A Couple of New Seating Arrangements

I still love experimenting with seating arrangements. My students always find it a challenge to find their seats. Those gender colored sticky note seating charts are a lifesaver! The seating charts are in page protectors and can usually be found on my podium. (A seating chart for three different classes can be changed in under five minutes.)

I've blogged about seating arrangements here, and you can see my seating charts here.

Here are a couple of new seating arrangements. I used this one for Speed Dating--actually Speed Meeting. (Valuable when students have to share information with a classmate. They can move quickly to change chairs and partners.)

The students loved this arrangement for a fun, quick-moving activity. (Most days they would be far too chatty for this to work.)

Now, I am experimenting with this V shaped arrangement.

You can see my podium on wheels where the seating charts are located. I'm using this during a novel study. I can use my rolling chair to roll up and down the rows of desks to check dialectical journals. And I love that I can still see every face.

I like changing the desk arrangements. Different activities call for different arrangements. Upon seeing a new arrangement, students expect to be doing something different. Switching it up is good for them and for me.

Necessity...

Yes, it really is the mother of invention. I'm sure I saw this on Pinterest, and it has been a lifesaver this year. There are three doors coming into my room. (Three!) Each of those doors is a "Columbine" door, meaning they are made of cement, can't be propped, and should remain locked most of the time for student safety. This little trick means that the students can enter the room, but we can also be on lockdown really quickly. (Well, as fast as I can sprint to three doors to remove them!)

Swim noodles. They aren't just for swimming anymore.

Weekly Schedule Board

I live four blocks from school. When I have a couple of free hours and I am tired of reading (rarely!), I run down to school to work for a couple of hours. Yesterday, I worked on a place to put the schedule for the three new preps I am teaching next year. (Washi tape and letters taped with double-sided tape to the non-magnetic board. With a magnetic board, I use the same tape but then the adhesive-backed magnets for the letters.)

This negates the need for the students to ask, "What are we doing today?" They always know.  (This board still needs the days of the week added along the side. I'm working on that.)

Maybe a bigger problem than students asking that question was that after I answered it 10 times, my smart mouth would start making up "creative" answers: swinging from the lights, nothing, just looking at each other, taking naps, coloring, etc. 

DIY Lesson Plan Book

We have an in-school printing business; however, I'm sure any copy center could put your lesson plan book together for you.

One colleague formats every page of her book and sends it to our printing business.  I did that last year, but this year I sketched a general idea of what I was looking for, and one of the students developed the pages for me.  I tweaked a few things, changed a few things completely, and told her what I wanted for a cover.  She did a great job and even thought of a few things I hadn't.

The juniors and seniors enrolled in the classes for this printing business do some incredible work under the eye of an outstanding young colleague.  She is super organized, super detail oriented, and super insistent that her students produce quality work.  (And yes, she really is Super Woman!)

Anyway, this is next year's lesson plan book.

I loved the sticky note book from last year, but I switched from card stock pages to a heavy weight paper.  (Not so bulky!) The printing class even has a paper cutter that will cut through an entire pad of sticky notes, so they cut the English class (green) notes to fit my pages. The Speech, Drama, and Forensic notes come in the size I need.

Now, you might be wondering why sticky notes? I like the fact that I can peel them off and stick them to my clipboard and then return them to the page at the end of the day. (My clipboard is my brain.) I love that when our schedule changes, I just have to pull up the note and attach it to a different date. And I especially love being able to write underneath the note if I run out of room or have things I want to remember about that day's lesson.

I handwrite the dates on the weeks of my book.  They could type them in for me, but I knew that made quite a bit more work and wasn't a big deal to me.  I did ask them to put in blank pages to separate the months.  I will add the school calendar for that month. (I reduce the size of the month and glue it in.) The rest of it I use for notes to myself. (Things I don't want to forget, standards that need to be evaluated again, or a student I want to keep an eye on.)

Finally, every month in the Notes column, I had a reminder added to check on my advisory students and how they were doing in classes.  (Something, I frequently forgot to do this past year.)  And I'm sure in another year, I will have several other reminders that I will be adding in the notes columns.

