I am teaching 5th grade, all subjects and I am looking for a good turn in system. Before I've had just one basket everything gets turned in to, but I think they can organize their own papers. Do you use some sort of system to have them turn in papers per subject?
This year I plan to have a basket for each subject and to label them with pictures and words since I teach first grade. I plan to teach the kids which papers go where. I'm sure your class being in 5th grade can handle it. :thumb:
I use those plastic stackable desk organizers and label a section for each.( I use numbers and have a student help or I put them in order.) Easy to find missing papers.
My teacher helper ordered the student papers and crossed off names of students who have turned in work on the assignment form. I had multiple baskets but my third graders would get confused. Older kids could probably handle it though.
I have them keep their papers on their desks and we pass them in at the end of each lesson. It eliminates papers going into the wrong basket and/ or the argument that somebody must have taken their paper out of the basket.
I also am very careful to collect all papers at the same time with everyone very aware of what is happening as paper collectors do the collecting and place in the basket. It is pretty easy to get them all to understand this is a procedure that requires all eyes, ears, and heads turned ON to avoid any claims of "someone" losing their paper. I quickly go through the collected papers by counting them and having kids be honest if they didn't turn one in by writing down the reason and turning that in right away. Some will try to slip by but they quickly understand that they will be busted either by the paper collectors or by me. It actually also keeps too many kids from not having their paper ready to turn in.
I used a crate with hanging files for each class. When I went through the papers I could quickly see who had work in and whose was missing. It also worked well when I had students do the job of homework checker.
I hung a few of those long pocket file holders (12 pockets per holder). I had to hang 5 of them to cover both my classes, but it gave each kid a pocket to turn their homework in to each day. I put their name on their pocket (because there's a label place for each pocket to do so), and could see in a split second who had turned in their work that day by seeing which pockets had no papers or notebooks peeking out of the top. The kids loved it, and it's been a blessing for keeping them from trampling each other to "turn it into the basket first".
All great ideas! MsB2012 I bought 3 file hangers to do just that, but I wasn't sure if it was going to work. What if there are multiple papers, i.e. math and language to turn in. But I think I will cross that bridge when I get there. I think being able to look over and see if it is in would be so simple! Thank y'all!
(5th grade) I have ONE basket. I never want there to be an "excuse" that someone didn't know where to put their work and/or it getting put in the wrong place by mistake. I "hire" a student to organize the papers for me. Chele
I usually just spend that extra two minutes to separate the papers at the end of the day or when I take them out of the pockets if I've had them turn in multiple papers at once. It really cuts down on stacks of paper on my desk, and the kids really do enjoy having a space of their own--even if it is to turn in homework! If I'm feeling super exhausted, I'll have a student help me out to pull papers and separate them a couple of minutes before we leave from school.
I always had just one basket. I had a student help alphabetize the papers for each student at the end of the week. When I handed them back on Fridays, I'd have a note on each one stating what was missing.
This year, since I have a small class size, I am assigning each student a hanging file for their assignments. This way I can easily see what each student is missing. They also cannot claim it was misplaced. :0)
