Miss Delk's Colorful Classroom Management
'Color-coding my classroom has always been an effective way of organizing the classroom.' ~ Elisabeth Delk
Naples, FL (PRWEB) August 18, 2014
Classroom management begins with an organized classroom and this year it will be of particular importance with space at a premium in Miss Delk’s first grade classroom. An essential tool to a well-managed classroom is making sure that each learning material has its own home and that students know where to find and put back materials that they use in the classroom. It is also important for these materials to be readily available close at hand so students can spend more time on task.
Color-coding is an important aspect of Miss Delk’s classroom as she has always found it to be an effective way of organizing the classroom. "Color is a visual tool that even the youngest student can understand," stated Miss Delk. Using color helps to define a designated spot for specific learning materials or supplies and creates an effective way to teach student independence.
This year her classroom students will sit in groups, each defined by a color. After spending quite a bit of time this summer trying to find alternatives to help her save on space in her large sized classroom, she decided that she needed a way to maximize personal storage in her classroom. Each group has a caddie for storing writing tools and a basket for papers to be turned in that correspond to the color of their table. She added the Seat Sack chair storage pocket in various bright colors to match the colors of the caddies and baskets at their table for quick storage of books, folders and papers. In place of book boxes, which take up a lot of space in the classroom, each student will have a Seat Sack on the back of their chair which will hold their “good fit” books. During silent reading time, students will be able to pick a book from their Seat Sack and begin reading, which means less time wandering around the classroom. In addition to the “good fit” books, students will also place their matching color homework folders in their Seat Sack. Students simply grab their homework folders from their Seat Sack before heading home. Students will also keep their personal clip charts in their Seat Sack. Personal clip charts help students stay accountable for their behavior. Whenever students need to move their clip up or down it will be super handy for them to reach and move the clip quickly, so that they can quickly get back to the task at hand. This limits distractions during instructional time.
Training students to use the classroom organizers will help to maintain order in the classroom throughout the school year. Miss Delk’s classroom will spend the first week or two establishing these procedures. Getting students involved in organizing their papers and maintaining their personal area helps students to take pride in their classroom. Creating a well-organized classroom, free of clutter is an essential teaching tool.
Miss Delk has been a classroom teacher for over seven years while finalizing her Ed. S degree in Instructional Leadership. Her blog spot, The Adventures of Miss Elisabeth, Diary of a First Grade Teacher is a great resource for beginning teachers looking for classroom management ideas, instructional teaching materials and other creative resources for teaching early elementary students. Visit her site today for a Seat Sack Classroom Pack Giveaway! To learn more about the Seat Sack products presented in this article, visit http://www.seatsack.com.
