How to Get Organized as a Teacher: Your Back to School Routines Simplified

Becoming the Organized Teacher

Why I Need Back to School Routines for Me

You know how you spend those first few days or weeks of school “training” your students. You set up a routine, you give them expectations, and you practice, practice, practice every day. It feels exhausting at first but it is so worth it. Because after a while, your students will just get it. You know that moment. It’s when you walk into class a few minutes late, your kiddos have already started their reading. Ahhh, that’s such an awesome feeling. 

As teachers, we always focus on back to school routines for students. But, for me, I am just like the kiddos and I crave routine. I am someone who likes to feel in control. The best way I know how to do that is to create routines right as I go back to school. This way I can know how to stay organized as a teacher. It helps me get rid of those back to school scaries for sure!

How Being an Organized Teacher Benefits You

You might be thinking, okay Becca that’s great for you. But, how can this organization help me? I don’t need to feel in control. I don’t stick well with routines. And I certainly don’t have time to do another thing right at the beginning of the school year. I hear you! You do not deserve another thing added to your list. What you do deserve is more time. You know that magically element that we never have enough of as teachers? 

The biggest benefit of becoming teacher organized is time. And I know you want more of that. There might be nothing more that teachers want. Okay, maybe a little pay bump is higher on the list. But, time is definitely near the top. If you are ready to find some how to stay organized teacher tips, then keep reading below. 

Teacher Organization Tips

Tip #1: Create a System for Everything

So I started with the hardest one but the most important one! Create a system for everything in your day. As teachers, our schedules hardly ever change. Our day is mapped out from the moment the first bell rings until the last kid walks out the door. That stability means that you can create a system for everything in your day. 

Systems are awesome because if you can do the same steps every time, you will stop having to use so much brain power to complete the tasks. You know those days when you feel exhausted and your brain is ready to shut down? We can start eliminating those days because of your systems! 

Here are some systems that I have in place in my classroom: 

1. Day to Day Schedule: I created an entire 90-day schedule (we have semester-long classes) for each course. Each day is numbered and has a date. I include essential questions, an outline of the day, links to resources, and homework under each day. At the beginning of each semester, I make a copy of the last semester. I am never starting from scratch. This system is for every one of my classes so they all have the same format just different content. 
2. Learning Management System: We use Schoology at my school as our learning platform. Since I will have four to five courses to set up each semester, I create a system for how each class looks. First, I include my agenda slides link at the top of each course. I then add a new folder each week with that week’s # and date (Week #1: August 23rd-25th). Then inside that folder, I have a folder for each day with the day of the week and date (Wednesday, August 23rd). Every single course is designed the same way to keep it simple for me. 
3. Agenda Slides: I love being able to visually see my plans for the day. While these are not detailed lesson plans, they give an outline of everything we need to accomplish. I first create a template like this one HERE. The templates allow me to copy and paste preset spaces for each day without spending time designing anything. Next, I use the day-to-day schedule and paste the important information into the slide. This way, I have everything I need ready to go for each day. 
4. Remind App: I set up my Remind classes for each course I am teaching in the semester. My system is that I will send out a remind each night at 7:35 p.m. with the agenda slide image. So, students know exactly what we did today and what they need to do that night. Students, parents, and I are always on the same page with work. Plus, not every student uses a planner so this system helps them not to forget. 
5. School Email: I created a system every time I looked in my inbox to help save time. I always delete unnecessary emails. I then place important emails that do not require my attention in a proper folder. Finally, I flag emails that need my attention. I will give myself 10 minutes to answer emails and then keep the rest in my inbox. I also add any actions needed to my to-do list. Emails can be overwhelming but having a system to sort through them really helps to get organized as a teacher. 
6. Morning Lights: Some systems don’t need to be long and complicated. I have lots of lamps and lights in my classroom. Every time I go to turn on these lights, I go in the same pattern around the room so that I do not miss any lamps. Simple but helpful!

   

Tip #2: Build Each System into a Routine

Now that you have some systems that have distinct steps in place, it’s time to make them a routine. Routines help to save so much time because you start to do them without thinking. If you have perfected a routine, you will save yourself so much time. Plus, because you have created a good system, you won’t miss things and have to go back. It’s all about doing as many tasks in a certain way every time so you never have to doubt that you have it all done! 

Here’s how I take those same five systems from above and turn them into routines: 

1. Day-to-Day Schedule: Every Wednesday, I start planning for the next week. I will look at this day-to-day schedule for the dates that I need. I will make adjustments to the plan. This could mean moving content around, adding new resource links, or changing the homework. Once I have each day for the next week set, I am ready to use this information in a few places: my learning management system and my agenda slides. 
2. Learning Management System (LMS): Every Thursday, I take my day-to-day schedule and use it as my checklist for my LMS. First, I create weekly and daily folders for the week. Then, I use the day-to-day schedule to see what resources I need to add. Because I already have the links in my schedule, it is easy for me to find them and add them to each daily folder. I work my way from Monday to Friday. 
3. Agenda Slides: Every Wednesday, I open my agenda slides template for a specific class. I will copy and paste enough slides that I need for that week. I will then open my Day-to-day schedule. I copy and paste the outline for each day into the agenda slides. I do this for the entire next week. Now, I am organized and ready for my lessons. 
4. Remind App: Every Friday, I schedule all my Remind messages for the week. If you have never scheduled messages before, I highly recommend it! You can get so much more done because you don’t have to work on something daily. First, for the Remind messages, I open my agenda slides. I take a screenshot of each daily agenda for the week. Then, I schedule a message with just the image for each weeknight. Now, I know my students will know exactly what to do for the week. 
5. School Email: I have worked really hard to not be constantly checking my school email. I open it in the morning before school and give myself 10 minutes to follow my system. I will then only open it again during my prep period and at the end of the day. One thing as a teacher that we can all work on is not taking so much extra work home. Honestly, email is a great place to start letting go of things at home!
6. Morning Lights: Every morning as soon as I walk in my classroom door, I go around in my specific order to turn on the lights. 

