Optimum Organization~Come Join the Party!

I’m so excited to be partnering up with my bloggy friend, Kristen, for this Optimum Organization linky!

Add this button when you link up below!!

As the year winds down to a close (only 11 days left…wow!), I find myself looking around my room thinking about what worked and what didn’t.  This year, I’m happy to say that all of the organizing I did last year paid off!  There are only a few maintenance-type things that I want to take care of this summer!

Here are a few organizational things that did work this year.

I pulled out all of the pieces and parts of several kits I had in my room and organized the tubs by item.  Now, I don’t have to go scrambling through several kits to find enough dice for all of my students. 

The only thing I have to do in this cabinet is straighten them up a bit (ok, a lot).  Otherwise, the bins themselves stayed pretty organized all year. 

To go with all of my math cubbies, I have organized my station materials by skill.  This has been very helpful when I need to pull a station for a group needing to work on a specific skill.  I bought the magazine holders as Ikea.  Who doesn’t love Ikea?  Holla :)

One of the first projects I worked on last summer was the Teacher Toolbox.  You can read about it {here}. 

I still love it!  It is on my back counter next to my small group table and comes in handy.  I’m happy to say that it stayed super organized all year long…I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that the kids don’t have access to it? J!

I also love my paper and pencil holder that my students use to get more supplies when needed.  There wasn’t much to destroy here, though. 

One of my favorite “organizational” items this year was my Student Information Binder.  (This was a freebie from someone last year but I don’t remember who…if it is you, please comment below so that I can give you credit!)

This is the first year I have used a binder to keep track of grades, IEPs, contact information, and student information.  I used the snazzy little tip from Kristen about adding tabs and I love it. (See the bottom right corner of the photo.)  Cut circles and tape with mailing tape to the edges.  Instant cute page tabs! One of the things I did this year (because I used a binder and had a place for them) was to keep all of my graded answer keys in one spot.  (See the top right corner of the photo.)
Why has it taken me almost 20 years to figure this out?  Seriously.  Don’t you just hate it when someone was absent and they took their test at a later time and you grade their paper later?  Now, I know exactly where to go to get the answer key.  I know, I know…lame.  But, this is the first year I didn't shove it in a pile on my desk or in a file somewhere never to be found again.  That pocket is pretty full.  It has all of the answer keys for every assessment I gave this year.  I might use a plastic sleeve next year. Maybe not.  Otherwise, I’m happy, happy, happy with my lame “ah-ha” moment.

What are your favorite organizational tips from this year?  What are you going to revamp?  Kristen and I would love to have you link up with us and share your “ah-ha” moments, too.  I love reading how other teachers organize so that I am able to find even better ways to do things.  Because, there usually is a much better way…

Grab the button at the top of this post and then link up below!