• Dec. 4, 2007
Organizing a Teacher's Binder
Hi! Every six weeks I take an hour or so and get my working binder ready for the next six weeks of school. Inside it I have all the papers and schedules that I need for Read-Alouds, Readers, Bible, History, Science, Thinking Skills, and Math. When I used Sonlight's LA, I also put the activity sheets and schedules for that in there. Keeping all of my things together in one binder is wonderful for keeping me on track and not pulling my hair out looking for various papers. Plus, I don't have to lug all the big books around with me.
Here's what I do-
I use a plain one inch binder and the weekly dividers that Sonlight sells. My week dividers always match my Core 1 week, no matter where I am in everything else. For instance right now I am on Week 10 of Core 1. So even though we have done more than 10 weeks of school, my binder says I am on week 10. For me, it's easier that way.
In the very front of my binder are my science papers for the next 6 weeks. This works whether we are reading from Exploring Creation with Astronomy or we are using Living Learning Books. I keep notebook pages, coloring pages, schedule, or whatever else I might need for science. I don't put my science behind weekly tabs because we never stay on schedule. We do it as we can.
After the science papers is the first weekly divider. For the sake of explanation, I will use weeks 1-6. So, behind my week 1 divider will be the Core 1 schedule plus any notes for that week. This schedule has Bible, History, Timeline, Mapwork, Handwriting, Vocabulary, Readers, and Read-Alouds. I simply check off in pencil what we have done. Any extra work or projects we do, I write in pencil in the notes section.
Next comes Thinking Skills. I tear off 2 pages from the student book, hole punch them, and put them in the notebook. Taylor does one side a day for 4 days each week.
Then is math. This is where this method has been the most helpful to me. We use Bob Jones Math and they have several different books to get your materials from. Student Materials Packet, Home teacher Packet, Student Workbook, Teacher Manual, Review Sheets, and a few extra resources if you choose to use them. That is a lot to juggle. We do Math textbook work 4 days a week. So I pull the next 4 lessons out, hole punch them, and put them behind Thinking Skills. Then I look at my teacher manual and see what is needed for each week. I put any needed papers for each lesson in next. Most are already hole punched. The Student Activity packet is used over and over each week, so I put that in the front pocket of my binder. I have any little pieces in snack bags.
I do this same thing over for weeks 2-6. Truly, once you get the hang of it, it's quite simple. And the benefits are worth it. You can't beat an hour of planning every six weeks!
Behind my week tabs are the Reader Study Guide, Read-Aloud Study Guide, and History Study Guide tabs, also from Sonlight. I put the appropriate papers behind each that we will need for the next 6 weeks. All of this fits well in a one inch binder.
If you are doing Sonlight LA, put the schedule, notes, and Activity Sheets behind the correct weekly tab. I could also put the Student Pages from LLATL behind each weekly tab , but keeping LA separate hasn't been a problem for me.
If you are lapbooking, you can use page protecters to hold your pre-cut booklets needed for each week. Put your information pages right with them. If you do this, you will probably need a bigger binder.
I hope this is of help to someone!
Comments
• Dec. 6, 2007
Untitled Comment
Posted by kristenph
Great post! It's given me to ideas on how to plan better. I've been doing weekly planning, but I would like to be able to plan more at a time and plan less.
• Dec. 6, 2007
Untitled Comment
Posted by tagsfan
This is very helpful. I have been doing something similar, but I did not think of it until several weeks in to the year, so I just stay a week or two ahead of myself. I think at the new year, I will just go ahead and finish out the whole year like you are doing.
Thanks! I saw your post on the Sonlight1 Yahoo group.
