I think every teacher is guilty of having at least a few quirks -- certain brand of pens, certain organization system, desks aligned perfectly, papers turned in alphabetically... the list goes on! Some of the quirks I have help to keep me sane when my students are acting younger than their age, and some of them have no other purpose except to give me a little enjoyment.
In no particular order, these are my quirks.
1. A Similar Font (Found Here)
Every single assignment that I am able to customize is printed in the same font for all of my classes. I have even been guilty of re-typing something that isn't customizable just so I can print it in my font.
I started doing this after starting a new job and talking to our department chair. She uses one font for all of her assignments and noted how as soon as a student, teacher, or administrator sees her hand-outs, they know they are hers. I loved this idea, for some reason. It also makes a binder full of materials look connected, as if they all belong to the same book.
The only time I do not use the same font is when I type up a test. The font I use is pretty casual looking and some things, like decimal points, are hard to read at times. For a test, I use a more "boring" font, but continue to use that same font for all tests.
I also keep the formatting at the top of the page the same for every assignment -- name blank, period blank, date blank taking up row one; title bolded and underlined for row two. These are simple things that make all the student handouts, labs, quizzes, and activities look similar.
2. An Organized File Cabinet
I am that crazy person down the hall frantically searching for a right tab file folder because I only have center tab and left tab folders. All of my file cabinets are as neatly organized as possible -- I use alternating tabs labeled with blue ball point pen. I don't try to keep a huge amount of files, since most of them are electronic anyways, but I do file away the extra copies I have. It provides easy access to find something for an absent student, to share with a colleague, or to make extra copies of.
I have four file cabinet drawers currently: Biology, Chemistry, Biology Tests, and Chemistry Tests. I find that keeping separate drawers for tests saves a lot of space. I keep all the "Do Not Write On This Test" copies of tests clipped/rubber banded together for easy access later. The 9th grade academy at the high school has a re-test policy so there is a good chance I will need to access all of those tests at a later date.
Hopefully sometime soon I will have the chance to go through and further organize my file cabinet. My goal is to color code the folders into categories: Quizzes, Labs, Test Review, and Classwork.
3. Class Color Codes/File Bins
I teach two preps and have an alternating schedule -- Biology, Chemistry, Biology, Chemistry -- which can make it complicated to keep my head on straight at times. To help myself out, I assigned Biology the color Green and Chemistry Red. The agenda/essential question for each class is written in this color on the board along with any upcoming lab, test, quiz, or project due dates.
I keep a file bin of all my copies for the week organized by class and day of the week. I have a "catch all" folder for each subject that holds original copies, scantrons, test answer keys, assignment answer keys, etc. All of this eventually gets filed away somewhere else, but lands in this folder until I have time to sort through it. I have a folder for each day of the week for both subjects. All my biology folders are in the front, all my chemistry folders are in the back. At the very back, I keep extra file folders.
As I make copies for the week, I put them in the folder for that day. I can easily move the copies around if my plans change. On test days, I keep all of the test materials in the folder (periodic table, scantrons, test copies, and after-test activity). I have found that this prevents me from giving Class A a study guide, but forgetting it in Class B.
I have absolutely loved this system so far. As soon as I make copies, I put them in a folder -- which has cut down on a lot of counter/desk clutter. If a student is absent, I can easily find the missing work from earlier in the week. I typically empty out the folder and file away the extras when I have new materials to put in the folder for the following week.
4. A Teacher Binder
Not only do I have a teacher binder (as most do) but I have a particular kind of binder, with labs/dividers/inserts in my particular font (see #1). My binder has eight sections: Attendance, Seating Charts, Calendar, Lesson Plans, Grades, Assessments, Biology Standards, Chemistry Standards. Most of these sections are pretty self-explanatory, but I'll explain a few of them.
I use current seating charts to also number lab groups or project groups. As I change the seating chart or lab groups, I replace it in the binder. I also post a copy on the back bulletin board in my room.
The lessons plan tab is by far my largest tab. I keep all of my lesson plans and will eventually file them away. I created a template unique for my schedule that has three sections: Biology, Chemistry, and Advisement. There is a box for each of those for every day of the week. I also put a notes section at the end of each class for lab setup notes and other reminders. The boxes are pretty large. I usually divide the biology and chemistry boxes in half and use the upper box for objectives and activities and the bottom box for warm-ups and homework. I always always write in pencil. I change plans often and have to erase things. I'll create a post later with the lesson plan template I use.
The grades section also has all of the IEP/504 accommodations for my current students. I find this very handy when I have to quickly recall which students get extended time and which do not. Highly recommend!
I'm sure there are other quirks I have, but these are the ones I experience every single day. What classroom quirks do other teachers out there have?
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