No classroom survival tips

[CheesecakeAddict]

For the first time next year, I won't have my own classroom. I'm secretly so relieved as I don't have display boards and tutor boards to worry about and finding the time to constantly update them. But I am literally all over the school, some days I have 5 period days where I am all day up and down flights of stairs, at the other side of site etc. I'm not at all upset by this any many teachers don't get their own and manage fine. So survival tips?

Do you dedicate a room for detentions? Do you lose a bit of time setting up? I'm wondering if it's better to have everything saved on a USB instead of fannying around with the shared area? What about carrying resources around and print outs for the day? And then there is book marking. To keep on top of our marking policy I have to mark 3 sets a week. How do you carry all that around too? I have access to a shared computer but will probably take my laptop in on days where I have frees. I have 2 days next week where DD is in nursery and want to use it to sort myself out for September.

I'll get back to you at the end of August I have never had my own room. Try to enjoy the holidays... 4 weeks approx before we have yo trudge back...

Get a trolley bag - one of the shopping types that old ladies use is good - when I was all over I ended up with back problems from carrying everything. One of these helped - and is easy to lug upstairs.
A suitcase would also work

Is there anywhere you can store things so you don't have to lug everything?
I found memory stick really helpful as I knew I definitely didn't have to worry about whether I had everything.
I planned minimal set up time and/or factored it into the lesson. Ie something for them to be getting on with while I handed out work, logged in or whatever. It gets easier when you are in a bit of a routine with it.
Will you have opportunities to mark during and/or straight after the lesson so you don't have to carry everything?
If not, can you collect those books when you're able to mark them rather than carrying them around?
The major downside to not having your own room is the greater possibility of losing things. You need to be uber organised and make sure you clear your stuff every time. I had a large bag and every time I finished with something I'd pop it back into the bag.
I also had an easily identifiable key chain on my memory stick to if I accidentally left it in the computer everyone would know who to give it back to. Lol

I teach in Australia, where no-one has their own classroom.

On the other hand, I have sole use of a desk in a workroom and a laptop.

This is not helpful I know, as I can see you have neither of these.

I work across 5 schools and have lots of stuff and laptop. I've got a wheeled laptop bag which has space for my laptop, A4 files, diary and craft resources. I bought a cheap one from Amazon (the make was slimbridge) to see if it worked and it's still going strong after a year carrying shed loads of stuff.

At my last place, no one had their own room and wheely trollies were an absolute godsend!

Does the school have a lift you can use to transport stuff up/down if it's heavy?

Can you arrange to leave exercise books in the room you teach that class in (assuming you always see them in the same room)?

Have the starter task printed on paper so that you can hand it out as they come in, giving you time to log on etc. While they do that.

Have a book monitor to hand out books - I find younger years especially actually like doing this!

Oh I like these ideas.
We have a department store room where I will be able to leave some stuff once the books at the start of the year have gone and freed up some space.

I will be able to mark bits and bobs as I circulate and I do mostly everything except essays as peer or self assessed anyway. With the exception of 1 class, I'm only teaching top sets and very KS4/5 heavy, so I'll make them keep their books except for when they need marking. I might actually let a kid leave a few minutes early to take them to the department office for me. They'll love it. SLT problebly less, but oh well.

I’m a timetabler, and for nomadic teachers, I will schedule for them to be in the same room for each class. This means they can keep resources there, have one seating plan, etc.

Other than that, you need to have Gratnell trays for each class, and a base to store them.

You need to have something for students to do while you are logging onto the system, eg a question to answer on mini whiteboards.

This is your chance to become a minimalist!

It all depends a bit on how you like to organise yourself, but last year I had neither a classroom nor a dedicated office space

I had one wheelie bag, printed out any handouts at the beginning of each day and had students take marking to the staff room for me in big shopping bags.

I don’t do “set up” - starter task on ppt for students to do as I do the register. Set off a couple of minutes early at the end of break and lunch, otherwise arrive a bit late. Nothing you can do about that.

A few tips.
If you collect books in, send pupils with them to staff room so you are not carrying them. Leave a pile of exercise books outside staff room and get students to collect them.
Take with you paper, board pens, board rubber, detention slips etc that you might need.
If you have starter booklets, send them to the next room you teach that class during the lesson so they are always ready for you.

Have a consistent room for detentions even if this is just where they wait outside.

Decorate your planner so it is distinctive so you will notice it if you leave it on a desk.

Name everything so if you leave it somewhere, if will find it’s way back to you.
Good luck- it’s exhausting!
I typically teach in 14 rooms each year, so am an expert at this.

If you have to supervise detentions I'd stop them if at all possible. Can you make a hardcore example out of a couple and then up the tone a bit? Keep everyone down for longer rather than up, up, upping it. Get rid of the detention stress? Maybe the low level annoyance phone parents and involve them to let the kids know there will be consequences.