Folders Again

Over the summer I was trying to decide between student folders or binders; I went with folders this past semester and really liked it. I also made some modifications on how I managed the folders, so here is a summary of what I've set up for this semester starting Tuesday (school has already been canceled for Tuesday!) Wednesday:

WARNING: This is a long one...

I provide a folder for each student. The folders are color-coded by class. The front of each folder has the student's name, the class name, and a pawprint (for our mascot).

Inside the folder on the first day of class is:

1) Bell work sheet for the week

2) The copy of the syllabus they take home to have signed

3) Grade labels - every week when I return their graded folders, I write their current percentage in the class in the space for that week. Not only do they know exactly what their grade is, but they can tell if they're going up/down and at what pace. Takes care of the kids/parents who tell me "But it was an A- last week - how can it be an F now?" This was the first semester I tried this - the kids LOVED it.

4) A copy of the syllabus to be kept permanently in the prongs of the folder for future reference

Attached to the take-home syllabus is the form for the parent/guardian to sign, and instructions for how to sign up for remind101. 

Back page of syllabus, plus Folder procedures and expectations. Instead of passing out papers, I tuck them into the folders. Sometimes I put in everything for the week, sometimes just the day - depends on what makes the most sense for that particular lesson.

Students keep work to be graded in the front of their folders, notes/handouts go in the prongs. The day they are due I take about 5 minutes out of class to make sure they know what order their papers in the front pocket should be in, what papers should be placed in the prongs, and allow them to prepare their folders for grading. If they just sit there, ignore me, and turn in a great big mess, I do not treasure hunt; I will not grade it. Now obviously not everything we do is paper-based; a lot of what I return are project rubrics, feedback forms, etc. I grade the folders every week, staple all of the work along with a copy of the itemized grade report together, and place it in the back of the folders. I also write their current percentage on the grade labels.

On Mondays, I take the first few minutes of class to have them look over their grades and their work. If they have any questions or see any errors I may have made, they have that week only to question it (that way they still have the work in question; eliminates the accusations right before report cards that I "messed up" their grade).

The last "first day" page is a summary of the procedures/expectations for when a sub is in the class. These have helped tremendously over the years. This is the last piece of paper that I place in their prongs myself; the rest of the semester they are in charge of placing their notes/handouts in them. High schoolers are much better at operating these prongs that junior high students, but the first few times it's a REALLY good idea to explain how they work AND walk around and make sure they do it right. Seriously. And again, I designate time for them to do this the day the folders are due, so no excuses.

The last thing I set up in their folders are their hall passes. Every student is given two hall passes per quarter to leave the room for any reason (bathroom, water fountain, locker) - that's it. Unused passes can be redeemed at the end of the term, the "rewards" vary. I'd say about 95% of my students this past semester didn't use any of their four passes, so this is very reasonable, at least at my school. 

Folders are kept in a labeled file crate in the classroom. Before class I spread them out on this table which is directly in front of the door as they come in. I write a number at the top left of each folder, so that students can easily find their own without knocking everyone else's on the floor.

When they leave, the kids drop their folders in the crate. I pick up the stack on my way out to hall duty, and put them in numerical order as I rule the halls with the iron fist of justice. I keep the crates below the table, so they're easy to switch out.

If I have a smaller class or two, I combine crates to save space.

This may seem like a lot of work, but here a few things to consider:

1) The first time you assemble the folders, it will take a long time. It will go significantly faster subsequent times, especially since you will obviously recruit students to help you : ).

