As someone who has spent the majority of my 21 year teaching career in a departmentalized classroom, I understand firsthand the unique challenges and rewards it brings. One of the greatest challenges in teaching in this setting was finding efficient and effective tips for departmentalized classroom organization.
Whether you are diving into departmentalization for the first time or seeking to refine your organizational strategies, I’m excited to share some insights that have helped me along the way. I hope you find techniques that you can quickly implement in your classroom to help it run smoothly.
1. Assigning Colors to Subjects
One effective way to streamline organization in a departmentalized classroom is through subject-specific color coding. I found that meeting with my co-teacher at the start of the year and agreeing on specific colors for each subject area was imperative to helping things run smoothly.
Benefits of Subject-Specific Color Coding
Assigning a distinct color to each subject simplified managing materials and helped students stay organized and quickly locate their items. It helps the school day run more efficiently. Students can quickly find their materials without searching through everything one by one. For example, I would say, “Take out your yellow writing folder,” and they immediately knew which folder to grab.
Suggestions for Color Assignments for Various Subjects
Here are some color suggestions for different subjects:
- Writing: Yellow
- Reading: Blue
- Math: Red
- Science: Green
- Social Studies: Orange
You will also want to consider special area classes such as art and music. I found assigning them a different color could be beneficial. However, we sometimes had to double up on colors. It still worked out because we would have the students label their core classroom notebooks and folders as well as just color-coding them.
How to Apply these Colors to Folders, Notebooks, and Other Materials
It’s most beneficial to apply these colors consistently across all relevant items. For notebooks, have the students use a marker or highlighter to color the entire edge of the notebook the assigned color. This way, they can quickly spot their items quickly whether they are in their book bags or desks.
If you plan to set up different centers for different subjects, you can color code the folders or bins you use for them as well.
2. Assigning Colors to Homeroom Classes
Assigning a color to each homeroom class is another effective organizational strategy. This method with help both you and your co-teacher as well as your students to easily identify materials for different classes.
Benefits of Color Coding Homeroom Classes
Color coding homeroom classes is especially important if you are in a departmentalized setting teaching the same grade level throughout the day. It helps reduced confusion for everyone involved. It allows students to quickly find their assignments and materials saving valuable classroom time. For example, if a class is assigned the color green, all their items will be green making it easy to identify. It also helps you find materials associated to a specific class efficiently.
How to Implement Color Coding for Homeroom Classes
Once you’ve assigned a specific color to each homeroom class, you can use it in a variety of ways:
- Data tracking bulletin boards: use them to quickly identify which set you are looking at such as with currently reading logs
- Homework: use colored paper, labels, or markers to display each classes homework assignment on the board
- Jobs: assign classroom jobs using a color-coded chart
- Parent Communication Binders: If you are using binders to keep all parent communication notes together, making a binder for each homeroom and assigning a color to each one will help you find them quickly.
3. Label Everything
As with any classroom, labeling everything helps maintain organization and helps students find what the need quickly. This is especially important in a departmentalized classroom where many of the items will look the same.
Importance of Clear Labeling
Clearly labeling items ensures that students know where everything belongs. It helps reduce confusion and keeps your classroom tidy. Labels also help students develop a sense of responsibility for their materials.
Tips for Labeling Materials
- Folders: Although students have probably color coded their notebooks and folders, add a subject label to each of them. It helps students confirm that they have grabbed the correct one. Then, have them add their name to each one.
- Bins: Label bins such as where to turn in work or homework. If you have ELL students in your classroom, it might be beneficial to include words and pictures as well.
- Shelves: Label shelves such as where supplies or books are kept.
- Desks: In a departmentalized setting students will most probably be sharing a desk with someone from another class. It is important to have rules in place for this.
If students are sharing desks and have their supplies inside, I like to assign the left side to the morning class and the right side to the afternoon class. Students know to stack up their books and notebooks in there. I am very explicit about not leaving personal belongings in there. However, if you have more than two classes, you may want to have individual caddies or bins for your students. In that cases, it is very important to label and color-code them even if with colored stickers.
By labeling everything, you create a structured and efficient classroom environment. This practice not only keeps your classroom organized but also supports student independence and responsibility.
4. Implementing a System for Turning in Work
Establishing a clear system for students to turn in their work helps maintain organization in a departmentalized classroom and ensures assignments are collected promptly.
How to Implement a Turning-in System
Here are practical steps to set up a system in your classroom:
- Designate Bins: Use labeled bins or trays for each subject or class period. Some teachers prefer using a number system where students turn in work to assigned numbered folders. Others prefer grouping similar assignments together to expedite grading.
- Consistency: As with anything, introduce the system and stick to it unless it’s a total flop. Once students understand what is expected with “turned in work,” class goes by that much smoother. It streamlines the workflow for you and your students.
My Personal Approach
In my classroom, I found that grouping similar assignments together in labeled bins helped streamline the grading process. This approach reduced confusion and allowed me to manage assignments more effectively. I had an A.M. bin and a P.M. bin. The morning class would turn their assignments to be graded in the A.M. bin and the afternoon would turn them into the P.M. bin.
5. Make Alarms Your Best Friend!
In a departmentalized setting it is very difficult to be able to move your schedule around. This makes it imperative to be conscious of the time during your class period.
Importance of Setting Alarms
Alarms serve as visual and auditory cues for both students and teachers. They signal when it’s time to wrap up activities and move on, maintaining a structured learning environment.
- For Teachers: Setting alarms on your phone helps manage class periods and transitions effectively.
- For Students: Countdown alarms visible to students help them stay on track with activities and transitions.
How to Set Alarms
Here are practical steps to effectively use alarms in your classroom:
- Identify Transition Points: Determine specific times or activities that require transitions (e.g., between classes, subjects, centers, or activities).
- Choose Alarm Types: Use classroom timers, digital alarms, or visual timers to signal transitions. Choose alarms with clear sounds and visuals that are easily identifiable by students.
- Teacher Alarm Preference: I preferred using the alarms on my phone for things like taking attendance, getting started with whole group, wrapping up whole group instruction, wrapping up the class for transition to another class.
- Student Alarm Preference: I liked using an online timer that students could watch as they worked especially during center time. I would put the countdown at about 15 minutes. When the alarm sounded, students would switch to their second center. I would my way to giving them 1 minute and 30 seconds to transition. I would have a student go up to the boards and set the countdown timer to another 15 minutes. This proved to be effective for both me and my students.
- Give Clear Instructions: Before implementing alarms, explain their purpose and how your students should respond when they hear them. Encourage your students to quickly tidy up or prepare for the next activity.
6. Safe and Smooth Transitions Between Classes
Effective transitions between classes are essential in a departmentalized classroom to maintain momentum and maximize instructional time.
Strategies for Smooth Transitions
Implementing effective strategies can significantly improve transitions between classes:
- Schedule in Transition Time: Make sure to give your students about 3 minutes to be able to properly pack up their belongings to avoid leaving anything behind. This will also ensure you are sending students to their other classes on time.
- Establish Clear Procedures: Develop clear routines and procedures for transitioning between classes. Clearly communicate expectations to students to minimize disruptions and ensure safety.
- Coordinate with Co-Teachers: Collaborate with co-teachers to establish consistent transition procedures. Things to discuss is what time will you be switching? How will the two classes make the switch?
My Personal Approach
In my case, we always had two doors for our classroom. In order to make transition more effective, one class would use one door to exit while the other used the other door to enter. This helped alleviate loud hallway conversations and interactions. It helped move things quickly.
Give these departmentalized classroom organization tips a try and let me know which ones worked best for you. Have your own successful tips? Let me know those too!
