One of the parts of my teaching life that I feel like is always changing is the organization of the "stuff". I'll use something a year or two and then tweak it to make it more useful. I have also changed jobs over the past three years going from the classroom to district level and then I changed districts altogether for another new position as a campus reading specialist.
Background info: I really haven't bounced around like it kinda sounded in the previous paragraph....I taught 5th and 6th grade in one district for 9 years and then became the district reading specialist for 5th and 6th grades for my 10th year...and then I moved and changed districts and am now a campus reading specialist in my new district for my 11th year.
For this year, I needed a way to organize all of the hands-on activities for easy access. I just use different things than I did when I was teaching a regular reading class. So after several different attempts, I have something that's been working.
Background info: I really haven't bounced around like it kinda sounded in the previous paragraph....I taught 5th and 6th grade in one district for 9 years and then became the district reading specialist for 5th and 6th grades for my 10th year...and then I moved and changed districts and am now a campus reading specialist in my new district for my 11th year.
For this year, I needed a way to organize all of the hands-on activities for easy access. I just use different things than I did when I was teaching a regular reading class. So after several different attempts, I have something that's been working.
I dedicated a drawer for each topic or skill and put all of the hands-on type activities in these drawers.
I have also had to work on ways to organize all of the different activities. This way is not the best by any means but it working for now. Basically, I use file folders where I label the outside with the topic or skill as well as the actual title of the game or activity.
On the inside of the folder, I staple or glue the instructions and answer keys and then also put any originals. I label the originals with a highlighter to remind myself those are the originals and I can tell when I need to make more copies. If there are any cards of some sort, I put them in a baggie or envelope and label that as well. Then they go inside the drawers.
Some of the drawers have so many games or activities with cards so I put a basket inside the drawer to house the cards. With the baggies labeled, it's super easy to find what I need.