The Best Advice Ever Linky!

I’m gonna make this one short and sweet.  I’m battling a cold and I refuse to lose…which means lots of hot tea and rest!

Traci over at Dragonflies in First is hosting a Linky where you share the best advice you’ve ever received. What a great idea right?

I am lucky enough to still work closely with my mentor teacher.  She is the Basic Skills instructor at our school, a position she happily took after teaching 3rd Grade for many years.  She is an incredibly gifted educator and always has the BEST ADVICE EVER.  Seriously, I can feel like my world is ending, and in one sentence she makes it better.  I am so lucky to have her just down the hall.

The best advice she gave me was during my first year of teaching.  Probably my first month of my first year teaching.

You’ve probably heard it before…

Document Everything.

Everything.

I document when I talk to a parent.  Behavior.  Signs of Neglect {unfortunately}  Successful/Unsuccessful Interventions.  Who can sit next to each other.  And who definitely can not.

I recently had a revelation in how I document.  I saw a pin or a post {can’t remember} that suggested using Post-Its to document information.  You write info on a Post-It and then move the Post-It to the student’s folder when it’s full.  I liked it but it seemed like I’d be going through a lot of Post-It’s.

So I came up with this little guy:

First off, this is obviously not my real sheet.  I can see just a few confidentiality issues with showcasing the real deal ;)

I keep this this sheet on a clipboard in a secret spot near my desk.  I like it because I can glance at recent notes/documentation without constantly pulling out a student folder.  I’m too busy for that!!!

I use sheets like this separately for different subjects like math and reading.  It’s important to document that stuff too.

12/14…#6: Difficulty counting coins above $1.00
2/11…#19: Not stopping at end marks

Get it?  Simple right?

So, my best advice is document everything {in an easy for you way}!  Go link up and share your advice, or read the advice other teachers have to offer.

 
Have a good night!

Halle

Linking up: My Teaching Tip

Hidy-Ho!

I’m linking up with Miss Kindergarten {and tons of other fabulous bloggers} to offer up one of my best teaching tips.  Well, I at least think it’s pretty neat.

I present to you the Extra Copies Bin!



The Extra Copies Bin was actually my cooperating teacher’s idea, but the minute I saw it in action I knew I needed to have it in my own room one day!

The concept is simple: Anytime my paper passers or mailbox person has extras of any paper, they place it in the Extra Copies Bin.  After a few weeks of training me reminding students to check the Extra Copies Bin, students stop telling me they need a paper and head straight over to the bin instead.  It’s pure magic.

I clean it out every few weeks.  Some of the sheets I keep and file {like the president one above}, others I recycle, and some become free draw paper.  I also love it because I never end up with any piles of papers on my desk {well, almost never}.

This bin has saved me when I needed a lunch menu or school calendar last minute, or when one of my grade partners needs an extra copy of an assignment.  It’s a true time saver in more ways than one.

Here she is in all her glory!

I hope this helped a few of you out there swimming in papers!

Now go link up with your own genius tips so I can steal borrow them!


~Halle