Our teacher tips and classroom faves to avoid a Manic Monday!

Saying goodbye to the lazy days of summer is hard for any teacher, and getting back into the work time routine is enough to make anyone go crazy. We wanted to share a few of our teacher faves to help make your Mondays a little less manic and a little more organized. Here are a few of our favorite organizational items that we love to use in our classrooms.

a.       Keep everything organized to and from school with this Thirty-One Bag. Lots of pockets for supplies and big enough for binders, teaching manuals and file folders (Thirty-One Gifts)
b.      I love personalized clipboards, I use them for my reading groups to keep track of my center schedules and for afternoon dismissal. It puts the information you need right at your fingertips. (Etsy)
c.       Keep track of your keys with this colorful key fob perfect to fit around your wrist as you head to lunch, special area or the playground. (Etsy)
d.      Personalized binders help keep you organized, and are great for creating a data notebook, or keeping up with your lesson plans. (Zazzle.com)
e.      These clear storage containers are perfect for extra copies of spelling tests, morning work or extra handwriting paper. Just label them and keep them in front of the classroom for easy access. (Wal-mart)
f.        I love using these Wilson brand presentation binders to keep track of my reading groups and center workshop time. They come with dividers in them that have clear pockets. Perfect for a quick view of a schedule or assignment. (Office Depot)
g.       Being a primary teacher means you have a lot of supplies and materials to keep track of. I love using these sorters to keep track of construction paper and other supplies we use daily. They are also great to use as individual mailboxes for your students…no more lost papers, they are neatly stored in one place for afternoon pick-up. (staples)
h.      You can never have too many post its. Perfect for a quick note home, pass to the office or a reminder for you. (Wal-mart)
i.         I use the utility crates to store my consumable workbooks. They are easy to keep them in and store easily on shelf or counter. (Wal-mart)
j.        This is my favorite teacher organizer. It keeps all of my materials for the week organized and ready to go. It is also perfect if you have an unplanned absence. All your materials are ready to go for a substitute to take over. (Really Good Stuff)
k.       Colorful binders help me to keep track of my worksheets and lesson ideas for each month. Just add a colorful label to the front and your materials are ready for quick access year after year. (Wal-mart)
l.         Colorful labels help me keep the organization consistent throughout my room. I label cabinets, folders, cubbies, supplies…pretty much anything. (Creative Teaching Press)

a. Baskets are a great way to organize math manipulatives, literacy centers, and other odds and ends in a neat and homey way. (Target)
b. Patterned binders brighten up your bookshelves!  I keep lesson plans, standards, and project ideas all neatly and fashionably tucked away.  If you don't want to spend money on new binders, re-purpose old ones by sliding cute scrapbook paper in the clear covers. (Target)
c. One of the best organizational and time management tools you can have in a classroom, a clock!  In an intermediate classroom it's important for students to begin to grasp a concept of time before they head on to middle school. (Target)
d. My mind has been blown by Martha Stewart's new Avery line at Staples.  I think I might have to cover my room in these sticky notes!  (Staples).
e.  I love journals.  I've kept one since I was a little girl, and I still use them in the classroom.  My students keep science journals to organize their thoughts and observations, and I'm always jotting down miscellaneous ideas.  (Staples)
f.  My hands down favorite teacher bag.  With tons of space, good structure, and pockets, it's a great way to tote your papers to and from school.  (L.L. Bean).
g.  Dividers are a must in my classroom.  For me and my students.  Papers don't get "lost" when they have a precise home.  (Staples)
h.  Homework and copies of future assignments have an organized space with racks around the room.  (Office Depot)
i.  These kraft paper labels are a great way to label boxes, cubbies, or student work.  (Staples)
j.  Solo cups aren't just for bbq's!  I use them throughout my classroom to corral markers, pencils, paintbrushes, and more.  (Target)

k. Every teacher needs to keep hydrated these adorable personalized cups make sure that you don't lose your favorite cup in the copy room (Etsy)

Keeping your space organized is the key to a successful year. We hope that some of our favorites become yours too! We would love to see your creative organized spaces....send us a photo of your classroom to simplysprout@gmail.com