Paperwork, organization, binders, and assessments! Oh my!
There are so many components to keeping track of reading and writing strategies, best practices, interventions, and data that it can be overwhelming if you don't have a plan. Organization is crucial to success in keeping track of the happenings in a literacy rich classroom. In this post, I will talk about setting up the teacher's binder and creating student binders.
We've all used binders to store information for our own use, but student binders sometimes go unimplemented. We need to ask ourselves why. My mission as an educator is to prepare students by giving them the tools they need to be independent, critical thinkers who are career and college ready. To help them reach that goal, teachers have to be willing to teach organizational skills, and how to use the information they are learning in other contexts.
Teacher's Binder
I have found that it is easier to create my own binder using a variety of resources from different sources. I am always in search of a form or strategy list that is simple to use, yet efficient. If you are just getting started, or don't have a lot of time, you might find it's easier to download a free resource or purchase a product designed especially for teacher's binders. You have to be honest with yourself and what works best for you.
Contents
- Standards
- Curriculum Guide
- Mini-Lesson List
- Conference Calendar
- Conference Sheets
- Coaching Questions
- List of books covering the range of abilities in your class
- Read Aloud Books
- Assessments (by quarters or semesters)
1. Standards - Having these handy helps guide your planning and instruction.
2. Curriculum Guide - Preparing this in advance will give you an overall vision of where you are leading your students.
3. Mini-Lesson List - This is helpful when you need a lesson that fits your students' current needs. If you have found the previous days lesson did not go well because you realized they are lacking a key strategy or skill, choose a mini-lesson that will support them. You can also choose lessons that provide extensions or challenges for students that are ready to move to higher-order thinking.
4. Conference Calendar - Keep track of which students you are supposed to meet with throughout the week.
5. Conference Sheets - It is always useful to have your own notes of student conferences. However, you might opt to let students keep these forms in their own binders so they know their goals.
6. Coaching Questions - As teachers, we sometimes think we know how to ask questions during a conference. However, my first time immersed in Daily 5 conferences with Read to Self and Work on Writing, I struggled. I went in search of questions that will help me prod students deeper. Instead of asking surface level questions, I can quickly glance at my cheat sheet and choose questions that are more meaningful in helping me and the student understand what they know and what they need to work on.
7. List of books covering the wide range of abilities in your class - This can help you support students in choosing "just right" books. There are some students who say "I don't like anything," or "I don't like to read," or "I don't know what to choose." For those indecisive students, this is a great way to break that barrier and get some books in their hands.
8. Read Aloud Books - Keeping this list on hand will help you choose books that are meaningful when teaching mini-lessons. Teacher read alouds are a great way for students to listen to a fluent reader and hear reading strategies being used.
9. Assessments - They can be organized by quarters or semesters (or any other way that you are used to). It is important that we are able to make connections between current abilities and assessment data. Use the assessments to help you plan for instruction, provide interventions, and challenge students.
Student's Binder
Binders for students are a great way to sharpen (or teach them) organizational skills, responsibility, and accountability. Make sure you invest time in teaching them how to care for and use their binders, otherwise, they will end up at the bottom of their desks.
You might be thinking..."Oh, no! Something else I have to keep track of!" Well, if you put the power in the hands of your students, then you should not have to do much "keeping track" because they will be responsible for their binders. This can work at both primary and intermediate levels, but teachers have to take the time to show them how to use it, and give them time to fill it out. In my experience teaching 4th and 5th grades, this is a great way to prepare them for the expectations of middle school.
Contents
- "I can" Standards
- Reading Log
- Writing Log
- Reading Response
- Writing Response
1. "I can" Standards - Give students a guide of objectives, learning targets, and essential questions so they know what is expected of them. This also helps them understand what they are learning in more concrete terms. Before each lesson, have them write the date next to the standard they are learning that day.
2. Reading Log - This form should have a place for students to write the book title, author, genre, and if they finished or abandoned the book. It should be simple so students don't get overwhelmed, but it will give them an idea of their likes and dislikes regarding certain genres and authors.
3. Writing Log - Have a form that students can use to track what they are writing. Some teachers might choose to use a Writer's Notebook to keep track of their writing.
4 & 5. Reading & Writing Response - Give students a variety of forms or use lined paper they can use to respond to their reading and writing. Again, this should be simple so that it allows students to freely write their responses.
If you have the space, I have seen many teachers collect and store student binders on a shelf or in a bin so they are out of their desks, but easily accessible. Teach the procedure for getting their notebook and taking it to their "spot" or desk to fill it out.
I hope that some of this information is useful for you if you are preparing for how you will organize teacher and student materials for your literacy block. There are many ways you can do this, but I strive for simple and effective methods. You may find that when experimenting with these ideas, you will be inspired to try other methods that work best for you and your students. Pay attention to the ebb and flow of your class!
What are your tried and true literacy organization strategies?