2) The whole grading/printing grade report/stapling/writing grade percentage routine probably sounds time consuming. I've found it actually saves me a TON of time, and extra hassles.
-I never have to take time out of class to pass out/collect things.
-I never have to worry about keeping track of papers for absent students, because I've already put them in the folders.
-Since all student work is kept in the folders, it has completely eliminated the student claim of "I turned it in! You lost it!"
-Giving the weekly printout eliminates "I didn't know..."; also, it's easy to catch if I make a silly data entry mistake (like when you accidentally input a 20 point assignment as 200 points...).
-I never have kids pestering me to see their grades because they know they will see them the first day of every week. I do have the occasional kid who wants to argue during the last week of the quarter, but they don't have a leg to stand on.
-Filling in the percentage on a weekly basis forces me to stay on top of my grading so I don't get behind.
-More than that, I am ready at a moment's notice for a surprise parent meeting or a last minute invitation to an IEP meeting, because I can just grab the student's folder and show numerical progress over the quarter (since I teach home ec, that's all the parents want to know from me - the grade percentage, nothing about their actual learning). Sad, but true.

Some Random Details
-So far I've only used paper folders, which really only last a semester. Since they only cost 10 cents a piece in August, I don't mind this - I just make sure I buy enough in July/August for both terms, because the price goes up to almost 50 cents a piece the rest of the year.
-There will be kids who somehow manage to completely tear theirs up, even though they never leave the classroom. I make sure the kids know at the beginning of the semester that should such disaster strike, it will be their responsibility to fix the folder or replace it. In the correct color.
-Be prepared for artwork to appear. Perhaps stress that any added decor needs to be school appropriate.

So, that's my folder system. I love it - hopefully there was something in all of this that can help you out!

Dedication. Or Insanity. It's a Fine Line...

Bit the bullet and went in to school today to do a wee bit o' prep.

'Twas a really cold bullet!

As my husband likes to point out, Friday evening heralds in the official end of break - it's just a regular weekend now. 

Have a safe, WARM, and happy weekend!

Currently January 2014!

Here we go with this month's Currently from Farley!

Listening - Nothing like an outdoor hockey game in snowy weather - puck's moving a bit slow...

Loving - My Master's is almost finished! HOORAY!

Thinking - I love the beginning of a new year, a fresh start, the chance for "the best yet"! Also, REALLY looking forward to the winter Olympics!

Wanting - This break has been pretty fantastic, no doubt. While I do have things to work on I'm trying to limit myself so that I get my full dose of rest and relaxation.

Needing - That being said, tomorrow is going to be my copy-and-set-up day. I want to go in when the building is quiet; also, want to have all the set-up ready so that I can fully enjoy the weekend. I do NOT want to end break with the Sunday Evening Blues!

Tradition - Yes, I am a Resolution Girl! But I do have my limits. I don't make long, crazy lists of things I'll never do or that would take insane amounts of effort/willpower/time/motivation to do. My real resolutions are always one or two regular habits that I would like to establish that I work on throughout the year, with the hope that they will become automatic routines by the end of the 12 months.

Examples from the past:
2009 - Make my bed every day. Seriously, I was really bad about this before. In 2009 I made my bed every. single. day. And now it's second nature.
2010 - Pray every morning. Another success, prompted mainly by a list of 31 daily scripture prayer prompts taped to the inside of my medicine cabinet.
2011 - Set out work clothes every night. This was my first year of marriage, and since my hubs gets up later than I do I didn't want to wake him up searching for a blouse or shoes or whatever. Fabulous habit, saves me SO much hassle in the morning.
2012 - Take a multivitamin every day. Always struggled with this before; making it the 2012 resolution locked it in.

2013 - I'll admit was a fail. I wanted to give blood six times; due to being underweight most of the year, this didn't work out. I also wanted to write in my 10 year journal every day, but slacked on that due to my discouraging job situation.

So for 2014, I'm re-trying the 2013 resolutions. I've got a blood donation appointment set up for this Friday afternoon, and I've been faithful to the journal since the beginning of December, so I am on my way.

Plus, since those are both repeats and the blood thing is not every day or even every month, I'm also adding one - reading the Bible through. I've chosen a one-year Bible plan through an app on my phone, and am planning on reading the daily section over breakfast each morning. Below are pictures of the app and the plan I'm using.

 

Anyone else out there a fan of small but powerful New Year's Resolutions?