Tip #3: Keep Your Students Organized

You know when you are the only one doing something how frustrating that can feel? If you can recruit other people aka your students to become organized too, it makes life so much easier. If you teach your students to establish routines that will help you stay organized as a teacher. 

Think about the routines you want to maintain in your classroom. Here are some examples: 

• How you start class each day
• How do you show kids the daily agenda
• Where students can find what their homework is posted
• Where students submit assignments

Take the first two weeks of school to really establish these routines. Accordingly, walk your students through the steps in each routine. After putting in the time, you will see your students start to follow the example. You know you have their organization locked down when you can walk into a room and the students are doing these things on their own. 

Tip #4: Plan Ahead with Your Lesson Plans

I know that most teachers know to plan ahead. But, I am going to challenge you to really think ahead. I have the entire semester mapped out in my day-to-day schedule before the semester begins. It took a lot of time to have the entire plan written down. However, now I can make copies and adjust days as needed. When I start back to school, I already have lessons and resources ready to go. Therefore, I can just jump right in with my instruction. 

As the semester progresses, I work on scheduling out my weeks ahead of time. I will schedule when resources show up. This way I can have things planned in advance. But, they release on time. Nothing is better than that feeling of being ahead of schedule. 

Going weeks in advance might be unrealistic for you. If that is the case, try to go just a week in advance. That way you have a little breathing room at the beginning of your school year. If you can focus on one unit and have that planned and ready to go that will go a long way! And remember that this might be the first time you are trying to schedule out a semester or year’s curriculum. Give yourself some grace and do just a little when you can to get ahead. 

Tip #5: Create a Weekly To Do List

If you are not already obsessed with to-do lists, now is your time to start! As a teacher, I know that your brain is constantly filled with things to remember. That’s not even including all the minute-to-minute decisions that you have to make in your day. Plus, all the dates for meetings, deadlines, and paperwork. That’s why I love a to-do list. I think of that list as a brain dump for everything I need to accomplish in a week. Then, if I know it’s written down, I don’t need to store it in my brain as well. 

Everyone has a different style so you need to find what works best for you. Maybe you like to plan out your entire to-do list for the week on Sunday. Or perhaps you prefer to focus on three main tasks for the day and make a new to-do list daily. Likewise, you might be a digital planner. Or, a paper and flair pen kinda teacher. 

Not sure what will work best for you? Try out a few different ways over the course of the next two weeks to find the best fit. There is a technique out there for everyone. You just have to find the best one for you!

Tip #6: Manage Your Time Effectively

I’m going to start this tip by calling myself out. You know how I complain about not having enough time? Do know what I also love to do? Waste it! When I arrive early in the morning, I stop to chat with a teacher I haven’t seen in a few days. Over my prep period, I will run one errand and get sidetracked by having a conversation. At the end of the day, I might pop in to debrief with my teacher bestie. 

Now, I think that relationship make our job so much better. But, I also think that I can become inefficient. You might not have the luxury of coming in early or staying late every day. I know that I don’t! So, you need to get honest with yourself about how to use your time. Think about how many things you could get accomplished by replacing that 10-minute teacher conversation each day! 

Tip #7: Clean Up Your Desk Daily

A clean desk sets you up for success. Think of these few minutes at the end of your day as a reset. Before you leave, organize your desk. That means clearing off as much as you can. Organizing the paperwork together. Adding urgent items for the to-do list. Putting away all supplies that aren’t needed anymore. And of course, pushing in your chair as you leave. 

The next morning when you come in and see your desk is clean, you will feel refreshed. Nothing ever seems as overwhelming when it is organized. It gives us that sense of control that so many of us need. And, when you feel like you got this your day will be so much better!

More Ways for How to Stay Organized as a Teacher

Five Ways to Create Curriculum Flexibility to Help Engage Your High School Students

6 Back to School Activities for a Successful First Week

The Importance of Creating Systems and Templates for Planning and Differentiation

High School English Teachers, I Planned Your First Week Back

Friend, you can totally get organized no matter where you are in the school. The best time to start is now. You do not have to wait for that perfect moment to figure out how to stay organized as a teacher. You just need to jump right in! Start small. Choose just one of my tips and implement it. I would love to see which of my tips you are using right now. Tag me or send me a DM @theteacherrewrite on Instagram. If you want something done for you, check out my Taylor Swift agenda slides. You can keep yourself and your students organized with minimal effort. That my friend is thinking smart, not hard! You totally have this now that you know how to get organized as a teacher.