Happy New Year From the Elementary Entourage! (Get Organized!)

Happy New Year sweet friends!!  I hope your New Year has been absolutely wonderful!!  I know mine has been fantastic.  However, Monday is approaching quickly and I find myself in school mode. My resolutions this year are to get ORGANIZED!  I know if I put my mind to it...I can do it!!  

This particular blog post is perfect for me!!! SOOO I am linking up with The Elementary Entourage!!   Read on about the things I do do in my classroom that work great and the things that I want to do!   

You have to have organization in a classroom or things will be CUH-RAZY, right? Here are two things that I do in the classroom that help me stay sane during the day.  They are very simple but very effective.  They are not mine however, those who created these ideas?????  Ummm...I just want to hug you! Thank you! 

Everyone has a job in my classroom.

This year I have 16 children.  But the number is not important.  What is important is that everyone has a job in our classroom.  Everyone has a purpose. 

Even if I had 30 children (For those of you that do...hugs!  You rock!) I would come up with 30 jobs.  I know that may sound a little much but it is very important especially in the younger grades for everyone to have a job or a reason to be in class everyday. 

Here is my chart.  I promise it is not fancy but it works every year!!!!

(I am so sorry my photo is horrible.) 

Really, I just bought two cheap pocket charts from the Dollar Spot at Target and pinned them together.  The job titles are just cardboard strips painted black, and my name tags are tags I bought five years ago.  

I wouldn't trade it for the world. 

I promise. 

Here are some important information about our jobs:

We only change it on Mondays even if we have a short week.  We never forget...ever.  EVER. Thankfully, all of my little helpers have a great memory!

To change our jobs, everyone moves down a notch.  The student at the very bottom goes right back to the top of the chart.  Sophisticated.  I know.  :)

  Students can be fired and getting fired is very wrong.  It hardly ever happens...why?  Because our jobs are important.

The jobs??? They are real jobs the students perform every day in the classroom and thank goodness...I couldn't do it all without my students and I know you feel the same way.  

Here are our jobs:

Paper Passer

(Passes out all papers.)

Line Leader

(Leads the line.)

Concierge

(Gets the doors and lights for everyone.)

Paper Collector

(Collects all papers.)

Desk Fairy 

(Gives one of my students a high-five PBIS buck every day to neat seats.)

Calendar Kid

(Asks questions during calendar time, changes numbers, etc.)

Mrs. Grooms' Helper

(Pretty much my right-hand man...but does take attendance reports to the office.)

Office Manager

(Helps with trash control and organizing tables.)

Eyes and Ears

(My tattletale when I have to step into the hallway.)

Recycle Bug 

(Sets recycling out to be collected.)

Pledge Patrol

(Leads the pledge every morning.)

Recess Runner 

(Runs to get kids who are slow to line up.)

Lunch Helper

(Helps the sweeper and table washer at lunch.  Takes lunch count down.)

The Hanitizer

(Squirts hand sanitizer at lunch time.)

Water Kid

(Gives students a water break after recess.)

Sweeper

(Sweeps at lunch)

Table Washer

(Washes tables at lunch.) 

Seriously, I got a new student several weeks ago and what did I do?  

Added another job "The Desk Fairy!"  

Everyone has a purpose.  Everyone has a job. 

This tip is a shorty but an awesome GOODY!!  I know you have seen this pin on Pinterest.  BUT OH MY WORD!!!  Do it!!  It is the best thing I have ever done for orphaned crayons.  And my students??  LOVE IT!!  So whoever came up with this idea???  HUG!!!!  

Students just ummm....quietly walk to the crayon tower and choose the color they need.  They need to return it when they are finished.  If students find a crayon with no owner laying on the floor, they simply put it in the crayon tower.  

I LOVE THE CRAYON TOWER! 

Here are a few things that I WANT to do this year....

YES...I want to do this at home and at school.  I need a home for my baggies. I was thinking maybe a Command hook and a hole in the box?  Do you have any suggestions? 

This would keep little hands away from any extension cords especially under our computer counters.

This is just genius. People are SO smart!  I would probably leave a bit of the clip sticking out as a pull tab.  

This would go perfectly with the outlet in a basket picture above! 

Again...people are just so smart!!  

I need one with like 20 boxes.  I wonder if the post office will let me have 20 boxes. 

Remember this?  I did it and it works great!!

Now I want to do this...great idea for scrap paper!!!

So what are some of your organizing ideas?  

Tell us at The Elementary Entourage!!!  

HAPPY ORGANIZING!!!!

WE CAN DO THIS!!  

Get Organized Code:

An InLinkz Link-up