Secret Techniques In Organizing Materials In The Classroom
Marie Allen D. Rivera
To keep track of your reading corner materials that other teachers may wish to borrow, use the same as for the school library. When a book is borrowed, the borrower signs his/her name on the card and files it in a 3 x 5 file box designed expressly for this purpose. I have found this to invaluable as I am always loaning materials and can't remember who has them borrowed. This simple system solves the problem.
Run off an entire book at a time. Put copies in numerical order so that each day or week you can pullout the appropriate number of copies to make up packets of daily work. This will also remind you of the independent working level that the materials were designed for. If some students are not ready for a particular page, simply move these yet unused pages to the back of the book for future use.
Make a "New Student" folder. Have some materials ready so that this student has something to do in the first day while you are working with other students. Include a page to practice writing his/her name and numbers, cut and paste worksheet and either a coloring page for younger students or a word search for the older student. When time permits, sit down with the child and visit. Later in the day, find time to administer an informal diagnostic test.
Make a classroom inventory list that you can share with other teachers in your school and friends from other districts. Encourage others to do the same inventory. Include books, games, kits, filmstrips, videos and other special books by topic. When you begin preparation for a special topic area you can easily track down who has the materials you might wish to use.
A fantastic time saving device is the use of a tape recorder. Spelling lists and sentence dictation can be recorded for an entire year. This will save time and will also be handy for make-up spelling tests when students are absent. Also books can be put on tape for use by students who are less able readers.
Keep daily folders for all the worksheets that you will use that day. Fill these folders on Friday of the previous week as you complete your lesson plans. Put the next day's folder of worksheets in your plan book before you go home each evening. If you are absent the next day, your substitute will have the worksheets organized for the day and will not have to search for them.
The author is Teacher
--oOo-
III at Tarlac West Central Elementary School