Organizing and Storing Small Group Materials

 Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on my  links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks for your support!

 

I love hands-on activities for my students, especially for small groups and independent practice. It takes a lot of time to print, cut, and laminate activities, but it's worth it if I can keep them to reuse in future years. However, as I made and accumulated more activities, I quickly realized I needed a system to keep all of those materials organized. I love an organized classroom; clutter stresses me out and I hate wasting planning time digging through things.

I didn't want to use hanging files for my small group activities because most of them had smaller pieces that I also wanted to keep with it. For example, I had a weighing station that called for things like glue sticks, dominoes, and other classroom items for students to put in a scale. I wanted to be able to keep all of those things together so I could grab it and it would be ready to go.

Boxes take up too much space, especially if they are large enough to hold student worksheets, and they can get expensive.

These pocket file folders are perfect! They are large enough to hold manipulatives, cards, etc. while also storing any accompanying worksheets.

I put student worksheets in a folder, which goes inside the pocket file, so everything is together. I store the file folders in crates on shelves, but you could put them in a file cabinet. 

 

Whenever I'm needing students to practice a specific skill, I just look through the files and see what I already have prepped. It saves so much time and I love having tried-and-true activities at the ready.

Until next time, keep teaching with heart and passion!

School Year in Review: Faves and Flops

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This abnormal school year is finally drawing to a close. Though it has been shorter in duration (we started a month later than usual, as did many other districts), it has felt longer with the extra strain of teaching during a pandemic. I was blessed to be fully in-person for most of the year, with the exception of the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, during which we were remote, but that was not without its challenges. Keeping 6-year-olds distanced and wearing masks, making sure everyone was frequently washing hands, the revolving door of students in quarantine, the lack of in-person connection with parents, the absence of fun traditions like field trips, etc.--it has all taken its toll. As usual, I am sad to tell my students goodbye, but I am more than ready for a break.

Looking back on this crazy year, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of my favorite things, and some things I tried that didn't work out as well. Teaching is an art, and, as with any other art form, you are constantly learning and honing your skill.

 

 

Fave: This adorable rug

My littles love to scooch close to me on the carpet and I am constantly afraid of rocking over their little fingers. I also am a person who gets overwhelmed by too much sensory input, like touching, and sometimes need some space from the little hands that want to constantly be patting or tugging at me. I realized that a rug would provide a perfect visual boundary, as well as being cute. It matches my colorful decor well and, being an inexpensive rag rug, I'm not too worried about it getting torn up. I love the happy pop of color it provides, and it has worked quite well to define my space for my students.

They do *not* still look this cute after a year of use!

Flop: Individual student lap desks

Oh, they looked so cute on Pinterest, and as we were being told we had to keep kids spaced apart all day, the collaborative tables I usually use were not an option. Individual desks were low in supply in my district, with everyone wanting them, and it didn't seem age appropriate to ask first graders to sit at them all day. This seemed like such a good option!

At first, I loved it, and my kids loved it. But as time went on, I realized the desks were a pain. They were so lightweight that they got kicked/knocked over easily, they moved about too freely on the carpet, and they became a catch-all for all the little things that 6-year-olds treasure (read: stuff that should be thrown away). They also were not as sturdy as I had hoped, and it didn't take long for many of them to crack. Surprisingly, many of my students started requesting to sit at the couple of traditional desks I had left in the room. As I had already suspected in years prior, the kids do better with occasional movement, and going from desk to floor sitting throughout the day provides that.

I'm looking forward to ditching the individual desks and returning to collaborative tables next year, but hey, I tried something new!

 

Fave: This student mailbox system

This helped so much with organization and made it possible for me to only send home papers once a week, as opposed to every day, without having them piled on my desk or having the kids shove them in their cubbies. It was a little pricey, but it was worth it to me to get the wooden version as opposed to the cardboard versions. It also took a bit of time to put together, but I am so glad I took that time.

 

Flop: Yoga mats for students 

These seemed like a great idea to accompany the lap desks. However, it didn't take long for little pieces of the foam to start flaking off. I even had a couple of students cut slits in the sides of them with safety scissors, so they just weren't durable enough for daily classroom use. They also became a tripping hazard, and cleaning and rolling them up each day became quite the chore. This flexible seating option gets a hard "no" from me.

Fave: This small group system

I love, love, love this thing! It makes it so easy to change groups around and to organize materials--provided they are worksheet-type activities. My only complaint is that it's not convenient to organize small group activities such as games, which I tend to utilize a lot in my classroom. On those days, I put a note in the file folder that lists/explains the day's activity and then put the activity materials in a color-coordinated tub. Problem solved! This system makes things really easy for subs, paras, and anyone else who may be coming in to work with small groups.