Copy Paper Box Lids

One common workplace item that I frequent scavenge are the box lids to the copy paper. They truly come in handy for SO many things! Here is one way I use them in foods:

When I refrigerate overnight ingredients (like sugar cookie dough/above left, or chocolate chip cookie dough/above right), I group the containers by class and nestle them in the box lids. That way when it's time to set up, I only have to pull out one box rather than four or five bowls. The dimensions of the lid fit the depth of a typical refrigerator perfectly, and the sides keep what I'm carrying from sliding off.

I have a kid in my third hour who writes about poop a lot. You've probably had a kid like this yourself, so don't judge : ).

The lids are also good for supplies that you only use on occasion. For example, this year I've decided to store the hand mixers together outside of the student kitchens. Outside of the baking unit they really don't get used much, they take up room, the cords get tangled, and so on. I also always do a quick check of all the mixers before a lab when we haven't used them in a while (make sure the beaters still fit well, the motors are running, etc). This is much easier and quicker to do when they are all together, rather than having to go kitchen to kitchen.

When we do need them, I just set the box lid out on the table with the ingredients and the kids grab one. It's also handy that it's easy to inspect the mixers for cleanliness when they turn them back in, rather than when they surreptitiously stuff them in a drawer.

More on copy paper box lids - and the boxes themselves! - later...

My Agenda

HAPPY CHRISTMAS BREAK!

I left work yesterday fifteen minutes after the final bell. All of my grades have been posted, my classrooms are sparkling clean and organized (thank you, extended final exam class periods), and my agenda for the January 6th Institute Day is taped to my computer monitor. Am I bragging? Nah..... well, yeah! I am walking away!

Merry Christmas!

Egg Cartons & Table Space

I don't know about you, but I think this semester just flashed by! Finals are next week already!

 Egg cartons can take up a lot of space on an ingredient table, so I have two cartons that I've cut down to a smaller size:

If my kitchens need a total of six or less eggs, I use the little guy; seven to twelve, I use the bigger one. I just take eggs out of the newest carton, place them in the appropriately-sized one that has been trimmed down, and set out for the kids to use. Then I store it for the next time I'll need it.

Extra hint: I usually place one extra egg in the modified carton, so that the kids don't throw it away by mistake.

They Can Use Tools!

A couple of days ago my classroom was really hot. I mean, REALLY hot. And I'm not complaining, because I've been in freezing cold classrooms and I waaaaaaay prefer the heaters that work too well over those that don't work at all. During my last class of the day, a student asked if he could open one of the windows and sit by it while working on his cross-stitch project. Since it was legitimately uber-hot, I didn't have a problem with this idea; however, that window is nearly impossible to close. So I told him he could as long as he PROMISED he would not leave until it was closed, and warned him it was difficult to do so. He swore he'd take care of it, so I allowed it. Then during clean-up time he of course couldn't get it closed, and I reminded him of our deal. Here's how he came through:

He told me it was "hillbilly-rigged" - his words. True that. But I'll give him credit, he did figure out a way to get it closed.

#Nerdlution!

Through random teacher-blog-stalking I stumbled onto #Nerdlution, and I thought what the heck? I'm in!

For 50 days straight (starting yesterday, Dec 2nd), I'm committed to writing in my 10 year journal every day. What's that, you ask?

An AMAZING journal in which each page is dedicated to one day of the year, you write just a few lines, then you come back to that page the next year and add a few more lines. Hence, you can easily see what you were doing on that day the previous year(s). Love this! Purchased it last December and could hardly wait to get started! And then... well, my last entry was March 14th, which was the point at which I admitted to myself that things at work were just not going to get better and I just did not want to remember the details of it in the future. Unfortunately, once I gave up the habit I didn't get back into it later, so here I am in December again and while I should have a full year completed I only have a couple of months or so.

And thus I am getting back on the horse! Every day for 50 days I will make sure to write my entry. That way when Dec 2, 2014 rolls around I will have a full year completed.