And that's it.  I don't add the sticky notes very far out--usually, just a month at a time.  It keeps me from wrinkling them before the week arrives. (My computer bag gives the book a bit of a work out.) I am going to see if I can get the cover laminated at the beginning of school.  The business kids tell me that adding something or changing something (like the cover), even in the middle of the year, is a snap.

Oh, and you might be wondering about the initials: R W S L on the English page.  That is to remind me that my sophomore English students should be involved in productive reading, writing, speaking, and listening in class- every single day.  (Emphasis on the word productive!)

A Teacher's Summer

Interspersed with trips to the water park, a short vacation, ball games, and other summer activities, I am already working on next year. And that is the life of a teacher.

What might most teachers be doing in the summer?

*Cleaning out files.  (Sometimes, actually filing all those loose papers we didn't get to during the year. Or is that just me??)

*Weeding out supplies: markers and pens that don't work any more, dried up glue sticks, tape dispensers that have "lost" their inner core, recycling paper and magazines that aren't needed, cleaning out all the excess in cupboards and drawers, and pitching all the lost and found items that weren't claimed.

*Planning for new teaching assignments and making lessons for the first weeks of school. (Three new assignments next year:  Speech, Drama, and Forensics. These require a different kind of planning than Sophomore English, but I'm on the hunt for all kinds of new activities!)

*Researching blogs and websites for new lesson planning ideas or classroom management techniques.  Some favorites:  Edudemic, AchievetheCore, Dr. Curtis Chandler, Edutopia, Teachers.net, ReadWriteThink, and WeAreTeachers.
  (Best resource for finding new ideas: Twitter.)

*Designing needed methods of tracking data (Spreadsheets, Google Docs, etc.)--and it would be oh so helpful if Excel were working this summer.

*Writing shared formative and summative assessments for classes.

*Tweaking class notebooks in English II.  (Between Standard's Based Grading and Interactive Notebooks, I'm not sure which was the best addition to my classes last year.)

If I plan and work now, next year will be much less stressful.

Oh, and I really need to select next spring's All School Production.  If I leave it until after school starts, I will be hunting the show over Christmas Break. Then, I really will be rushed and unprepared at the start of 2nd semester.

June, July, and August.  These days, I consider them an extended Plan Period.

First World Problems

I mentioned that I will be switching rooms next year, right?  The room I am moving to is one of my favorite rooms in our school.  That's the good news.

The bad news?  Anyone who has a key to our school auditorium has a key to my room and my huge prop closet where my file cabinet will be stored. (Why, you might ask?  My room is the passing area behind stage.  One key allows access to all areas stage related.)

The really bad news?  I don't have a file cabinet that locks.  (Which of course isn't near as bad as my student-teacher-soon-to-be-colleague who doesn't have file cabinet at all.)

It hasn't been lost on me that all of my files, tests, etc. will be easily accessible to anyone with a key.

The good news?  There is one wooden coat closet/cupboard that locks.  I will be the only person with the key to it.

So what am I doing?  After searching on Pinterest for some kind of answer, I am cleaning out my file cabinet and creating notebooks of all the units that I teach.  I save what I want and keep a copy for my student-teacher-soon-to-be-colleague and am throwing out the rest.

My file cabinet will still hold old units or files from classes that I no longer teach.  (Though I am sorting through all of that, too.) I am hoping that what is left only takes up one or two drawers of my huge cabinet.  The rest will be used for script storage.

Each of my new unit notebooks holds page protectors where I store tests, activities/exercises, and copies of assignments.  I will be able to pull out what I need to use.  Everything should be easy to find.

The early stages of this project

When I move to my new room, these notebooks will be stored on a shelf in my locking closet/cupboard.  Did I mention that I will have the only key? With a great deal of work and quite a bit of downsizing, I will have curriculum security again. The best solution to a fairly crummy problem.

How much work is this?  I spent six hours and managed to sort and store 4 units.  (Two of them were really small units.) And my trash can was full.

I'm not sure how many days this is going to take, but I am sure it will be worth it.  I'm also sure that when I retire (5-8 years away?), I will be quite glad that I did this work now. (Less to throw away then!)

Desk Arrangements

I have come to believe that mixing up desks and seating arrangements is beneficial to learning.  Desks in small groups, in pairs, in a big circle, or even two straight lines can be useful to different lessons.

