Organization Strategies In The Combined Grade Classroom
Written By Abena Sey
August 5, 2023
Organization is one of the tools that will facilitate the teaching and learning process in your combined grade classroom. Once you have put systems in place to create an organized learning environment, you and your students can enjoy the efficiency and peace that comes from an organized classroom. Here are some strategies to keep your combined grade classroom organized during the school year:
Seating Arrangement
When arranging your students’ seats, consider how well the students will be able to see, hear and participate during lessons. You will also want to consider the size and layout of your classroom when planning their seating arrangement. If you like to use cooperative learning activities in your teaching, choose a seating arrangement that works for that style of learning. Fortunately, your seating arrangement does not have to stay the same all year, or all day. You can consider modifying the seating arrangement as necessary. If you need to change the seating for a specific part of your lesson, having students move their desks / seats provides them a nice break as they transition for the learning activity.
Another consideration is how well students work together. As a combined class teacher, part of your teaching strategy is to ensure that students can work independently while you are giving small group instruction. When designing your seating arrangement, consider students’ peer relationships and learning styles. This information will become clearer to you as you get to know your students. Students can be grouped in rows, pairs, or groups, depending on your classroom layout and teaching style. Pick one to start the year off, and modify as you gain more data about your students.
Students’ Personal Belongings
Another important component of your organization is managing your students’ personal belongings. If you do not plan where students will house their school supplies and other personal items, things can get messy in your classroom pretty quickly. Another tip to help your students stay organized is to plan a way for students to easily access their materials so that it reduces distractions during transitions. Will students keep their belongings at their seats? Will you keep community supplies or store them individually? Where will you house students’ extra supplies? The answers to these questions will partially depend on your school’s policy regarding school supplies (some schools do not permit community school supplies) and your storage. Some storage options include: extra large Ziploc bags, storage bins, milk crates, tupperware, or supply caddy. Labelling students’ belongings will also support your efforts to minimize distractions and remain organized.
Paper Work
Create a routine for how students will turn in work, and how you will store and distribute graded work. Teach students this routine, and consider creating a visual reminder for how you want things to look during this procedure. Consider your storage and classroom layout as you design the procedure. Managing your communications to parents, such as parent newsletters or student agendas, must be planned as well. Do you have a mailbox system to distribute parent communication? If not, create a system that requires students to place parent communication in their backpacks right away to avoid items getting lost during the day.
How well your students can learn in their classroom environment should guide your decisions when organizing your combined grade classroom. Organization leads to clarity of expectations and reduces distractions so that you and your students can work towards their learning goals.