I discussed the whole #nerdlution thing and the 10 year journal thing with one of my classes, and I've got one of them hooked on the #nerdlution idea and a couple of them are really interested in the 10 year journal. Love it when I can get kids excited about stuff I'm excited about!

Currently December!

The last month of the year is officially here! Which of course means it's time for another Currently with Farley!

Listening - I LOVE the music from this show! And naturally, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is THE best Christmas special of all time!

Loving - I have always been big on Christmas cards - there's something so festive and cheery about them! Even with Facebook, email, etc, I've found Christmas cards one of the best ways to keep that "connected" feeling with people you've been separated from for a long time. I've moved around quite a bit my entire life (between being an Air Force brat, changing careers, changing schools, etc), so the annual exchange is really important to me. So anyway I make sure to keep up-to-date with my Christmas card list and addresses, and always strive to get those cards in the mail the day before Thanksgiving. Mission accomplished! Though I'll admit a few people at church today gave me a hard time about it : ).

Thinking - I'm trying my units in my "Orientation to Family & Consumer Science" class in a different order this year, and I've wound up in an awkward spot. We have two weeks of class left and then final exam week; I really can't stretch out our current unit (Child Care) any farther, but two weeks is too short for others I've done before. Perhaps a two week refresher on basic manners... ?

Wanting - Kitten + Christmas tree = uh oh. Not that I'm surprised by this, but it's a challenge nonetheless. The tree is braced, so he can't topple it - that's the biggest concern. Now I'm just worried about him chewing on the lights. At the suggestion of a great many people we sprayed the bottom branches with apple cider vinegar. The little brat walked right up to them and started licking the vinegar off. But, once it dries he doesn't seem to care for the scent. A good 'ol fashioned squirt with the water bottle helps too. I just hope there's not utter carnage when I arrive home from work tomorrow.

Needing - To finish writing semester exams; they are due to the main office by the end of the week! Yikes! I've never been required to submit them so early! About half of them were really easy, but since I have one new prep and am reorganizing another it's taking more time to complete those exams.

Favorite Tradition - Nothing beats a marathon of Christmas movies with a lit tree in the background and hot cocoa in hand!

Keys!

Sometimes keeping track of keys is a real pain. I wish I had taken a picture of the keys I had last year. Not kidding, they must have given me about 23 different keys. By the end of the year I knew what about six of them were for. 

Anyway, you need to have them close at hand, but you don't want them in the way or weighing you down, nor do you want a kid walking off with them (luckily this year I have little worries of the latter). So, I'm trying something new with my classroom keys this year:

At last year's school I was required to wear a lanyard around my neck with my ID, so the two keys I used regularly were on there - hated it. Always got in the way during cooking and sewing, of course. The six years before I always kept them on a lanyard that I kept in my pocket, but that only worked when I wore something with pockets - otherwise I just had the lanyard out somewhere, and it could be difficult to locate if I set it down in an odd place. Plus it was kind of bulky and annoying. And, honestly, with the lanyard dangling down it got caught on things fairly regularly, which was kind of embarrassing.

So this year I split the keys up into a few different places. The only key I need to have handy on a regular basis throughout the day is the master room key, so I decided to try it out on my water bottle. By the way, these Brita bottles are fantastic! Our school water is pretty disgusting, but you can't tell at all when drinking out of these babies. After fourteen weeks I can say for sure that I LOVE using this as my "key ring" - it's super easy to locate from anywhere in the room, and has the added bonus of reminding me to stay hydrated since I always have it in hand when on hall duty or traveling elsewhere in the building. Also, since my classroom door is never locked due to the fire escape, I just keep it hidden in a classroom cabinet at night so I never forget this key at home.

My "occasional" keys - cabinets/sliding doors/etc I keep in a safe place in the classroom, since I don't need them readily on hand at all times. My key to the outside door I keep on my car key ring, so again it's never forgotten at home and I never accidentally lock myself out when running out to my car for something.

So there you have an entire post on keys. And you read the whole thing. Haha! Time you'll never get back!