Hi there, I'm in the process of preparing for my first year teaching 2nd grade! I'm extremely overwhelmed and not sure where to start with anything! I met with my team yesterday to map out big ideas of science and social studies, so that makes me feel a little better. I'd like to start getting organized and wanted to get opinions on the best way to file away things used throughout the year. Previously, I taught special education and the general ed. teachers I worked with tended to used binders. They would have topic specific binders that would include any worksheets/activities/answer keys used. I was thinking about using a binder for each month, with tabs by subject are. So, for example, there would be an October binder, and in it there would be a tab for Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, maybe additional tabs like reading groups or misc.? I'm not sure! Feeling very ! Any suggestions would be helpful! And any ideas of things I could be working on right now would be helpful too! I can't even get into my new classroom until August 1st! Ahh! Thanks
Congrats on your new position! I wouldn't organize by month. Topics will not be specific to a particular month. I think you will end up spending a lot of time looking for stuff that you know you have but can't remember what month you taught it this year. I would also stay away from binders. I can't imagine how many binders I would need to keep all of my stuff. Try to get a couple of filing cabinets. I have one drawer for math, one for social studies and science, one for comprehension and one for all other language arts items. Get a hanging folder for each individual skill/topic. This way no matter what month/quarter it is all of your stuff on any given topic is together. This will save you so much time in the long run.
I have a hanging file folder for each science and reading objective in a drawer of my filing cabinet, and a file folder in My Documents of the computer labeled the same way with items that are digital. I also have any games, resources, skill-based trade books, etc. that go with each objective stored in the file cabinet right behind the file folder. Then I have resource books and binders with lesson plans, data, etc. on a small bookshelf by my desk.
As far as cost effectiveness and ease in setting up, files are the way to go. With that being said I had files my first 4-5 years of teaching and HATED them. There wasn't really one reason I despised them (though I do know paper cuts were a big reason :lol: To this day I cannot manage to reach into a file folder without slicing my hand in some way.), I just didn't feel like they fit my organization style. Once I decided I didn't like them I began haphazardly converting over to binders. I originally had all my theme/topics in 4 huge 5 inch binders and other random binders for subject areas, standards, etc. I used whatever binders I could get my hands on because the thought of buying all those binders new gave me panic attacks. Well this kind of organized chaos didn't fit with my OCD personality either so this year (after a decade of organizational systems I didn't like) I bit the bullet. I purchased 40+ binders (all the exact same size and color) and did as follows: *1 binder for each holiday *1 for each Common Core Strand (RL, RI, RF, SL, L, OA, NBT, etc.) with dividers in each for each area in the strand (i.e. Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, etc.) * 1 binder for each area in Science and Social Studies (Life Science, Geography, etc.) * 1 (or more) binder for each program I have copies and materials for (Words Their Way, various writing programs, etc.) I am hoping this will make it easy to find things and easy to put them away. I have high hopes that this is finally a system I'll like. It better be because all those binders were a big investment! I agree with the above poster that a binder for each month may not be the best way to go. As we all know education is constantly changing so what you teach in October may not be what you teach in Octobers down the road. Sorry for such a long winded response. My binder change over was my big project this summer so I had all these things fresh in my mind. Best of luck in your new position and in finding a system that works for you.
I've found that most of my "stuff" anymore is a computer document, so I'm just very particular about how I organize/file my documents ... and back them up! At the end of each grading period, I take time to reorganize as needed. For things that aren't computer-based, I have ONE drawer of a filing cabinet and cupboards for my curriculum books. Chele
Most of my stuff is now on computer documents. My other stuff is in binders. I have binders for each subject. I have one binder for fall, one winter, one spring. I have a binder for forms...but this one is the most difficult to organize because it needs tabs for nearly each sheet.
I use a filing cabinet. Only saving one copy of each master. Extras are recycled or used for free draw paper on rainy day recess. If you keep extras, you end up running out of room fast. I used filing cabinet for main curriculum type stuff. I used binders for holidays, which were pretty much organized by month or season.
