[Teddi9192]

your masters?

I am thinking of making a binder for each month and sorting by core area. That way I am making sure I am following our map and my lesson planning will be quick. A quick sheet will send me to the right pgs in the text books etc. Also notes on projects / centers. Maybe plan three weeks with 1 week for remediation / enrichment. How does this sound?

[TeacherCarrie]

I think sounds like a good system that could work for you. I tried keeping my stuff in binders and I did not like how I couldn't fit as much. I decided to go back to using a filing system in my filing cabinet. Plus, a lot of stuff is saved on my flash drive.

I organize by core subjects tab. Then, behind each tab in file folders (that I drop into hanging file folders) I separate them into units or even under an objective or standard topic. When it comes to wanting to grab a math lesson in measurement, I know exactly where to look and so on.

[act56]

how about those cardboard magazine holders?
They hold up better (I think) and they hold a lot
of stuff. You could just
label the subject/lesson/etc. on the outside.
They fit nicely on a shelf.

[catlover]

One good thing about binders is that you can always tell which copy is your original since it has the holes in it.

[Hummingbird]

My coworkers laugh at me because I am the BINDER QUEEN! I have been using binders to organize myself for 7 of my 8 years of teaching.

This is what I do:
I have one binder for each subject I teach (reading, spelling, English grammar, writing, math, science, social studies). Each subject binder is divided into chapters (or stories for reading). I have all of my tests, study guides, worksheets, activities, projects, websites, books, etc. that I need to teach that chapter in the order that I need it. I put my transparencies in page protectors in the binders; I always have trouble punching holes in them. My dad got tired of prying the jammed transparencies out of my hole puncher.

Then I have a binder for my morning work. It is divided into 5 sections: Monday (Writing Practice), Tuesday (General Math Practice), Wednesday (Editing Practice), Thursday (Word Problem Practice), Friday (Geography Practice).

I have another binder for standardized test practice divided into 7 sections (Reading/Comprehension, Editing, Writing, Information Resources, Math, Science, Social Studies).

Everything else (brain teasers, holiday activities, time fillers/fun pages) is organized into file folders and is stored in my filing cabinet.

If I find interesting information in teacher magazines or websites relating to something I teach, I put it in the appropriate section of the appropriate binder. Every year I clean out my binders to throw away all the "stuff" I didn't use. It was really difficult for me to get in the habit of "weeding" through my "gems" because I'm afflicted with the same disease most teachers have...."what if I need it some day." There's so much stuff on the internet these days, I'm sure I'll find something similiar or even better. That makes it a little bit easier to "let go."

I tried using just file folders: that didn't work for me because I wouldn't "weed" through the folders until my filing cabinet didn't close! The magazine holders didn't work either because they collected too much dust sitting out on a shelf.

I store my binders laying down with the spine out on a bookshelf.

Best wishes!

[teachnkids]

Hummingbird----wanna come visit me and organize a binder system for me? I'm so desperate for help with this! I think it would help me so much!!

[Hummingbird]

just takes practice and time to find out what works for you!

Don't be afraid to throw away!

[francis]

Wow-impressive. I haven't converted all my files yet, but I'm working on it. It works much better for me too because I used to end up with piles of papers to refile. Now I take the binder to the copy room, keep it open, make copies and put it back in. I open the binder on my desk, use a transparency and clean/put it back in at recess or the end of the day. It keeps me a lot more organized. After 14 years of teaching and I also going to work with a fellow teacher and work on a master plan for the year-listing spelling/voc etc.. by the week. We're going to do the whole year. I'm excited. I am also planning a Dr. Suess beginning of the year.