheets
4. Intervention Group Data
5. Small Group Planning Sheets

I know you are probably thinking, "Okay, well that all sounds terrific...but what do I do with those things once I've got them?" (Because honestly, you can fill those binders with silver and gold, but if you don't know what to do with it, you end up right where you started!)
I try to schedule my groups so that I meet with two groups each day and then use the rest of my time to make observations about students reading independently and in partnerships. I keep track of my meetings with students on a record sheet to make sure I don't miss anyone. We begin the year with thirty minute Independent Reading time and then work our way up to about sixty minutes. While I am meeting with groups, the other students are reading independently. Yes, this takes a great deal of modeling and practice, but I have found if everyone is reading "just-right" books that are of interest to them and they have learned the rituals and routines of Reading Workshop, independent reading time is a beautiful thing!

When I write my lesson plans each week, I also write my Guided Reading plans. I decide who I am meeting with, on which days, and which text we will be working from. I use past data and conferencing/small group notes to help make the decisions about what our focus will be.

I also use the Behaviors to Notice and Support pages for each Reading Level in my Guided Reading Binder to help me decide on what we need to work on so that I can get my students to the next reading level. Super easy! No more guesswork about where I should go next with a student, because it is all there for me!

The best part is...it is right there for the students too! I post the behaviors we are working on at the table, and we talk about them as we work. This way the students are able to take accountability for their learning, and have a better understanding of where their learning is taking them!

One of my favorite parts of this system is the Parent/Student Communication component! When I find that a student has completed all the behaviors necessary to move on to the next reading level, I can check each behavior off and then present him/her with this certificate to take home! At the bottom it explains to the student/parents what skills/behaviors the student will need to work on as he/she tackles the next reading level.

This has been a terrific way to stay in constant communication with the parents to help them develop a better understanding of the way reading levels work!