Also, I am a firm believer that if you are well-prepared and functionally organized then everything will go smoother for the entire year. It was just this week that I had a student step into my space and it wrecked havoc!! The student tripped over a wire and caught themselves on my desk making a mess of the papers that were sitting there, and in the process of tripping over the wire, knocked the attached iPad off my podium. Praise the Lord, another student caught the iPad. But it was a great chance to remind the students as to why I had set that rule in the first place.
So this is my space and I love it. It's neat and organized. Everything has a spot and isn't a difficult to put anything in the correct spot or locate it within a moment's notice.
Dry erase board - a really standard dry erase board from Target. I use it to post each class's homework assignments. I have five different classes and use the sixth square to highlight upcoming events or birthdays.
Dividers - made from washi tape that I put on leftover poster paper and attached magnet dots so that I could remove or adjust the dividers as needed.
Arrow Magnets - also from Target.
(Story: There used to be a world map poster where the dry erase board is now, but for various reasons I had to move my other homework board and the only place I could move it to was the location of either my world or US map.)
Binders - I made all of the binder covers and sides myself, except the small Substitute Binder - a pinterest find. In each binder, I store copies of my unit plans, handouts, test and quiz keys for my most recent and upcoming lessons. The current lessons are stored in my "Master Teacher Binder" and every Friday, I just quickly swap out the binder contents. It takes me a total of ten minutes. Having the binders available has been great in case a student has a question from a previous unit or for myself as I work ahead. It's very handy. Also each binder has a file folder where I store the upcoming handouts for that class.
Storage - The stacking desk organizer, the blue drawer organizer, and the utility thing on the right are all from the Container Store. I spent a good portion of my school money this year at the Container Store. Like I said, get organized now and the rest of the year will be a piece of cake! The blue organizer has a pop-up top where I keep an extra USB cord for my iPad, a wall charger, and my AV adapter (lightning to HDMI). It has been so handy!! The stackers hold extra laminated world maps for use when needed, page protectors bound together with those rings, and file folders with documents I use regularly but not necessarily during class time.
The Flower - Is actually a tape dispenser. Every time I look at it, it makes me super-happy! It was one of those splurge items that I had to have to add some personality to my room even though I hit my budget a few weeks earlier. The boys never ask for tape for some reason though...
My Desk - (not pictured here) Is about 2/3 of the size of my desk last year, so I decided that I wouldn't put anything on it that wasn't absolutely necessary. So usually it holds my Master Teacher Binder, a textbook or two to grade homework, and depending on what's going on that hour - my laptop. Oh, and a stapler. The students are not allowed to use my stapler.
And yes... the little label on my filing cabinet drives me crazy! That is administration issued and may not be removed or replaced. I labeled everything so people clearly know that it is mine and if it disappears, their conscience will force them to return it out of pure guilt. But no one is stealing my filing cabinet. So why is it crooked???
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