I use groups of four desks the most often.  This arrangement is great for group projects or small discussions. Everyone can see the teacher and the front board. It also makes my room look much larger.

To begin the year, I like to put the students in pairs.  Frequently, they work with someone they might not know that well and if I mix up the pairs often enough, my classes become acquainted quickly. (There are two ways to do pairs, either side by side or face to face. I've used both at different times.)

A circle of desks works well for Socratic Circles, but the students love one big circle for reading plays aloud, too.  I've tried it with writing days, but have quickly found the importance of being able to see everyone's computer screen at all times. (Don't ask!)

This is a small circle for Socratic Circles.

Two straight lines facing each other work well for face-off discussions, and also for passing writings or other projects up and down the rows from student to student. This way they have a chance to see their peer's work. Leaving the project, writing, or computer on the desk and having the students move also works well.

Finally, I use traditional rows of desks for final exam days and for writing days.  My desk is in the back of the room so while students are facing away from me, I can see everyone's screen. This works great on writing days.  On exam days, I work from the front of the room or walk around.

In order for these arrangements to work, I have created cardboard barriers for testing/quiz days. They can test in almost every room arrangement by putting up the cardboard barriers, if they are needed. (Mine are tri-fold displays cut in two, though I've heard pizza boxes work well, too.)

I project new seating arrangements on my document reader for everyone to see.  Students know where to sit when they enter the room. (I can't imagine the chaos if they waited for me to seat them.) If you make your seating chart with sticky notes, it is easy to change your seating arrangements. I am forever grateful to the cute, young colleague who taught me this trick!  I also like to use the computer seating chart that comes with our grade book program and has photos of students.  (I'm pretty sure subs love this one, too.)

Oh, almost forgot one.  We don't watch videos very often.  In fact, I rarely show a full movie, but the Friday before break I was showing them bits and pieces (mainly the stabbing and the battle scenes) of Julius Caesar. This was a popular arrangement, though we could have used some popcorn. (There were four rows like this.)

Does it take work to switch it up?  Yes, a little.  Is it worth it? Definitely.

My favorite quote of the year? Upon seeing yet another arrangement of desks one student said,  "Mrs. E, you gotta get a new hobby."

But the most surprising??  My custodian loves cleaning my room.  I guess they need a change once in awhile, too.

Want more seating arrangements or seating chart ideas? Click on the seating arrangement label in the sidebar.

Things Teachers Need

I'm sure other teachers can add to this list, but these are the things that make my day happy!

Breath mints.  I still remember a smoking, coffee drinking teacher whose breath knocked me out as a high school student.  I almost always have some kind of mints or gum in a drawer of my desk.  I don't want to be THAT teacher.

Coffee.  (Hence the breath mints.)  I'm not sure how people operate without coffee.  "Never underestimate the power of a highly caffeinated woman."  Whoever said that knew what they were talking about.

School gear.  High school kids in our area appreciate seeing the adults in school, supporting them on game days.  I have old football jerseys, a couple of hoodies, t-shirts that are older than they are, and several neatly monogrammed shirts provided to the staff.  Fortunately, the school colors happen to be a favorite.

Ice water.  Year round.  I have several insulated glasses that don't sweat.  (Current favorite: a Bubba Cup.)  I usually drink two large glasses of ice water a day. Besides being good for me, I'm not sure how my voice/throat would hold up without it.

Glitz Bic pens. They come in a package with about 8 different colors, and I love the way they write.  I now grade in lime green, sky blue, pink, and purple. Just seeing the pens in the drawer of my desk makes me happy.  (I have to confess, I hide them from subs.  I lose more pens and pencils on days of substitutes!) I think these little gems are 88 cents a package.

A computer bag.  I would have said a brief case at one time, but the computer bag works better for me these days.  I had a canvas and leather LL Bean bag that I loved; however, the school switched to macs and my computer no longer fit in my bag.  This year, I made the switch to a Vera Bradley computer bag.  (It was half price, or this teacher never would have spent the money for it.)

The lunch size crock pot.  This was a Christmas gift from my faculty Secret Santa. (Sweet, young former student, now colleague.)  Best.Gift.Ever!!  Leftovers are hot and ready to go by lunchtime.  The inside metal pot is removable for easy cleaning, too.  No more waiting for the microwave in the workroom.

