Organisational tips (esp. from teachers!) :)

[PamplemousseRouge]

Hi everyone,

I've just started training as a languages teacher in a secondary school.

I've been looking into lots of different organisational systems, routines and techniques (both for home and for school).

As I'm on half term at the moment, I thought it would be a good opportunity to really get an organisational system going and to stick to it.

In terms of home routines, I've found that batch cooking on a weekend, and freezing these meals to eat during the week, is very helpful. Only started this weekend, but do intend to stick to it :)

I've found things like the Eisenhower matrix really useful (a grid where you prioritise tasks in order of importance and urgency), as well as having folders organised in my school cupboard to keep everything in one place.

I've also seen this website called 'The Together Teacher', which has really useful tips (and a good system for sorting out things like loose papers.)

Any other tips from anyone about home and work organisation (would be very grateful to hear from teachers and non-teachers!) would be really appreciated!

Thank you everyone

Try to stagger assessments from different year groups so that you don't end up with them all to mark at once.
When you have marked them and set targets set aside half a lesson for those targets to be completed and check them as each pupil completes them.
Get stickers printed with the list of the things you always write on work e.g. Answer in full sentences, ruler for underlining, diagrams in pencil etc then stick in a sticker and tick relevant comments instead of writing them out each time.
Aim to mark a set of books before you leave school each day.
A friend of mine who is an exam marker marks a question at a time instead of a paper at a time e.g. Mark Q1 for every pupil then go through and do Q2 and so on. It means you are in the zone for every question instead of having to keep checking the mark scheme.

I run an A5 planner by Kikki K that has a diary, parent contact sheets, my timetable, a lists section and copies of my short term/week plans in. I keep the previous three months in it and then move out the previous ones into plastic wallets. I also have a fauxdori which holds A5 exercise books that I keep meeting notes and training notes in. My lap top is organised by class and topic. I have multiple flash drives for transferring stiff around.
I tend to use Teachers Pay Teachers and Twinkl rather that TES, they both annoy me much less!
Teaching is mad, insane, tiring and utterly good fun. Follow lots of people on Twitter to steal ideas from too!

Great thread, sorry nothing extra to add but so much helpful stuff.

YYY to mark books and tracking in Excel. It's the only way I've managed to successfully track students and can be easily shared with line manager etc.

Not quite an organisational thing, but the one thing that will improve your life as a teacher is to nail classroom management from day one. You will use far less energy if you master this (am happy to give tried and tested tips if you want them!!).

I can type quicker than I write. For assessments I type a www/ebi for each student, then print them out and staple them on. Loads quicker. Tip from an English teacher.

Thank you everyone :) please keep your tips coming!! And Yoko behaviour management tips would be hugely welcome! :)

Some of these sound a bit odd but are really effective!

1. When you meet a class for the first time, be still, stare-y and silent. Never talk over them, and state your rules in a low, clear voice, without moving your head or smiling. Sounds mad, but it works.

1. Think about language: I always use 'ladies and gentlemen' instead of 'guys' - it means business.

1. Never let a class or a member of a class derail your lesson by shouting out, talking over you etc. Give prizes/rewards/positive phone calls to those that get it right and you'll get the rest of the class onside.

1. Be relentlessly positive and talk up your expectations. 'I've heard wonderful things about this class and expect extremely hard work from each and every one of you'. Catch them being good, praise them for getting things right. I used to have a class whom I had to congratulate for sitting down...

You'll find your own 'personality' and way of operating but definitely try the tips above.

Also, remember that the classroom is 'your' space and you're in charge of health and safety etc. So it's perfectly reasonable to demand safe and respectful behaviour, even if that means lining up a number of times, or whatever you need to do to achieve this.

I also used to keep a small notebook and pen on my bedside table, so when I woke up at 3am thinking "oh I mustn't forget to do x, y and z" I would write them down and then (try to) go back to sleep.

Another tip (and totally off topic and not anything to do with organisation) but one massive thing that changed my classroom

Have something on the board as a starter for when the children sit down.

An example, on Friday I had the number 10 and children had to write down everything they know about the number 10.
When the last person sits down, everyone stops and holds up whiteboard. Whoever has the most (or tried the hardest) wins a housepoint, or whatever it is you do in your school.

What then happens is children race to get into class and no-one wants to be last and lessons start much quicker. I use it as an AFL tool for the lesson I am going to give.

Maybe better suited for primary, i ahve no experience teaching secondary, but just wanted to share that!

Amazing ideas!! Thank you everyone :) please keep them coming!

I love to do lists, kept running out of space on the post it notes though! Now I keep a mini whiteboard stuck to my desk and write jobs on there. Has helped me keep on top of things more!