A teacher’s desk can become piled high with junk by the end of the day unless there’s an easy-to-maintain system in place for dealing with incoming items and papers. Have a set place near, not on, your desk for students to turn things in, so they don’t become accustomed to piling things up on your personal workspace.
Have a basket for any special assignments you collect (such as writing waiting to be edited) as well as a separate inbox for parent notes, children’s drawings, and other non-assignments. Keep your most frequently used binders, teacher’s manuals, and office supplies right out on your desk and keep the others on nearby shelves and drawers. Have a file organizer on your desk to hold incoming papers (to read, to sort, to do, to keep on hand, and to file). Lastly, have a large, deep basket in which to place any papers or items you don’t have time to deal with immediately during the day, and be vigilant about emptying it each afternoon before you leave work. Make it your goal to have nothing but your plan book on your desk as you leave.
About the Author
Angela Powell has been an educator for nine years. She worked for the first five years of her career in Washington, D.C., and currently teaches third grade in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Powell, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Art from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, and a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Maryland College, earned National Board Certification as an Early Childhood Generalist in 2006. She continues to maintain Ms. Powell’s Management Ideas for Teachers, a Web site she created in 2003, to share teaching techniques, behavior management strategies, and organizational tips that can help make teaching more efficient, effective, and enjoyable.
Angela Powell has been an educator for nine years. She worked for the first five years of her career in Washington, D.C., and currently teaches third grade in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Powell, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Art from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, and a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Maryland College, earned National Board Certification as an Early Childhood Generalist in 2006. She continues to maintain