A survival pack for me would also have to include:  dental floss, Shout Wipes, safety pins, bobby pins, and sample sizes of hairspray and Static Guard.

Do I NEED all of these things?  No, but I sure LOVE them!

Old Dog, New Tricks: Standards Based Grading So Far

My switch to Standards Based Grading has been... interesting.

This was my initial post on Sophomore English grading and my grade book.

First of all, I have changed using a √ and a 0 in the formatives. (I know how parents can freak out over a zero, even if it isn't affecting their student's grade. They assume the assignment hasn't been completed.)  Formatives are now rated with an S, S-or U.  The formatives still have no affect on the student grade, but they let the student (and the parent) know if they understand the standard or need further work before the Summative test.

The biggest challenge has been the mindset of the teacher. (That would be me. Gulp.) One short unit can involve several standards, and each of those standards requires two formatives, reteaching activities, and a summative test.  My grade book now looks like this:

(Well, that is a portion of this nine week's grades so far. Oh, and the Standard RL2 Determining Theme or Central Idea and its development is going to be revisited-probably more than once.)

Thankfully, formatives don't have to be a quiz. (Though they can be.)  They can also be teacher anecdotal notes from observation, exit tickets, standards practice in their notebooks, etc.  Getting past the idea that students only show progress based on a quiz has been quite helpful and not nearly so limiting.

I really like this grading rubric on the Summative assessment of a standard.

10= Advanced- superior mastery
  9= High Proficiency- progressing toward advanced mastery
  8= Proficient Grade Level- mastery meets standard level
  7= Basic- limited understanding
  6=  Improvement necessary
  5=  Insufficient effort
  0=  Absent for summative

That being said, my student grades have changed.  A student really has to go above and beyond to show superior mastery. An A+ was easier to earn using the old method of grading.  On the other end of the scale, fewer students are failing.  Most students can show at least a basic or limited understanding of a skill or standard.

What does this mean?
1. A student who has done the minimum requirements has a tough time earning an A+, and they aren't thrilled about being challenged to show advanced or superior work.  I haven't had the first parent/teacher conferences since switching to this system, but I have a hunch that will be a discussion with some parents.

2. I spend quite a bit more time in the planning stages of lessons and units that I have taught for years.  I have to determine which standards I will emphasize, write the summative evaluation of each standard, decide how I will evaluate the standards through formatives, create the formative evaluations, and create some method of reteaching for students who need it.

3. Above all, I have to limit the number of standards that I evaluate in a unit.  A short unit might have several reading standards, a writing standard, and a speaking/listening standard. Julius Caesar could have included 10-15 standards. (I have narrowed it down to seven or eight this year.) Keeping track of student progress on the formatives, reteaching, and summative tests is a bit of a juggling act; however, it gives a much clearer picture of what the student actually knows. And isn't that what a grade is supposed to show?

Right now, this switch to Standards Based Grading has been quite a bit of work.  The best part is that it is becoming second nature to me now, and I feel like I have a much more thorough knowledge of the standards.  The work that I do this year is going to make next year that much simpler, if only because I have walked through the process this year.

Have I mentioned that I have had company on this road to change?  I am quite thankful for Sweet Young Former Student Now Colleague, an amazing Student Teacher, and my math colleagues who are jumping in this year, too.  It is always better to have friends to travel the road with you!

HS ELA Interactive Notebooks

I'm not really sure how many changes a teacher should make in their class each year.  I seem to be pushing it.  Standards Based Grading, figuring out a Standards Based Grade Book, creating my own Sticky Note Lesson Plan book, and beginning Interactive Notebooks have all added to my workload this year. (And then I wonder why I spend every evening and weekend organizing.)

As challenging as this has been, I have really appreciated the Interactive Notebooks.  Daily work assignments that used to be in stacks on my counter, are now neatly tucked away in their notebooks.  I collect the notebooks every 3-4 weeks for a thorough grading, but I stamp or checkmark short in-class assignments when I need to see immediate results.

The notebooks aren't perfect this year and I already have a few changes in mind for next year, but I am pretty pleased with the way the interactive notebooks simplify grading.  The bonus is that students are creating their own reference book and can use it as a resource when they need to locate a format, a grammar rule, or an example. (The Table of Contents that they fill in will assure easy access.) These notebooks also teach students one of the skills that will make or break them in the future: organization!

