Organized Teacher, Happy Classroom: A Lesson Plan for Managing Your Time, Space and Materials

by Melanie S. Unger

Overview

Bring Out the Best In Your Students Classrooms are busy places full of people, activities, and materials. Keeping them organized can be a challenge, but an organized classroom is essential and allows students and the teacher to fully focus on learning by eliminating distractions. Organized Teacher, Happy Classroom provides practical, proven methods for maintaining an organized classroom throughout the entire school year. Inside you’ll find: • Strategies for managing students’ papers, curriculum material, and essential paperwork • Time management tips to maximize your instruction time and lesson planning • Organizing systems you can teach your students to improve self reliance and accountability • Checklists for starting and ending the year well organized • Helpful forms and templates you can use in your classroom • Plans for arranging a classroom that promotes positive student participation • Support to simplify your classroom • Efficient storage solutions for all teacher and student materials Whether you teach primary, intermediate, middle school or high school, this book will help you organize your time, paperwork, and classroom spaces.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440318900
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/23/2011
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Melanie S. Unger has been a classroom teacher for more than seventeen years, striving daily to instill organizational principles within her own professional (and personal) life and in her students' lives. She is also a professional organizer and started her own professional organizing business in 2008. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, as well as Faithful Organizers. She has a BS in Elementary Education, as well as a Master's degree in Reading Instruction.

Table of Contents

Introduction 8

1 The Benefits of an Organized Classroom 12

Peace of mind, sense of control, and increased energy? Where do we sign up?

2 First Steps to an Organized Classroom 22

Practice the three Ps—prioritize, plan, and prepare-and you'll be on your way to a more organized classroom.

3 The Power of Purging 32

Purge your classroom to enhance simplicity, restore order, and maximize the spaces around your room.

4 Storage 46

Having a place for everything and everything in its place provides proven results.

5 Organizing the Classroom Zones 64

Take it one space at a time, and make sense of the "forest for the trees" and the "trees for the forest" to successfully organize your classroom.

6 Keeping a Teacher Reference Binder 80

Using this teacher resource tool will help you know where every important document or reference paper is.

7 Conquering Paperwork and Filing 92

Design systems for paperwork, and you'll learn how to make molehills out of mountains (not the other way around)!

8 Organizing Curriculum Materials 106

Organize your curriculum resources by keeping in mind the keys to storing materials: convenience, efficiency, and location.

9 Lesson Planning 116

Practical is good! Get time-management ideas to produce complete and effective lesson plans.

10 Managing Technology 132

Navigate your way through the sea of technology-manage e-mails, computer files, and the Internet-and discover ways to incorporate technology in your curriculum.

11 Managing Your Day 148

Harried? Stressed? Burned out? Learn strategies for staying on track, getting more done, and managing your busy days.

12 Students in the Organized Classroom 162

Guide students toward organizing success, the key to a truly "well-oiled machine" (or in this case, classroom).

13 Student Paperwork 172

Say good-bye to the abyss of lost papers, and use these tips to help student manage paperwork.

14 The End of the Year 184

Get ready, get set...almost! Tips and tasks for ensuring a smooth ending to your school year.

15 It's All About Balance 196

Find your balance, keep your balance, and live happily ever after (or at least happier ever after!).

Appendices

Suggested Reading list 204

Tour of Your Room Planning Sheet 205

Furniture Considerations Planning Sheet 206

Assessing Classroom Spaces Sheet 207

Supplies Inventory Checklist 208

Important Student Medical Information 209

Student inventory Sheet 210

Parent Contact Form 211

Yearly Curriculum Map 212

Substitute Feedback Form 216

Parent Questionnaire 217

General Weekly Schedule 220

Professional Goals Self-Evaluation 221

Index 222