Time to get organised and I need your help!

[NCBabyBoy]

I have just discovered that I will be teaching four subjects across three departments in ten different classrooms in three different buildings next year. Although I am getting better, I'm not the world's most organised person. I am trying to work out what equipment I will need to make this work. So far I've come up with a plastic crate on wheels with a retractable handle (like rolling suitcases), a toolbox type tray to carry pens, scissors and glue, and one plastic box to keep each group's books in. Anyone got any tips on where I might find these? And any ideas on other stuff I will need?

Try to have a cupboard, or at least a shelf, in each room/buidling for books and stationery. Have duplicate kits of pens, post-its, stapler, lined paper etc.An A5 planner/note book is easier to carry round than A4 - stick page markers and post its inside the front cover.

Keep a bag in each room with tissues, a cloth, coffee, cheap reading glasses if you need them, aspirin and other personal items.

Unless you teach a group in more than one room, make them leave books in the teaching room. Try to get them to do work that needs to be marked on lined paper so you don't have to carry books. Issue homework booklets or have online projects so you don't have to keep photocopying and taking it to rooms.

If you have a school laptop, get something that makes it easy to carry.

Aim to take as little as possible from place to place.

You need to get onto your timetabler and say ‘this is unworkable, please reduce the number of classrooms’

Only if this is an absolute last resort should you be prepared to put up with this so ask for changes first. At least each class to be in the same classroom.

Staples, Viking or Amazon to source your boxes etc

@noblegiraffe The school is expanding rapidly and the timetabler has 0 people skills so it has been presented as somewhat inevitable. Apparently it's due to the system allocating classrooms randomly, and SLT will have a clearer view on this once everything is on SIMS. We've been told we're welcome to look at the classroom timetables and suggest changes, but this is rather laborious. Might have to give it a go though. More than half of my classes will be 6th form, so they can be in charge of their own folders and equipment. My SEN group will have all their lessons in one classroom one week, and in another the other week.

I'd prioritise getting the class with the Sen students in the same room all the time or they will be getting "lost" every week

Once it's on SIMS get yourself on sims and try and come up with a solution so you at least have the same class in the same room.

I had a similar situation and managed to at least get that! It did make it easier re moving books.

Yes, look at room timetables on SIMS and negotiate with other teachers. While I would always want my own room, I accept that if you're teaching mostly 6th form, it's fair that they move rather than younger pupils.