Using Classroom Organizational Strategies on Vacation

Teachers work so hard all year long to organize their classroom in a way that is both functional for the teacher and creates independence in students.  It got me thinking: Why not use that system when it comes to our summer vacations?

The following are organizational rules I live by in my classroom that also serve me well when I'm vacation.

Rule #1: Keep the most important supplies visible
For this, I use Sterilite drawers.  I prefer the 2-drawer cart for vacations because its drawers are large enough to carry bulky items and they come out of the cart for easy transport to various rooms.  The carts go right in the back of the car.

NOTE:  I do NOT use the wheels because I don't want them rolling around in the back of the car.  If I was using them in the classroom, I would definitely put the wheels on.

Rule #2: Label EVERYTHING 
Since the contents of the drawers are likely to change during the vacation, I use packing tape and a Sharpie to label the drawers.

NOTE:  I use a more permanent labeling system in my classroom.  I print, laminate, and cut out the labels and hot glue them to different baskets and drawers throughout the room.  That way, I can easily change the label if I change or move the contents.

You can read more about how I use these items in my post about Hanging Posters so They Don't Damage Walls.

LIFE HACK: Fold a corner of the tape before cutting and/or putting the tape down permanently.  This helps the tape come off the drawers easily AND you'll never lose your place on the tape roll again!

Rule #3:  Keep lesser-used materials in storage until needed.
The materials we won't be using during the trip go in vacuum bags and stored in our car top case.  We bring our vacuum so we are able to re-seal the bags when we leave.

Pillows and bedding go in the XL space saver bags.

Extra clothes go in the Large space saver bags.

LIFE HACK:  If you can't bring a vacuum, just seal the bag until there's only a little space open and lie down on top of it to get the rest of the air out.  Quickly seal it up and it will lie ALMOST as flat as it would if you had vacuumed the bag.  NOTE:  This won't work with fluffy items, like pillows.


Have you ever found yourself using the organizational strategies from your classroom in your home or on vacation?  I'd love to hear how!

Classroom Jobs Freebie

I saw a post by Sara at Smiling in Second Grade about how she organizers her classroom jobs.  My job chart takes up a ton of space on my board, and I don't think it's particularly clear about which student does which job.

Here's what Sara does:

And here's what I came up with based on the inspiration I got from her blog:

This is a polka dot themed set of class jobs. It can easily be changed using Paint. There are 24 blank labels for which to put your student numbers at the end. I laminate them and attach magnets to the back so the student numbers can easily be changed.

You can pick up a FREE set at my TpT Store. 

What do you do to organize your classroom jobs?

Clutter Free Challenge: Math Manipulatives

The Clutter Free Classroom's new challenge is to organize your math manipulatives. 

I've been working all year on decluttering my classroom, but the math manipulatives are near and dear to my heart.  I've totally redone how I use centers in math, and how I store them.

This is the cart that houses the following things:

1. Bottom shelf:  Most-used manipulatives like place-value blocks
2. Middle shelf:  Multi-level measurement and geometry games
3. Top shelf:  Math activity books, bulky items that don't fit on other shelves (huge clock), and hanging bags that sort activities by topic.  The hanging bags are the most current topics or ones that they ALWAYS need practice in (rounding, yikes!).



This is the math cabinet where I store the older activities and materials, and the ones I don't want the kiddos to have instant access to.

An up-close shot.

If you're interested, you can link up over at her blog.  Happy organizing!

Center Organization Linky Party

Two things I've really been working hard to try to incorporate in my classroom this year: The Daily 5 for intermediate grades and organization.  So, when The Lesson Plan Diva started hosting a linky party for center organization, I was more than happy to participate.

Check it out for yourself:

http://www.lessonplandiva.com/2012/01/center-organization-linky-party.html

So far my organization isn't fancy or ingenious, so I'm happy for any suggestions you might have.

These are the color codes I put on my classroom library books. This is based off of Beth Newingham's system.  Check it out at http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/library%20Organization.htm

I also use her basket labels that help students find different book genres more easily.  It's kind of hard to see the labels, so you can check it out at http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/basket_labels.htm

The double copies of books (buddy books) are in the baskets on top.  They're organized by the last name of the author.

This is the rack where I keep my "Hot Reads" (the books I've recently read and enjoyed). 

This shelf is half listening center (the white and blue baskets) and half student supplies.  The white baskets are portable tape players (known as walkmen for all us products of the 80s) and the blue are the portable CD players.  I wrote numbers on the CD/tape players in Sharpie, and hot-glued the corresponding number on the basket.  That way, students know which players belong in which basket.

This is a close up of the table that houses the hanging bags that hold the books on CD and books on tape.  Both the book and the CD/tape are in the bag.  I try to keep the CDs and tapes on seperate hanging racks.  There's a pull-out drawer on wheels below.  I keep the extra books and listening equipment down there.

I got the hanging racks at http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/product/store+more%26reg-+wire+works+hang-up+totes+storage+rack.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search for $20.00. 

