Organize for the Fall Semester
/With the first day of school comes an overwhelming number of syllabi, handouts, and textbooks. While students are often given supply lists to keep themselves prepared, they are rarely taught how to properly organize the massive quantity of learning materials they are expected to haul back and forth on a daily basis. An organized calendar and proper filing system not only relieve stress and anxiety, but prevents missed assignments, ensures earned points, and keeps students from being physically weighed down by thirty pound book bags. Set aside some time this weekend and get organized according to the following tips.
A one-binder system allows students to have access to everything they need at once. Using a two-inch binder with pocket dividers for every class prevents locker runs, forgotten homework, and completed assignments that will never see points because they were not turned in. This system is essential for students who struggle with organization and memory. When leaving school for the day, the student only needs to remember one binder and the appropriate text books. (Consider purchasing or renting additional textbooks for home use. Copies of older books can often be found on Amazon.com’s Used category for less than $10.)
Binder organization is key. Each binder should have front and rear pockets. The binder should open to the student’s weekly calendar with binder paper directly behind it. Consider using a label maker to mark the following areas.
Front Binder Pocket - Assignments to Complete: The front pocket of the binder should be used for assignments that need to be completed. This is current work or homework that needs to be done. Do not worry about separating this area by class. It is the one place where everything a student needs to do can be found.
Divider Pockets - Assignments to be Turned In: Each separate subject is separated by a divider with a pocket. After students complete homework or assignments that need to be turned in, they place the work in this folder. At the beginning of each class, the student flips to the subject folder and removes the work they need to submit. No more lost points because a well-done assignment got crunched at the bottom of the book bag.
Rear Binder Pocket - Work to be Filed: Students are frequently given papers while rushing out the door. Take all of these papers and put them in the back binder pocket for filing at a more convenient time. These returned papers, notes, and handouts should be filed chronologically in the appropriate section.
Keep your bookbag light. How is all of one semester’s coursework supposed to fit into a two-inch binder? It’s not. To keep yourself light and organized, use an at-home filing system for previous work. This does not mean to throw out old assignments! Materials are needed to study for final exams or to prove an assignment was graded if points were not properly rewarded.
Set up an at-home filing system with a large file box. Use dividers to correspond to the sections in the binder.
Always keep current study materials and handouts in the binder until the test for that chapter. Once the test is complete and all work has been entered in the gradebook, move that section into a labeled manila folder and place it into the file box. For example, while studying the Chapter 7: Civil War, keep all of the materials for the Civil War in your primary binder. Once the Chapter 7 exam is over and the class moves on to Chapter 8: Reconstruction, leave the Chapter 7 materials at home and make room for the new Chapter 8 work. Be sure to save Chapter 7 for finals studying!
Organize your work. Students should label the chapter and date on every piece of paper they come across: worksheets, handouts, notes, exams. Papers should be filed in the binder chronologically so they are easily accessible. If a student is missing an assignment, it is easy to check the binder and file box for the work.
Every student needs to utilize a full-page weekly Calendar/Planner. This calendar should be the the first document in the student’s binder. Every homework assignment, test, practice, game, and social commitment should be listed on this calendar. Students need an accurate picture of their week in order to plan their study time. While schools may provide a separate planner, this is another item students have to keep track of. A paper planner should list Monday - Sunday and can be made on a word processor. Each daily section needs to be large; students have lots of homework to record. Consider using hole punch reinforcements and printing the semester’s worth of calendars in advance. Paper calendars are recommended since electronic use in the classroom varies teacher to teacher.
*Teachers may suggest or require a particular kind of organization for one class. I still recommend a one binder plan. If students are given points during “binder checks,” simply transfer the work from the primary binder and file box into a temporary binder to be graded. This requires some foresight, however it will be less stressful and complex than a multi-binder system. Individual notebooks are an exception. For example, a Biology Lab notebook will need to follow the provided guidelines.