As a teacher, I know how busy your life is. You’ve got lessons to plan, paperwork to submit, parents to respond to, assignments to grade, crafts to create, and so much more. On top of that, you have to juggle a class of 30+ children.
So, it’s really important to stay organized as a teacher. Your students will get the most out of your class and you will get the opportunity to have a life beyond teaching.
Staying organized also allows you to have an open-door policy for other staff members and parents because everything will be ready and available when needed.
This may sound like an impossible task so let’s just focus on a few items so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.
Actionable Steps:
#1. Your Binders or Folders
You should have at least three of binders or folders:
- Unit Plans– Have them printed out and put them into your binder or save them on a drive in a folder on your computer for easy access.
- Day Plans– Print them out and put them in your binder. These should be placed on your desk and opened to the correct date. It makes it easy for you and anyone else who walks into your room to see. This is especially important for when administrators walk into your room.
- Substitute Binder– Have a binder with information about your students and generic material that your students can work on if you’re away or your substitute teacher is unable to carry out the work on your regular day plan. Have these ready in advance so that you don’t have to think about it when you’re at home sick. This binder should be placed on your desk so that it’s easy to find.
#2. Filing System
Create a hard copy folder for either of the following: each month or each topic that you teach. Put a copy of any printable activities you use in your class in these folders. Computers don’t always work or you may have trouble accessing your digital resources. it’s always important to have a copy of your resources for easy access.
#3. Plan Your Way
So many teachers plan on a nightly basis but that means that you have so much of prep work to do including marking, and creating or finding resources, that it sucks up your after-school time. Instead, plan ahead. You don’t need to plan too far in advance but give yourself some breathing room in case you get sick or are needed for an emergency.
You can do that using the following resources:
If at any point you find yourself distracted or unable to focus, let’s help you stay on track. Join the High Achiever’s Club, send me a quick email with the title saying, High Achiever’s Club and email me at colourfulteach@gmail.com.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The reasons why it’s important to stay organized.
- How to organize your life as a teacher: your binders and folders, filing system, and plan your day.
Free Resources:
If your children are struggling to hand in assignments on time, check out the following video training: 3 Steps to Teach Children How to Overcome Procrastination to Increase Productivity.
Next Steps:
For calm down areas on a budget, for your students who have autism, CLICK HERE.
If you found this video beneficial, would you do me a favor? Share this with your family, your friends, your loved ones, your co-workers or someone who you think could benefit from this. Thank you!
I’ll see you next Friday at 5:30pm PST.
Until I see you next time, remember to create, experience & teach from the heart.
Take care,
Charlotte
