Classroom Management

The Best Way to Stay Organized if You’re a Traveling Art Teacher

We are all dealt our individual hands in the art education world as far as job assignments go. Some of us may be in our dream jobs while some of us may still be in the trenches. Aspiring towards our goals and ideals is never easy. There are aspects of our jobs that we can change and control and other aspects we cannot. 

Last year, I found out that I would be traveling to a total of three schools each week. In previous school years, I’ve traveled between two each week, but this was a whole other level. I sought to find a way to make my increase in travel logistically feasible. I needed a plan for keeping all my students, buildings, and projects straight.

 

I decided I needed a binder system.

 

My binder system includes four total binders: one binder for each school I am at and one that travels with me every day.

 

Collage of Binders

 

The Binders that Stay at School

 

The Details

I have a designated spot at each school to store each school’s binder. That way, I always know where they are and they are accessible for subs. I keep the documents in these in plastic-protected sleeves, so I know they’re extra safe, even when I’m not with them!

 

What’s Inside

  • Daily Schedules
  • Seating Charts: organized in chronological order and divided by tabs
  • Class Lists
  • Emergency Info and Procedures

 

InsertsInBinders

 

The Binder that Stays with Me

 

The Details

The binder that stays with me has all the sensitive information I wouldn’t want lying around for anyone to see. The pages in this binder are three-hole punched for easy access. I have tabs to separate each school’s information as well as tabs to separate different sections.

 

What’s Inside

  • My Overall Schedule
  • Infinite Campus Info
  • Grading Rosters: organized by first by school, then by grade level
  • Behavior Logs

 

Note: I can’t take all the credit for the behavior log. One of my colleagues shared it with me and was generous enough to share it with all of you. You can get your own below!

 

Click for free download!
Click for free download!

 

Sticking with this binder system has helped me stay sane. It has also lightened the physical load I have to carry. Because I always have my grading binder, I’m able to input grades at any of the schools I teach at and even at home! Though my traveling situation isn’t ideal this year, I’ve found a way to make it work for me.

 

Are you a traveling art teacher? How do you stay organized?

What is your best tip for traveling?

 

Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alecia Eggers Kaczmarek

Alecia Eggers Kaczmarek, an elementary school art educator, is a former AOEU Writer. She is passionate about teaching and reaching students through an innovative and meaningful arts education.

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