Here's my "Literacy Center."  I'm trying to divide the pockets into various Daily 5 categories, but I'm not all done with that yet.

This is a close-up of some the cards I'm using to help the kids differentiate between the stations.  I also try to include these on the activities themselves, so everything returns to its rightful home at the end of the day.



Here's where I store extra center materials, particularly the bulky ones.

Clutter Free Challenge Week 4

http://clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.com/2012/01/teacher-work-area-clutter-free.html

My personal goal goes along with this week's challenge extremely well.  I got rid of my desk, and so far I'm not having any separation anxiety.

I know it doesn't look like I did a ton of work, but let me assure you that I did.  Today was a TWD, and I spend about 85% of it decluttering and arranging this area.

I also fixed my "big honking cord across the middle of the room problem!"

The cord is now covered by the rubber strip that I was apparently supposed to have when the Fire Martial came last month (oops!).  It also travels a much shorter distance, and over half of it is located under a computer table.  Booyah!

Also of note:  The cubbies are sorted, labeled, and decluttered.  The top of the cubbies contains the bare essentials.  Love!

While I'm sure I'm not completely done here, I have made a huge step in the right direction.  I still plan to put a semi-table skirt around the table and to spray paint/polka dot the tin cans I've been collecting as pen holders.  Alas, that will have to wait at least a couple of weeks until I'm caught up on other things.

Here's the next disaster area I'm tackling:

Can you tell what it is?  I'm not sure I would be able to if it weren't my own little monster.  That, my friends, is a closet buried under a sea of there's-nowhere-else-to-put-it-so-I'll-shove-it-in-here.  I have no misconceptions, this is going to take some serious planning and time, but I will do it!

Clutter Free Challenge Week 3

Visit http://clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.com/ for the details on this and previous blogs.

Here are the prompts for this week:
How much were you able to escort out the door this week?
Well.....
The biggest achievement is that I got rid of the desk!

Going....

Going.....

Gone!

Here's a pic of the wonderful new "filing" drawers that will further help me to get rid of that clutter behind the table.

How did you feel while you were purging?
In a word, accomplished!  I was hot glue gunning the heck out of my classroom labels and donating unused materials like crazy.  It kind of felt like the beginning of the year when I run around and try to organize everything.

Now here's where I need help:
What do I do about the big honking cord that HAS to run underneath my newly located table?

If I put the table skirt on as I previously planned (see below), I'm worried that the kids will kick the cord out of the wall accidentally.

Is there an easy fix to the cord problem?  Any ideas?

Clutter Free Challenge Week 2

http://clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.com/

This week's topics:

What do you plan to do with your "stuff" that you no longer want?
I cleaned out several desk drawers in the effort to get rid of my desk entirely.  I found boxes and boxes of paperclips (yikes!) and "sticky" pads that weren't sticky anymore. 

I cleaned out several of the cubbies behind my desk.  I found teacher materials I collected in college (double yikes!) and themed lessons from the previous teachers who had my room.

Top four places to send clutter or organize:

•  Put it in the teacher break room with a "Free to a Good Home" note
• Recycle bin
• Trash can
• Relocate it to an organized, yet less visible area (closets, high shelves)

What are your rules for purging?

• How often do I use it?  If I haven't used it in THREE years, it needs to go.  Why three?  Well, because I have had three entirely different classes with three sets of entirely different needs in the last three years. 
• How often do I access it?  If it's only once a month or year, put it in the back closet.  Only keep daily/weekly accessed materials within close reach.
• Can I repurpose it to make it more useful?  I'm working on amping up my easel, which has sat in the back corner (practically unused) for the last three years.  I want shelves underneath, and I also want to use it for my writing center/anchor charts.  Stay tuned for that project...

What have you gathered to make your decluttering task easier?

• Dollar store small containers with lids

• Sticky labels (for small containers listed above) made via Vistaprint.  I love my polka dots! 

• Small clear containers that can hold miscellaneous office supplies

• Labels for the containers above (also Vistaprint).  I get my other love: buttons!



Clutter Free Challenge Week 2: It's in the bag!

http://clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.com/2012/01/clutter-free-classroom-project-week-2.html

My little sister and I took JoAnn Fabric's offer of 20% off the entire store on Saturday. 

We went and bought the fabric below. I love, love, love polka dots! This will go around my round table once I replace my desk.

 

This is the ribbon to go around the top of the fabric on the round table.  I'm hoping I can call in a favor with one of my friends who knows how to sow!  So, that fabric and trim on the table below.

I also picked up these nifty plastic snap lock containers instead of using the baby food jars (see below).  I figured the less glass I have in my classroom, the better.  Plus, they're a little bigger (bonus!).  I'll still use the ribbon and magnets, though. 

Then, I walked next door to Big Lots and picked up these lovelies.  The containers were only $1 a piece, and the mini organizer was less than $10.  Yes, please!

Then I saw this cute crafting bag for $2.  Perfect for hauling my new finds into work tomorrow!  Yep, it's in the bag!