Organization tips
Start out with some of these:
Go to Lowe's and get a piece of "thick" glass cut to fit your desk. Put pictures, important papers that you need out all the time like a fire route or class list, class schedule-whatever on your desk and put on the glass topper. You might need felt circles or something in the corners to keep it from moving around. It's like having two desk tops!
Sort out your year by months and the unit you do in a month: Fire Safety in October? Poetry in April? Get 8-9 flatter tubs that stack and put like things together decorations...calendar, posters, etc. that you know you'll use that month. Get labels and cover the label with storage tape so humidity doesn't make it peel off.
Keep a desk calendar and write everything external to plans down on it (meetings, special events, conferences, teacher workdays)--see the month in a glance. Keep only your lesson plan book on top of the calendar. My principal likes our LP books open on our desk. He thinks we're on task then and can see what we're doing compared to it.
Keep baskets labeled for homework, late homework for the kids and bins for your stuff, i.e. papers to grade. Get a medium square basket with compartments for pencils, pens, a teacher pair of scissors, stapler and so on on your desk. Put a simple seasonal decoration on the corner of your desk to distract from clutter.
You know all those advertising magnets you get now? Cut those up and glue onto pictures or info and use the side of your filing cabinet or desk to post things up.
Use 3M Hooks to attach to the wall if you're allowed, and Adams hooks for the ceiling tiles. I take big paperclips and attach invisible string to them, bend them to hang from the ceiling rails and attach a paperclip on the other end for hanging student decorations. I use a couple adams hooks and a piece of twine in the corner of the room to hang a complete class set of cool math work or art work up with clothespins. You can hang an extra medium size bulletin board from the ceiling, too, with wire.
Get matching folders and notebooks to color code and large manilla envelopes. For instance, my red notebook goes only with the red folder. I take the red every time to my monthly teacher meeting. On a committee? Use a green notebook and green folder to take only to that committee meeting. I always know where that note I wrote or paper I received is from "the meeting." I keep book orders (scholastic) in an envelope--the current months' issue, and all money envelopes that come in, my master order form--all together. Get all your things you do monthly organized like this together.
Keep a 3 prong notebook with several pages of your class list down the side, and places to label at the top. Label each page at the top for attendance, math, math homework turned in, lunch count, and so on. I know who has turned in what by flipping through really fast and checkmarking on this roster.
You could get all this done with about $50-don't know about the glass. Once you get organized, you'll be liberated and stress free!!??
