Kristyn's Classroom *Organization & Management*

Who's Buying Lunch Today? Teachers- Have you ever forgotten to do lunch count in the morning? Ever get tired of yelling, "Who's buying lunch today?" each morning to half asleep students who probably aren't even paying attention? Have no fear-I have the cure for you! Displaying your daily class lunch count in your classroom is cute and a major life saver. Having numbered magnets for each student is such a helpful hint for forgetful teachers. It makes our job so much easier in the morning. It also provides another step in each student's morning routine which is great. Routines are the backbone to any Elementary classroom. Routines make teachers lives easier and they also save valuable classroom time. Students feel safe and secure with routines and they know exactly what is expected of them. Some students may need reminders to move their magnet the first few times but I promise they will get the hang of it in no time. Remember, practice makes perfect! Eac...

Sub Tubs Now I'm not sure about all of you fellow teachers, but I know that personally I started off my teaching career by substitute teaching all over different schools. This was no simple task. I subbed in two different districts. That's about 30 different schools. With each school came different teachers and different styles of teaching. It can get really difficult to come into a new setting each day not knowing the classroom rules, routines, and procedures. Some teachers don't give very detailed plans, either which can be really tough. I remember one time I was subbing in a fifth grade classroom and the teacher didn't know she was going to be absent that day and left me no plans! It was very stressful trying to come up with activities for new students in an unfamiliar classroom. Anyway, one day during my subbing career, I walked into a beautifully decorated third grade classroom. On the teacher's desk I found this bin labeled "Especially for th...

Positivity Stools Not only will these adorable stools add color and brightness into your classroom, but they will also contribute to creating a positive classroom. My recommendation would be to put these stools around a small table where centers occur or small groups work. Whenever students sit down to work, they will be reminded of how loved, smart, brave, strong, and kind they are. We don’t always know our students’ whole life stories or what they might have to deal with at home. If they are not getting this kind of positivity at home, then why not give it to them at school? Why not make your students excited to come to school every day? Designing your classroom to be welcoming and positive can be so rewarding. Students feel at ease and comfortable. This is exactly how we want students to be when we are teaching. If a student is distracted or feeling uncomfortable in their space, chances are that they will not be able to learn. These stools can also be a seating option for ...

Assigning students new classroom jobs each week not only helps you keep your classroom tidy and in order, but the kids absolutely love to help out their teacher. My students look forward to doing their jobs at the end of each school day. A great tip is to display classroom jobs in a cute way like this clothesline display. Super easy to do! All you need is some string and some mini clothes pins. Create cards for each job however you like and then just print out each child's name. This display makes it super easy to rotate jobs each week by simply moving the names on the cards over one. This makes it easy to change jobs and it is also fair because this way students will eventually get to do each job on your list. It is also a great idea to keep jobs on display because kids are often forgetful and if they forget their job, they won't have to bother you about it they can just check the door! Another helpful piece of advice is to always stay consistent with classroom jobs and ...

My name is Kristyn and I am addicted to organization. It's true! I absolutely love having a neat classroom. I believe that order and organization play a huge role in a classroom running smoothly. Classroom management is one of the toughest parts about teaching-for me at least! I have found that spending a little extra time on your classroom makes classroom management a breeze.  Also, having a homey feel in your classroom makes students feel safe in their environment. A safe learning environment is key to successful learning. If a student feels safe in their environment then they are going to be more apt to raise their hand and participate in class. Less stress on the teachers lead to more effectiveness for teachers and at the end of the day we all want to be the best teacher we can be. This is why I have decided to start a blog about all things organization in the classroom. There are so many cute ideas and different ways to organize an Elementary classroom. I know you may look on ...