Survival… Tips & Tricks for a Successful Year! Presented by Vann M. Lassiter 2011 Northeast NC Regional Teacher of the Year
Dec 06, 2014
Survival…
Tips & Tricks for a Successful Year!
Presented by Vann M. Lassiter
2011 Northeast NC Regional Teacher of the Year
What are your goals?
On a post-it-note, write what you hope to gain
from today’s presentation.
Objective: By the conclusion of this presentation we will share tips and tricks to help organize ourselves, our classrooms, and our students.
WHY? Teachers and students spend more time on-task
Behavior issues & discipline problems are reduced
Organized classrooms produce organized minds (i.e. less stress)
If you don’t plan…THEY will
(i.e. I would rather manage than discipline!)
What’s my name? Create a nameplate for your desk. It should include your
name written in any style and a small picture which represents
your mood, hobbies, or personality. Be creative!
Daily Procedures “Ideal hands are the devil’s tools.”
Post everything…
Objectives Homework Key dates Activities Schedules Rules Student Work /
Pictures A clock
Daily Procedures Students Love Consistency!
Begin each class with a “bell ringer” or “warm-up.”
Don’t take class time to take attendance…be creative!
Layout materials in a specific spot (i.e. on the bookcase).
Set HIGH expectations and don’t back down!
Reward when necessary.
Model…Model…Model!
What should I model?
Daily Procedures Everyone say, “OOOOOOOOO.”
Assign each student a “lucky number.” Use them for…
Books Alphabetizing tests & materials Lining up (in elementary school) Dividing students into groups Asking questions orally Helps with gradebook entry Clickers and other equipment
Daily Procedures
Create a “student section” in your room.
Pens/Pencils Sharpener Hole punch “Turn In” Station Stapler
Don’t sweat the small stuff!
Daily Procedures Establish entrance and exit procedures (i.e. bathroom, office, water, tardies, telephone).
Passbooks Sign-Out Sheets Hall Badges Practice telephone etiquette
Setting the Tone Get to know your students immediately…more than
just their names!
Have students create personal nameplates. Create seating charts…label assigned seats
before students arrive. Take roll later…begin class with an activity!
Incorporate roll taking into the lesson. Know what makes them tick and celebrate the
small stuff (birthdays, winnings, positions, etc.).
“Right or wrong,
accurate or not, your
reputation will precede you.”
Forming Groups Establish “group rules.” Introduce the “appointment clock.” Pull a Card (each card has similar picture and
groups are formed evenly) Group by birthday month Use UNO cards (similar numbers work together) Famous Pairs (EX: Fred and Wilma or Rudy and Bill
Cosby) Puzzle Pieces
Calling On Students… “Who’s on deck?” Pull the Popsicle Stick (i.e. the Lucky Number Concept) Clothes Pins Students Select Students (i.e. the one who answers picks
the next person) Think-Pair-Share Use dry erase boards / laminated paper (i.e. raise your
answer in the air) Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down (i.e. “Seven Up”) Popcorn
Transition Signals Create a saying such as “Hey – Ho”
5-4-3-2-1
Use music
Use a buzzer/bell
“When the hand goes up…the mouth goes shut.”
No Lights = Silence
Create “thumb’s up” and “thumb’s down” cards
Green Light, Yellow Light, Red Light…STOP!
“Early in my career I felt that organization would destroy my creativity. Whereas now, I feel the opposite. Discipline is the concrete that allows you to be
creative.” ~Verna Gibson
Handling Papers Teachers Go Through Mounds of Paper…Handle It Once!
Establish a place for students to turn in/pick up assignments...
File drawers
Crates with folders
Large baskets
Mailboxes
Magazine racks
Hanging clips on the side of student desks
Clipboards (good for class outside)
Color Code Files…
Use different folders for each assignment. Use folders or notebooks for originals and parent
documentation. Select a different color for each subject or
period. Color code by rows. Create an “end of year” folder using a “special
folder.” Establish folders for each day of the week. Great
for substitutes!
Example of Parent Contact Log
Handling Papers Work smarter…Not harder!
Have students highlight their names on assignments.
Try a rolodex file folder when traveling with papers.
Use hanging folders for student portfolios.
Establish a “new student” file. There is always one late arrival.
Use magnets to place missing work on the side of student desks or to the board.
Handling Papers Work smarter…Not harder!
Assign students as “The Catcher” to help students who were absent.
Designate 1 day a week as “feedback day” to return papers.
Designate a student as the “super filer.”
If you haven’t looked at a paper in more than a year, throw it away.
Handling Papers “It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” ~ Roosevelt
Laminate a copy of your class roster. Use and reuse it.
Save copies electronically. Create a computer filing system. Have a back-up copy.
Label everything.
Grade books & Plan books
Establish a grading/recording system that works for you.
Use eSIS and print copies. Use a physical gradebook. Organize by students first name Use online help (mygradebook, quia, etc.) You don’t have to grade everything!
Plan your way – use planbooks, a spiral notebook, PowerPoint, or MS Word.
Leave with a clean desk.
“Don't agonize. Organize.”
~Florence Kennedy
Let’s Share… In a group of three or four, share
organizational strategies you currently use
in your classroom and their effectiveness
AND/OR strategies you learned today you
wish to incorporate in your class.
The Top 10 Things You Didn’t Learn In College
“The Bottom Line” Be flexible…do what works for you!
Steal…Borrow…Reinvent from the best!
Have a sense of humor!
It’s okay to make mistakes! It’s never too late to start over!
“The Bottom Line” Make the custodians and secretarial staff
your friends!
Buy a large scrapbook…cherish the memories!
Take some time for yourself…as much as you want to please your students, parents, administrators, you must please yourself!
QUESTIONS?