I couldn't believe how much time I saved once Squared Away organized my second grade classroom. Now I can spend more time with my 2 year old daughter!
Cindy Wadsworth
Hallandale Elementary, FL

Do you have a classroom organizing tip that has helped you and would like to share it with us? E-mail your organizing tip along with your name, city, and state. My tip is...

Write memos. If you need to make requests of a coworker, write a memo. It may seem businesslike, but the benefits are plenty. You are able to clearly state your need, you don't have to spend time discussing other points with the person, if they are unavailable when you attempt to make contact the memo can be left for them, they are less likely to forget since they have the memo to remind them.

Use a landing pad. Set up an easy system to "catch" the things brought in to your room daily. Have places for: mail, memos, copies, to do items, workshop materials, parent notes, etc.

Repeat yourself. Always put your purse, keys, bag, glasses, and personal effects in the same place everyday. Make it safe, memorable and easy access. If this place locks, have 2 keys in separate spots to unlock. Lost items are a huge time waster.

Hold calls. If you have phone calls to make, don't plan to do them during the school day. Even with cell phones, it keeps you from the business of the day. The focus can give you the opportunity to be home in time to conduct personal business in comfort.

Post schedules. Have a copy of your daily schedule in the front office. Place one outside your door as well and include your times before and after school hours. This is a great way to communicate your availability.

Know homework goals. Decide what your expectations are about this task. If you do not plan to grade individual items, don't collect them! If you are reinforcing a habit, check for completion, not accuracy.

Set homework routine. Assign a predictable schedule each night that will only vary in specifics. Try reading comprehension, math and spelling or rotate subjects M-F for longer assignments.

Prep ahead of time. Don't wait until Friday to decide on and copy homework. Get it done by Wed. and house in standing files by day of week. Keep 2 sets of these for current and upcoming papers.

Use homework helpers. These students should be trained to know where to find daily assignments, what to look for and how to distribute them. They should be self starters and know the best time to work.

Make helpers work. If you are not getting good helper results, make less not more work for yourself. Get the most reliable kids and train them well in a specific job. When they become excellent, have them choose a successor that they will train and so on.