As with most things in life, it is so easy to get behind and then scramble to try to keep up. If you have a good plan, made well in advance, it is much easier to manage the curve balls that will come your way. You may have some ideas about what to do to be prepared, but there always seems to be at least one thing that can come back to haunt you. Take a look at the following and see if you have the bare necessities ready to go:
1. Current class lists (multiple copies for marks/attendance/etc.);
2. enough of the correct text books (including one for you to reference);
3. a blank seating plan;
4. current updated outlines (including expectations/evaluation/etc.);
5. space to keep your lesson/unit plans close to reference when teaching;
6. space on your whiteboard for a daily outline;
7. an area designated for getting work from/to students;
8. an ample supply of board/overhead markers;
9. photocopies made for the next few days in advance;
10. enough seats in the room for the numbers of students in each class;
11. an updated bell schedule;
12. water to keep yourself hydrated;
13. something to fall back on when your plan goes all to hell and you need time to count to 10, collect your thoughts and make a full recovery!
By no means was that an exhaustive list of things to have ready, but it sure is a good start. As time goes by, these things become second nature, and you can focus on the more important things, like teaching! Below are a few more things that we think you should be aware of:
Do I know:
1. Contact info for the School/School Associates/Faculty Advisors/etc.
2. Who the custodians/secretaries/administrators/counsellors are?
3. How to use the photocopier? (make transparencies/booklets/email/etc.)
4. How to navigate Richnet/BCeSIS?
5. Which printers I can (or can’t) use?
6. How to reserve the PC Cart/Projector Carts/Library?
7. Emergency evacuation procedures?
8. Are there any safety concerns in my classroom?
9. If there are students on class lists with IEP’s and where can I find those students’ G4’s?
* School Advisors: What else could be added to this list?
A really good thing to do is figure out a way to keep your class handouts organized. One rule I use it to only photocopy the exact number I need – students should be responsible for replacing lost handouts. I am also a big fan of binders as opposed to file folders in a filing cabinet. If you keep all your originals in a binder – they are easy to transport and can add in other handouts that might pertain to the same topic.
I find that there is so much paperwork to manage when teaching. I have really found it beneficial to try to go “paperless” with my classroom. Obviously this is much easier to do when you are in a computer lab; however even without the lab, I find it very beneficial to have all of my lessons/files/assignments stored in edmodo and/or dropbox. If I have to revamp/revise something on the weekend, but don’t have any files with me at home, I have an electronic copy available to me on the web that I can access from anywhere!
One thing I am trying to do this term is to scan and email to myself every handout that I am providing to my students. While I have most on disk anyway, any old handouts are now saved so that I can email them out if need be. Hoping that they will all be stored electronically one day.
Good plan Peter! Building on the entire theme of collaboration, it makes me wonder that if/when more members of your department do the same, all of these materials can be shared on a common computer or server. Then an entire department would have access to each others handouts and creativity; seems like it would have benefits for all in the long run. Thanks for the comment!