Piles of student papers, pending projects, and office supplies can easily turn a promising classroom into frenzied chaos. It causes increased stress and teaching efforts become less effective. Students and teachers become distracted in the midst of the madness. Organizing isn’t difficult, but it takes a conscious effort. Here are 3 tips for a more organized classroom:
Start with your desk.
Your desk is the hub of the classroom. If it is messy, the rest of the classroom will follow suit. Keeping things tidy prevents papers from getting lost and provides structure to lesson plans and implementation. It also sets a good example of expectations for the rest of the room. Students will be encouraged to keep their workstations neat if that is the tone emitted from the teacher’s desk. Start organizing by cleaning your desk, and your next organizing steps will become clear.
1) Plan your entire week. Don’t stop on Wednesday hoping you’ll have time to finish planning later in the week. Plan the entire week before it starts. Once the week is rolling along, you may not find time to continue planning. Starting the week with a full plan removes stress, improves patience, and settles the mind for better teaching practices.
2) Keep a routine. Organization is not a single act. It is a habit. That is why you need to develop an organization routine. Each morning, start with your desk. Review your plans for the week, including weekly organizing tasks. Once the routine is developed, you won’t have to try to be organized all the time. You simply will be organized.
3) Curriculum development is often prioritized over basic things like organization, but it is important to be organized in order to effectively deliver that curriculum. That is why it is important to spend a little time focusing on maintaining an organized classroom. It will benefit you and your students and increase productivity in the classroom.
