Can you please give me some tips on how to help my students stay organized? I am purchasing cubbies, but I also need a way for each child to be accountable for their papers/classwork/unfinished work to be put away. Can you please give me some tips on what you do? Thanks in advance!
I have an "inbox" (a large wire basket from my days as an office manager) into which I have students place work as it is finished. This includes tests and classwork. Students each have an "unfinished work" pocket folder in their desks, and they put assignments that are not on such a time schedule in these when they are unfinished. Homework is in a weekly packet, so that just goes into my inbox when they come in on Thursday morning. I'm debating whether or not to allow student "secretaries" to file (by number) graded work for me - not sure if 3rd graders can be trusted with other kiddo's grades, you know?
I bought chair pockets for my students to keep all of their folders in. This way all of the folders are easily accessible. My students have a folder for each subject to stay organized. The key is making sure they actually put papers in their folders and not just in their desk. I hit this hard the first couple of weeks. After that, I give my kids a debit ( credit and debit system) if I see them just shoving it into their desk. I have a paper collector at each team. When they collect papers for me they: -make sure all papers have a name on both sides -make sure all papers are facing the same direction - tell me who at their team is not done I use a checklist (just an extra lunch count slip) to keep track of who owes me work. Depending on the assignment and reason for it not being done, I will give them a deadline. The students keep their papers in the appropriate folder until it is done. As students finish, they place it in the "Completed Work" bin.
For those who insist on either shoving stuff indiscriminately into their desks or who constantly play in them, I have been known to turn the desk around so they can't use the inside. It doesn't take long for them to change their tune!
Yep. I do this too. I have a red and green folder. Red-STOP it stays at school. Unfinished work that I don't want to go home, or handouts I want them to keep at school goes in the red folder. Green-GO goes home. Assignment Sheet with spelling list, Homework, unfinished work that needs to be completed at home, things done together in class that can be taken home. I tell the kids to either put it in their red or green folder and they know if it is expected to be done as homework then. Completed work gets turned in to the tray. I have a tray for each subject, but by the end of the year I still have kids ask what tray to turn it into. You would think a whole page of multiplication would give them a good hint that it is Math. Usually, as long as they turn them correctly into Morning/Afternoon (I have 2 classes), I am happy. I can sort them.
We have cubbies for the kids where they keep textbooks and extra supplies. I their desks they have colorcoded folders for each subject. On the teacher's desk is an inbox for homework and completed work. We work in cooperative groups and each month there is a new leader in the group that is responsible for ensuring that all papers are handed in, and if not then they tell the teacher.