The only drawback?  To simplify things, I had students add journal writings to their notebooks this year.  I haven't minded it, but my daughter (who was once my student) didn't like that at all.  She believes that the journals should be separate from their class notebook.  She is probably right.  That is food for thought for next year.

As much work as this year has been, I feel like the changes will benefit me in the years to come. I won't be reinventing the wheel every year, thank goodness.  And the interactive notebooks have already simplified the grading of daily work and short writing assignments.

This was just another change in Room 304 this year.

Oh, and did I mention this was a year of new textbooks, too.  Yes, a really fun year.

Standards Based Grading in a High School ELA class

I understand why Standards Based Grading (SBG) is important, but for several months now I have not been able to find anything about how to go about SBG in a high school English classroom.  Everything I have read has been math and/or elementary and middle school related.  High school grades are different because they have to translate into a letter grade that contributes to the student's GPA, which determines scholarships and college admission. (Suddenly SBG becomes quite a bit more important.)

As for math, let's face it: English isn't nearly as clear cut as math.  I think I'm beginning to see that we English teachers bring on quite a bit of that ourselves.  SBG requires us to be much more deliberate in teaching skills. The way I have been teaching has become as natural to me as breathing. Why? I wasn't evaluating individual progress on those standards until the unit test--when it was too late for the student who wasn't understanding.  So, what would I do?  I'd just teach the next unit and hope the ones who didn't understand that skill the first time would understand it the 2nd time. (Sometimes they did; sometimes they didn't.)

Standards Based Grading forces me to take one short poem that I teach and recognize that for summatives I will be testing figurative language skills, understanding theme and central idea development, and small group discussion skills. In the same unit I will be beginning the first formatives to check understanding of representation in two mediums and giving a presentation making strategic use of digital media.  Whew! (I've never been so concrete in my life!)

Thankfully, bright young math colleague, terrific biology colleague, and a smart young student teacher have all helped me through the process of trying to find something that might work.  (I'm pretty sure there are still things to change and tweaking to be done.)

We use Power School's PowerTeacher Gradebook at Tiny Town High.  I was having trouble figuring out how to make the electronic grade book work so that I didn't have to create a separate spreadsheet to keep track of student progress.  I think I have finally hit upon a solution.

These are some of the things that will be happening:

*Formatives won't contribute to the final grade.  They will be tracked in the grade book, but they won't help or hurt the grade.  Students and parents will be able to see what the student needs to work on: a checkmark (changed to an S) will indicate adequate progress, and a zero (changed to a U) will indicate the student needs more work on the skill; however, the zero doesn't affect their grade. (I know parents equate 0 with a grade, thus the change.) Formatives will be happening almost daily: quizzes, writing, exit cards, and teacher observation. On top of that, our school has several interventions built in for students who aren't making adequate progress. I can assign them to a tutoring room for help or contact their advisory teacher for help during advisory time. Reteaching can be as simple as one-on-one conferences or as involved as an organized lesson with several assignments to work through.

*Summatives will be 95% of the class grade. My hope would be that every student can demonstrate at least basic understanding of a skill, especially after reteaching or tutoring. The summative grade for a particular skill could change if the standard is visited again and the student does better or worse on a different summative later in the semester. This will help students see how important it is to retain the skills they have gained and not just to learn it for one particular summative and then forget all about it.

*Finally, 5% of their grade will be based on Career Skills.  Right now, there are two career skills: following directions and organization.  (I know that this is one area that could/should be dropped, but I am finding it difficult to cut right now.)

This screen shot shows the final grade set up in PowerGrade:

These are my three category explanations:

This will be what the assignments could look like in my grade book.

The grade book looks like this with student names on the left.

Finally, each summative will be worth 10 points. This is the rubric for those 10 points:

10= Advanced- superior mastery
  9= High Proficiency- progressing toward advanced mastery
  8= Proficient Grade Level- mastery meets standard level
  7= Basic or limited understanding
  6=  Improvement necessary
  5=  Insufficient effort
  0=  Absent for summative

Clear as mud?  That's how it started for me, too.
Does it work?  I'll get back to you on that!
Am I doing it all wrong?  I could be. (I'm sure I will hear about it.)
Questions or comments?  Feel free to leave them below.

