Rosanna Stadnyk Organized Teacher

 

                                        The Organized Teacher

 

Summary

I chose the book the organized teacher: a hands on guide to setting up and running a terrific classroom. The book has chapters on organizing and setting up a classroom, managing students, an overview of the curriculum, assessments, among many other topics. This book covers all the details about preparing to teach your first year that no one tells you. There are many charts, lists, certificates, etc. that can be photocopied or printed from the DVD that comes with the book.

Resources and Strategies

There is a chapter on classroom rules and behavior management. It offers tips on creating classroom rules with the students keeping track of their behavior. There are lots of new ideas for rewards for good behavior such as earning points towards adding fish to an empty fish tank, popcorn parties on Friday, and cushions for their seats.

There is a weekly and monthly focus standard that you can fill out to inform parents on what you are focusing your teaching on this week and month. I think far too often parents are not aware of what their children are learning in school. If parents know what is being taught they can have more meaningful conversations about school with their children.

                                           

 

There are some great ideas on what to include in classroom centers where kids are self -learning and exploring. There is a section on organizing the teacher’s math workstation and different manipulatives and supplies to keep in the workstation.

 

 

One tip that I liked was to start a school binder where you can keep all your school information, and policies together. You can include such things as teacher/room lists, school procedures, emergency policy, school information, staff phone tree, schedules, classroom information.

Critique

I like the book because it covers all the little details on how to organize the classroom. If you’re looking for a book to set up a classroom and get organized this is a great book. The book has done the work for you in getting both the teacher and student organized; all you have to do is photocopy the pages and fill them in with the information.  The book shows teachers ways to communicate to parents what is being taught in school.  It is not a book that will tell you how to teach the curriculum or how to deal with students. The book briefly covers the curriculum which I liked as it gives a student teacher a feel for what we will be expected to know and teach. I did not like the quality of some of the print outs; some of the pictures were weird.

Reference

Springer, S., Alexander, B., & Persiani, K. (2012). The organized teacher: a hands on guide to setting up and running a terrific classroom 2^nd Edition. M Graw Hill: New York