The beginning of school brings the smell of new book bags, fresh markers, highlighters, packs of paper and clean unused binders or folders. As we gather materials for the beginning of a new school year we should also pause and reflect on how we processed and organized our papers and supplies in previous years.
Do we really need all of those pens and markers on day one? Should we just get what we need and then replenish as we move through the year. Storage is always a premium in the classroom and in your backpack. Plus, if you store them at home, will you remember the safe place where you put the extras?
What is important to carry from class to class or from school to home? We know we need some method of note tacking and assignment tracking, but do we really need a spiral notebook for each class? Why not one notebook for all classes and use post-it tabs and post it notes to accentuate important ideas and materials that would be on a test. This way you carry one notebook or comp book and take all the notes for the classes. As you study and research you have everything in one place and not running the risk of forgetting the notebook that you really need when you get to the library and realize it's at the dorm or the apartment or worse, the trunk of you car -- have you seen things survive there?
Thinking about organization and reflecting on how you used things in previous educational journeys has allowed me to have one main, bound, composition book; then a small take-out box with colored pencils, post-its, and highlighters to make the book interactive. Try it. It's working for me.
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