My Sticky Note Lesson Plan Book

I made a template for a new Lesson Plan Book this year.  (Smart young colleague/former student has designed her own lesson plan book for several years.  I'm not quite as organized as she is, so what works for her needed some tweaking for me.) My book has room for notes in the squares, but the actual lesson plan will be on a sticky note that covers the square.  (Underneath it will also be a great place for notes on what went well or what needs to be changed.) It will also be super easy to pull the note off and attach it to the next day when schedules are interrupted.

I teach two classes, so with only two preps, the template is set up for my schedule.  Also, we are on a 7 period schedule, not a block.  It shouldn't be hard to adapt this to a block schedule.

It was important to me to see a whole week at a time, so I designed my template in Landscape rather than portrait.

Each day of the week will have a sticky note with the day's plans. The letters and numbers that are in each square are just reminders to me. (For Reading/English Op Class, they are time to spend on Vocabulary, Reading and Writing. And for English they are simply Bell Work, Standard, and Closing.)

There are 6 squares a week, so the final square is for things I need to remember, methods that worked, data, or even a to-do list.

Since Tiny Town High has an in-house printing company, I had them print my lesson plan book.  (I know there are companies that will do it for you.)  The companies allow you to design your own cover, add calendar pages, monthly reminders, etc.  I love our in-house company. She consulted me on weight of paper, binding, and cover arrangement.  (The binding below is temporary.  We needed a larger size, which had to be ordered, and this one will be replaced the first week of school.)

My Essential Standards are printed on the back of my Cover.

I know it won't take long for me to figure out a few changes that I need to make for next year.  I'll let you know how it goes with a sticky note lesson plan book.  Stay tuned.

Seating Chart Possibilities

Unusual seating arrangements call for an unusual seating chart.  I talked about group arrangements here.  I knew my creative young colleague would come to the rescue on seating charts.  And she did.

While my desks are in groups, this is the chart she gave me to use:

The desk groups (with chairs) are on the master. Sticky notes are cut to the size of the "desks" in pink and blue colors to indicate genders.  I write the first names on the sticky, then stick the note on the sheet "desk."  I can pull them up easily to rearrange.  Once I have a seating arrangement I like, I slip the whole paper with sticky notes into a page protector so they are visible but won't get pulled off by accident.  Then, I keep all my seating charts on a clipboard, so they are easy to find.

I used to dread new seating charts, but this format makes it so easy. I rearrange groups and seating much more often now.  

Hurray for smart young colleagues who still teach this old dog new tricks!  

Arranging Student Desks

I keep student desks in rows quite a bit, and I hate it.  Yes, it is organized and maintains classroom discipline.  And it is easy to make seating charts for a substitute.

The Core Standards are revising my lessons plans and teaching, so it was time to arrange the desks for a different learning environment.  I have been trying to figure out how to put the desks in groups without having half the students facing the back of the room.  (Collaborative learning, project work, and peer editing will all benefit from a group arrangement.)

Today, one of my favorite math colleagues (also a former student) showed me her solution.  She is a genius.  (Though she says she read it on another teaching blog.  Yea for teaching blogs!)  I swiped her idea, and it is too good not to share!

I have six pods of four desks each.  The back two in each pod face the front.  The front two desks are turned toward each other and butt up against the back two.  They are sitting sideways to the front of the room.  Voila!  All attention can be on the front of the room when needed, but it will also be easy to work with their group.

Not only does this arrangement work well for group work, but it makes my room look so much larger.  There is plenty of space to walk between the pods of desks.

I love this new arrangement.  Will it work?  Time will tell.  Stay tuned.

Now, I'm off to figure out how to make seating charts for the pods.  (Do you suppose smart young math colleague has figured that out for me, too?!)  Yes, she did.  See here.

By the way, smart young colleagues blog is over there on my blog list or you can access it here. There are tips on this math blog that would work in any classroom.  You won't be sorry you visited.  

Want more seating arrangement ideas-- click on the seating arrangements label in the sidebar.

Back-To-School Supplies

Our district puts out a flyer for enrollment.  They include lists for classroom supplies needed at the elementary level.

High School is pretty much left out of this picture.  We tell the students on the first day, and then it takes a week or so for them to purchase what they need.

