One of my most favorite tool is my supply organizer. I will say that I saw this idea years ago online, but could not tell you where. I have yet to find the website since then. I put the supplies I need readily available in my organizer for QUICK access.
For example: Right after I put this up in my classroom, I was observed for an evaluation. I felt very confident in the time of day and my preparation. However, something I failed to realize was that this great game I put together was missing a little brass fastener for the spinner to be usable. 3 girls came up and asked for a fastener. I was able to go straight to my organizer and hand them one within 10 seconds. No wasting time looking through my box of office supplies I used to have! Let's just say I got a HUGE compliment on that idea and a pretty good observation.
STUDENT RETURN PAGES
I never have cared for cubbies. (personal feelings) I did use them 1 year in Kindergarten because I had an aid that could help me put papers in them. However, I prefer this method in both older grades and younger grades. In 5th grade, I had students file papers and in Kindergarten I have parent volunteers file them while they are waiting for centers to start.
I put all my student work that needs to be returned home behind their individual file folders . As parents help in class, they file while they wait to work with the kids. On Fridays, that parent pulls the papers and staples them together. She then calls the students to have them put them in their backpacks to be taken home.
PS - In 5th grade, I would highlight any paper that had a score of a C or lower. The students and parents both knew to look in the packet and they could correct any pages over the weekend and turn them back in for a better score. It was more work for me and my aid, but there was no excuse for a low grade in my classroom.
JOB CARDS
I like to switch my Kindergartners' jobs every day (with the help of their reminders that I forgot to switch them.) They get to do all the jobs several times throughout the year. Everyone has a job in class to do every day. I pull out their name cards and move them 1 place to the left. I organize them specifically too. In the first COLUMN - I have all my "in front of the classroom" jobs. This way they don't have a full week in front of the class. They have 1 a week (about), so they don't have to wait so long to be a "teacher" as I call them. I also have my line positions (leader, door holders, caboose) in 1 column to give them a variety. I then put all my after recess jobs near each other so I can quickly look and do a reminder. I have become a big fan of how smooth this works. (In 5th grade, I did jobs as an application and half year job to go with our economy system. This will be a different post LATER!)
SIGHT WORD BOOKS in boxes
In my situation this year, I have a very small classroom that was not meant to be a Kindergarten classroom. That means I have VERY LITTLE room to organize or store. I was recommended to keep most everything in the other Kindergarten classrooms, HOWEVER, time is precious to any teacher. (Especially a part-time teacher trying to stay working only part time hours) I found that I did not have the time to go get books every other day and return them. Plus what if I forgot the day before to switch my books. UCK! So instead, 1 of my great co-Kinder teacher split up her books with me. I labeled the boxes for the sight words they focused on. Then when I need to practice that book in Guided Reading or for Take Home Books - I have quick grabs. I just love it. I do need MORE books in my boxes, but I love the system.
LIBRARY BOOK BUCKETS
My first year in Kindergarten, I discovered that I could never find the books I needed for lessons because I just had them in a bookshelf available for students to read. (look at for most Kindergartners) I knew this year, I needed a better system. I like this system and am lucky to have 2 low and long bookshelves. I can fit 8 buckets in 1 bookshelf. I got my buckets from IKEA. I printed my Book Bucket Labels and taped them to the buckets. I then put star stickers on each bucket. Each bucket has a different color star. The books that go in that bucket have that same colored star. This way the students know where to put the books if they pull them from a bucket. Plus when I need a seasonal book or other book, I know where to go. I seriously love this system too!
I'm going to be honest here, in my 1st year of Kindergarten I did not use my word wall because it was located on the back wall and I had to print off the words as I wanted to post them. This just didn't happen. (the teacher I shared the classroom didn't do it either) In my new classroom, I did not have a ton of wall space, but had 2 white boards. I made alphabet cards, placed magnets on them, and stuck them on the white board. I could spread them out a little more, but haven't needed to. I review the sight words we write up with them at least once a week. I remind my students to use the word wall in their journals. I have been a big fan of it this year. It is still a little bare currently, but I will start writing words besides just sight words. Plus I can quickly erase them as we don't need them.
MORNING STUDENT ATTENDANCE GRAPH
I just love this. I have done a morning graph both years in Kindergarten. It is something I would definitely consider doing in older grades too. We get graph reading practice any day I feel we have a few minutes of extra time. In the mornings, my students turn in their folders. They hang up their backpacks and jackets. Then they graph their name and picture. Lastly, the students head to the tables to do their morning assignment.
I print out the student pictures and type their names under their pictures. Print and laminate. 1 year I put magnets on the backs of the pictures and I just drew up the graph on a little white board easel. 1 of the student jobs was to take down the pictures and put them neatly in a little box magnetized to the white board. The next morning, I would put the pictures up on my big white board and they would take them over to the white board easel. This year, I have my graph in the back of the class on some spare space. I used velcro this time instead. The student pictures are taken down and left on the ledge for quick access the next day.
With this routine - my students are always going in a smooth flow from 1 thing to the next. This prevents the students from getting in each others way and distracted. Love this too because I can quickly look at my graph and see who is still on the ledge and mark them absent.
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