Organizing Your Classroom: Paperwork
and Procedures

By Frances Riotte

Good for you! You are one of the selected facilitators for an adult education class in Florida. You are looking forward to meeting your students, preparing your classroom, and making a difference in the world of education. Then someone mentions classroom management and paperwork and your enthusiasm turns to dread.

Those of us who love to see the lights go on in studentsí eyes as we reveal the mysteries of the universe are sometimes bogged down by the mundane tasks that must be incorporated into run­ ning an efficient and productive classroom. Help is here!

General Decorum

  1. Give all directions in a positive mode. Avoid negative words like DON'T, NOT, NO whenever possible.
  2. Expect adult behavior and accept nothing less. Direct a student displaying inappropriate behavior to leave the session. Be matter-of-fact, not angry or blaming. Count on your other students to support you; they will.
  3. If the students can share classroom responsibilities, see that they are given the opportunity. Students can empty the trash, clean the tables, straighten the bookshelves. Developing their self-reliance builds their self-esteem ó a basic element of the curriculum. You then become co­ workers in education.
  4. Vary your teaching techniques between individual, small group and whole class presentations and activities.

Paper Work: All Those Teacher Files

Efficient organization in the classroom requires a filing cabinet or two to hold certain records and materials that you, your substitute, and your supervisor will want at hand.

Student Records

Set up current student files, making use of alphabetical dividers. Use a letter-size manila file for each student labeled last name first, followed by first name and nickname, if any. Open that file by stapling to the left hand side your copy of the student registration. Add to that side the following items as they become available and applicable: