~Let's Get Organized~

I moved 2,600 miles to Arizona for a great agricultural educator position, which means I am finally a real ag teacher : ) I just can't believe I get to teach students everyday. The four years of college was definitely worth it! Since I have my own classroom now I went crazy coming up with ideas to get it organized.

Below are some pictures and descriptions of what I did to increase productivity (for the students and myself), set a routine, meet state standards and keep the students informed.

• For every unit I post the objectives so the students have a clear picture of where we will be going that unit. Also, I post the English and Math Common Core standards that correlate with that unit as well as the CTE and Science standards. That way if anyone walks into my classroom they can clearly see which standards my lessons are hitting. 

• This is my FFA calendar board. I used construction paper and covered each piece with letter size laminating sheets (much cheaper than having each one professionally laminated and you can buy 50 of the sheets for about $15.) Dry erase markers work awesome on the sheets so each month I can erase and move to the next month. This eliminates the excuse students use, "I didn't know." 

• I teach three sections of Introduction to Agriculture and one section of Plant Science. Each class is assigned a color. I have two of these bin rows in my classroom, one right by the door and one on my desk. The one by the door has the daily papers the students need. For instance, I have my course syllabus and classroom contracts in them now. Each day the students will check their class bin for papers before taking their seat. The second bin is for my use. I will collect homework, projects and tests put them in the class bin and place graded paperwork there too. It is just a great way to keep all the classes organized. 

• This is the Student Inventory I have every student fill out on the first day of class. Standard teaching evaluation forms want to know how you are creating a felt need in your classroom and if you are connecting the content directly to the student. This student inventory is my way of getting to know my students quickly and tailoring my lessons to their specific interests and needs. I print them on index cards and keep them in a index card box. Of course, the cards and color coordinated for each class.

• I created a "Why in the World" sheet. This is very similar to Bellwork, which most of you have heard and/or utilize. This sheet has three columns: Date, Do Now and Wrap It Up. As soon as the students enter the room they answer the Do Now question on the board. The question relates yesterday's lesson to today's lesson and normally it is a critical thinking question. In the Wrap It Up column I ask the students a comprehension question from the lesson at the very end of the period. I found that this helps keep the students from putting away their things and lining up at the door before the bell even rings.