I'm using my classroom blog to cover the supplies they need this year.  I linked it to Facebook, and hopefully parents and students will be able to get the word out.

Click here to see the supply list on my classroom blog.

Classroom Organization: Make-Up Work

I used to have the worst time getting students caught up after they had been gone.

*I'd be so busy teaching, I couldn't interrupt class to find the handouts they missed.
*I'd forget to tell them something, and then they'd be behind--by no fault of their own.
*When a lot of students were absent, I'd be overwhelmed trying to remember who had what handouts or information.

I was a nightmare!  Two things have made make-up work for absent students smooth sailing.

1. These individual student files that I discussed here, and...

2....this template.

Every day I pull up this template.  I put in the day's date and activities for that day and save the template as a different file (always titled by the date!) in a folder I call Make-Up Work.

I keep the new file open all day, and just minimize it.

At the beginning of each hour, I type in students who are absent, adding to the list as the day goes on.  I can also make changes to work if I need to alter what was accomplished during the hour.  By the end of the day, I have the list of all students who missed class.

After school, I copy and fit as many copies of this form as I can on a single page. (Usually 2 or 3)  I print it out and make enough copies so that after I cut the forms apart--every absent student has a copy.

I file the make-up work copy in their classroom folder.  (The handouts from the day should already be in there, so they are good to go!)  They are to pick up this work the next day when they enter class, but many students will run down before school and grab their make-up work assignments. If I have a sub, the student will still have their make-up work.  They don't have to wait for me to return.

Since I save the file by the date in a word file, it is easy for me to go back and check if a student was absent from class on a particular date.

Funding issues have meant trying to conserve paper.  For the last few years, my make-up work slips look like this:

I don't like it as well, but I can get 7-8 on a page.  It does save paper when huge numbers of students are missing.  


Again, all make-up work can be found in their individual classroom folder.  They take the paper and check off what they have completed. When they have finished all tasks, they can throw the paper away.  I rarely remind them what they are missing, as the responsibility is now theirs.

I have found this to be a win-win situation.  I don't feel as disorganized, and my students always know their make-up work is at their fingertips.

Classroom Organization Tip #1

Classroom folders.  I couldn't exist without them.

I have three plastic crates for hanging folders.  Each crate is a different color.

At the beginning of every year, I copy my roster into a word file and enlarge the font to a 16 point bold font. I print the student names out on card stock, and then cut them to fit the plastic tab so that each student has their own hanging file for my class. (These files are never to be removed from the crate.)

I organize the files by hour and alphabetize the students by last names.  Each crate can hold two different hours of student files.  (I usually try to figure out some way to create a middle divider, to separate two class hours.)

These plastic crates are located on a table close to the door, so the students can check them on the way to their seats or deposit a paper in there on their way out at the end of the hour.  This is a habit that I establish the first week of class.

These files are my lifeline to my students!  

So what goes in the files?

*A handout needed for class that day
*Graded papers, homework, and quizzes (but never tests!)
*Papers, agendas, or books that are left in the room
*Birthday notes
*Make-up work for what they missed when they were absent
*Reminders
*Work that isn't finished
*All team project work, so if they are absent--their team can still work
*Finished assignments to be turned in the next day so they don't lose them overnight

I began this storage system to stay on top of students who were absent, but have found so many uses for the files.  This is such a quick way to return papers or distribute handouts.

It not only organizes me, but it organizes them, too.

The challenge is removing files when students leave our district and making files for new students who arrive after the school year has begun.  (My TA usually takes on this responsibility.)  The other big challenge is making sure students empty their file folder and not use it for a storage wasteland.  (When they do that, they don't find makeup work or new handouts.)

The best tip to get them in the habit of checking their files regularly is something that I do on the 2nd or 3rd day of school.  I put this note on colored paper and place one in each folder.

After the first bell, I walk around the room and trade a sucker or a roll of candies for the slips of paper. If a student didn't check their folder, they don't get the reward--but they are sure to remember the next day.  Several days later, I repeat this reminder and usually everyone has remembered this time.  That is usually all it takes to establish the habit. (Though they look for slips regularly and nag me to "do it again."  It's all about the candy!)

Next organization tip: how I handle make-up work slips and what students find in their folder when they return from being absent.