Each summer , I always think about all the ways that I can reinvent my classroom to make my space and classroom run smoother for both me and my students. As you my fellow teachers can understand, there is never enough closet space, bookshelves or wall space to put all those super important things that you NEED in your room. Rest assured my dear reader, that I have one space saver & noise saver that I have used in my 6th grade classroom that worked wonders for my middle school students. Let me introduce you to
THE BOOK BOX- a catch all for everything needed in reading and writing workshop! It contains a reading notebook, writer's notebook, reading & writing folders with paper, sticky notes, dictionary, pens, pencils, erasers, and a book baggie filled with just right books.
Here's how it works:
When students would walk into the room, each student would grab his or her book box and put them at their desk or special spot, turn in their homework and meet me, the teacher, in the meeting area for the mini-lesson. After the mini-lesson, students would return to their spot & begin independent work without having to rifle through a desk and disturb anyone.
The Box- It can be a cardboard or plastic magazine box from an office supply store or craft store. If you have the time & lots of friends who eat cereal, you can use old cereal boxes with the top half cut diagonally on one side, I have found some really great deals in the summer months and have found that both plastic and sturdy cardboard will outlast your cereal boxes.
The Tools-In my box I had students keep BOTH reading* and writer's notebooks, so that I could look at them when they were at lunch or in another class, but mostly to help keep the kids organized. I also had students keep reading and writing folders there so that I could see drafts (writing folder), book club work, vocabulary work, and/or reading lists (reading folder). Additionally, students put pens, pencils, and sticky notes all in the box so that no one had a reason to leave their spot during a workshop. The resting home for the book baggie was a must, as too many students would complain that they were carrying around 2 or 3 large chapter books at a time in a bag inside their back packs. So I came to the conclusion that they could keep the books that were' next up' to read in the book box to help them save their backs.
*In 6th grade I also had kids use a 3 subject notebook for reading, so that they could have a section for vocabulary work, reading responses, and reading projects. When used in lower grades, a one subject reading notebook works best.
Lower Grade Adaption:
When I became a literacy coach a few years back, I helped a new teacher set up her room and together we modified how the book box might work with smaller readers and writers. We decided that all reading tools could be placed inside the book baggie (book log, books, sticky notes, pencil) and kept at the child's desk. Then, the folders (she used yellow for reading & green for writing) could be kept in a community file area. We used two magazine boxes for each table in the room & labeled them according to table names. Meanwhile the reading notebook was kept in the students desk. Writing paper was used in place of a notebook & could be found in the community supply area of the room. Another super 2nd grade teacher used these lovely little chair storage sacks that went over the back of the chair. This too is another way to store all things reading or writing.
