Binders

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Home : 2008 : May : 22

Binders
By Hummingbird

My coworkers laugh at me because I am the BINDER QUEEN! :D I have been using binders to organize myself for 7 of my 8 years of teaching.

This is what I do:
I have one binder for each subject I teach (reading, spelling,
English grammar, writing, math, science, social studies). Each subject binder is divided into chapters (or stories for reading). I have all of my tests, study guides, worksheets, activities, projects, websites, books, etc. that I need to teach that chapter in the order that I need it. I put my transparencies in page protectors in the binders; I always have trouble punching holes

in them. My dad got tired of prying the jammed transparencies out of my hole puncher. :rolleyes:

Then I have a binder for my morning work. It is divided into 5 sections: Monday (Writing Practice), Tuesday (General Math Practice), Wednesday (Editing Practice), Thursday (Word Problem Practice), Friday (Geography Practice).

I have another binder for standardized test practice divided into 7 sections (Reading/Comprehension, Editing, Writing, Information Resources, Math, Science, Social Studies).

Everything else (brain teasers, holiday activities, time fillers/fun pages) is organized into file folders and is stored in my filing cabinet.

If I find interesting information in teacher magazines or websites relating to something I teach, I put it in the appropriate section of the appropriate binder. Every year I clean out my binders to throw away all the "stuff" I didn't use. It was really difficult for me to get in the habit of "weeding" through my "gems" because I'm afflicted with the same disease most teachers have...."what if I need it some day." LOL There's so much stuff on the internet these days, I'm sure I'll find something similiar or even better. That makes it a little bit easier to "let go."

I tried using just file folders: that didn't work for me because I wouldn't "weed" through the folders until my filing cabinet didn't close! The magazine holders didn't work either because they collected too much dust sitting out on a shelf.

I store my binders laying down with the spine out on a bookshelf.

Best wishes!