 

Flop: This headphones organizer

You guys, I really wanted to love this. It seemed like such a great organizational solution! I even created an editable headphones organizer that I listed in my TPT store. This may be fine for older grades, but most of my kids were too short to reach the top row or two. The bottom of the organizer was already at the floor, so I couldn't lower it anymore. The weight of all of the headphones (plus the kids yanking on it trying to get headphones out from higher rows) proved to be too much for the Command hooks holding it on the wall, too, so I was having to frequently rehang it. All in all, I decided it was easier for the kids to keep their headphones in the baskets in their cubbies.

Well, there's my list of faves and flops for the 2020-2021 school year. I would love to hear your own faves and flops!

Until next time, keep teaching with heart and passion!

The Last Teacher Planner You'll Ever Need

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on my  links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks for your support!

UPDATE 02/2021: This is now also available in a darling boho rainbow theme!

Getting organized and keeping track of all the little things is one of the biggest struggles of teaching, amIright? There are just so many things, multiplied by so many kids...it can make your head swim. It takes a while to figure out a system that works for you.

I have tried out several different teacher planners throughout my career, and I have never found one that is just right. Some have too many things I'll never use, so I'm lugging around a 300-page book, of which I use about 50 pages. Others don't include enough, so I end up using 3 other notebooks along with it. Finally, I decided to design my own planner, my Goldilocks-just-right planner. (Sorry, when you teach early childhood, you relate things to fairy tales). 

Well, you guys, I think I've done it. This planner has it all: schedules, student info, parent communication, calendars, planners, staff meeting notes, professional development notes, assessment trackers, and more. It even has an entire section for special education, with IEP goals, dates, data tracking, and individual schedules.

 

My favorite part: you can print and use only what you need. If you don't teach special education, just don't print that section. No sense in having pages in your planner that you don't need! If you need extra lesson planning pages, just print more! You can also easily add to it throughout the year, so there's no worries if you end up changing your mind about how to organize things midway through the year. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this!)

The best part: the planner is undated, so you can use it year after year. Just reprint whatever pages you need and write in the new information as needed.

 

The file is in PowerPoint, and while the elements themselves cannot be edited due to copyright, you can overlay text boxes to add text, like putting your name on the cover.

The file includes two sizes: a standard 8.5" x 11", and a 9" size that is compatible with the Happy Planner punch. I love how it looks with cute binder discs, but you could always just use a standard 3-hole punch and a binder.

I hope this planner helps save you time by having all of your essential information in one place, so that you can spend more time on the important things and less time shuffling through papers. 

Find it here in my store, or here in my TPT shop.

Keep teaching with heart and passion!

Organizing Wonders Reading Curriculum

Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, I will receive a small compensation at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

 

My district adopted Wonders reading curriculum this year. There are so many components! Leveled readers, decodable readers, vocabulary cards, high frequency cards, interactive readaloud cards...as I opened box after box, I quickly became overwhelmed with the idea of keeping it all organized and easily accessible.

Now that we are a quarter of the way into the school year, I have perfected an organizational system that really works for me, and makes my weekly prep a breeze. I'm sharing it here in hopes that it will help someone else who is overwhelmed with the task of organizing all of these materials.

Since there are six units, I went with a rainbow color-coded system. This goes well with my classroom decor, and, if you've read my blog before, you know I'm a bit of a nerd with my color coding (see my first grade classroom reveal post and my Pre-K organizational post). You can easily use this system without color-coding, however! It would work just as well with a uniform color scheme, as long as everything is labeled.

EDITABLE binder covers and spines found here!

I purchased three-ring binders and cubby bins in the six colors I was using. I found the binders at Target, and the cubby bins (with the exception of orange) here on Amazon. Confession: I really, really wanted orange cubby bins that matched the rest of my set, and the only ones I could find on Amazon were transparent. I finally ordered these directly from the Storex website. They were super pricey compared to the others, but I haven't regretted it. In fact, it makes my teacher-heart happy every time I look at my shelves. I told you, I'm a nerd when it comes to color coding.

I divided up all of the leveled readers and decodable readers by unit, and then put them into the cubby bins in order by week.

I used these EDITABLE blank labels to make them pretty!

It took a bit of time initially, but now they are ready to go for small groups for the entire school year. Bonus: the ESOL teacher who comes in to support some of my kids knows exactly where to find them, and I don't have to remember to set them out for her each day.

The real time-saver is my binder system. It took quite a while to set up, but now it's done--forever! I have one binder for each unit, which has tabs inside for each of the five weeks in the unit. Behind each tabbed page is a page protector.

I divided all of the materials by week--the high frequency word cards, the visual high frequency word cards, the vocabulary and oral vocabulary cards, the small group cards--and placed them inside the page protector.

Now, when I'm planning, I just flip to the tab that has the upcoming week's materials, pull everything out, and put it in my rainbow drawer unit, with the exception of the small group cards. Those go into the bin with the readers so my small groups are literally grab and go.

