In this session we learned how to help minimize the things you can change in the classroom. She reviewed strategies and skills for students to be organized. She went in depth about three spaces to get under control in the classroom; the physical, digital and mental space. She provided us with ten helpful tips to stay organized in the classroom to avoid feeling overwhelmed. As an educator, we can feel very overwhelmed by the number of tasks we have to complete throughout the day, however, if we set realistic expectations and take control of our space we can effectively get things done in order of significance.
For example, tip #1 was to declutter the physical space. In other words, everything needs a home. The visual distraction of clutter increases cognitive overload and can reduce our working memory. One thing that really stood out to me was that you do not need a ton of stuff to be a great teacher (quality resources over quantity). This can be done by getting rid of old textbooks to free up shelf space for new (better) resources. Another great tip was to effectively zone your space/classroom into a teacher zone and a student zone. For example, the teacher zone is just for teacher stuff and is off limits to students, however, the student supply zone or the subject-specific zone is for students. The student supply zone is a small section where students can independently access materials they need throughout the day (ex. plastic spoons, bandaids, pencils, glue, scissors etc). A subject-specific zone, for example, is a math zone with unit themed bulletin board, math tools, rulers, protractors, calculators. This makes it easy for students to stay organized themselves and facilitates independence. To conclude, being organized does not eliminate stress but rather is an organized chaos.
Brought to you by: EDU491-ValentinaM@NUO
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