I put the interactive readaloud cards for the week on top of the unit, as they are too large for the drawers.

So fast and easy! When the week is over, I slide everything back into the page protector and then flip to the next page. I love not having to dig through cards every week!

My only problem is that the interactive readaloud cards are so big, they don't fit in my drawers or my binders. It's not a big deal, however, as I keep them in a box with a few of the other resources, such as the large letter-sound cards. I keep the interactive readalouds in order by week, so at the end of the week I put the ones I'm finished with in the back, and then the current week is always at the front. So there's no digging through anything for those, either.

The other resources are stored neatly in boxes or crates and are also readily accessible.

These little crayon boxes are perfect for those tiny word building cards!

I could easily have added the photo cards and letter-sound cards to the unit binders, which may be a great suggestion if you use them frequently. Personally, I utilize a lot of the online resources for those things. However, it still only takes me a minute to find these in the event that I need them.

I love having so many resources to use, as long as I don't have to waste hours every week trying to put it all together. This organizational system has been very helpful to me, and I hope it is to you, too!
Do you have any tips for organizing Wonders? Let me know in the comments!

First Grade Classroom Reveal!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of my links, I'll receive a small commission at no cost to you!

You guys, I am in love with my classroom this year! I love how all the decor came together, and I love the overall "feeling" when I walk into the room. It's bright, cheerful, and welcoming.

Seriously how perfect is this lamp?! I found it in my parents' basement and had to "steal" it!

Our school theme this year is "Just Be...", as in "Just Be Respectful", "Just Be Kind", etc. so I painted the "Just Be...You" banner to hang above my windows. After I put it up and put the shapes posters on either side of it, I thought it still needed a little more color. This rainbow bunting was exactly what I needed!

I opted to get rid of the rug that was in here when I arrived and just use carpet spots. They're amazing!

My shelves look so bare because I was waiting for our new curriculum to be delivered! I didn't get a close up, but I used these Storex cubby bins for my leveled readers that you can see in the corner, and they are perfect!

My word wall cards make me happy!

My room is such a hodge-podge of things that came together perfectly. This crate bench was given to me by another teacher who didn't want it anymore.

Positive affirmations to encourage my students (and myself!) every day! I brightened up this space with these watercolor dot decals and I love it!

This focus wall is quick and easy to change! I bought these dry erase pockets because I wanted one of each color, and didn't need a whole ton of extras. Oh, and isn't this bulletin board trim amazing?! I was ecstatic when I found it!

These Storex book bins are great for my classroom library! Confession, though: I ordered the orange bins directly from the Storex website because I really wanted orange, and I needed 6 colors for the 6 units in my reading curriculum.

My bookshelves look a little sparse here, but I am happy to say that my shelves are now fully stocked, thanks to some generous donations through Donors Choose for a new classroom library!

You can find the number posters here!

I didn't plan out the spacing very well on my job chart, haha!

Here's a close up of my classroom schedule and job chart.

Rainbow class calendar! It can also be used in a pocket chart or as a linear calendar.

Rainbow weather and seasons set!

My teacher toolbox is a lifesaver, especially when working with paras or subs! Get the editable labels here, and check out this post for step-by-step instructions on how to make it!

Have you noticed I'm a tad obsessed with my color-coded organization? Editable binder covers and spines here!

Editable lunch attendance system here!

The idea for this headphones organizer is not new with me, but it has worked perfectly! Find it here!

I always want my students to know that I love them and want the best for them. When they leave my classroom, they are left with this goodbye message. 

My school uses the Zones of Regulation and has the students check in daily. I check in, too, and we talk about our emotions a lot throughout the day. (Due to copyright restrictions on the Zones of Regulation, I cannot offer this check in system for sale. I created it for my own personal classroom use.)

Display outside my classroom door. The paint splotches are attached to clothespins where I will hang student work throughout the year.

We have these display cases outside our doors, so of course I had to hang a trauma-informed poster!

Morning greeting choices are all the rage right now, and I can see why! My students love it, and I love how it allows me to make a connection with each child every day in a way that is most comfortable for them. Find this set here!

I've saved the favorite part of my classroom for last! This area is my peace corner. It's an area where students can go to self-regulate.

Right above my peace corner is my birthday calendar. Students love seeing their pictures and being able to see when their friends' birthdays are! Find the birthday calendar here!

I always want my students to feel safe and loved, especially when they're upset!

My peace corner has a basket of items to help students calm down and regulate.

So there you have it, my new classroom! I know the bright colors can be overstimulating for some kids, so I have to balance that by keeping everything very neat. I work hard to keep it organized and free of clutter. Clutter stresses me out, and I think it can also stress students out. So far all of my new friends seem to be settling in well and enjoying our new space; we're off to a great start to our school year!

Want all of the rainbow decor? Get the bundle here and save 20%!