Binding Responsibility Together: Using Class Binders

A few years ago, my fellow teacher Lacy Floyd, started talking about binders. I had seen other teachers use them, but wasn't too familiar with them.  So, I looked it up and found a lot of resources already available!  So onto the binder bandwagon I began!

First, I want to tell you that the two weeks leading up to the first day of school were great! I was excited about using my D.R.A.G.O.N. Binder: Daily Requirements And Goals Organized Neatly. (Here's a link to a site with acronyms if you'd like to try this!) I got all of my management tools out of the way, figured out what would be inside the binder, and was ready to start.

Then the first two weeks of school came: I HATED THE BINDER! It took my students forever to get them set up let alone remembering to use them. I even remember having a moment of: Why in the world did I even try to do this?

Then a month later my first moment of zen happened. One of my students had forgotten to remind his mom he needed field trip money. I asked him to look in his binder in our special pocket for notes and money...and there it was! His mom had used the binder too!

Next, I had a parent call and ask about the behavior checks her child was receiving in class. Was she mad? No, she said she noticed he wasn't getting his usual marks for behavior and wanted to know if there was something she could do to help. It was only his second day of misbehavior and they were small things. I told her how I had moved his seat and was hoping this would fix the "chatter bug" he seemed to have. The binder was now a communication tool that was being used!

Then, I had a young lady who started filling in her calendar with important dates. Personal important dates. It was like she was actually using it to stay organized with her home life too.

Suddenly I noticed that most of my students were actually using their binders! For more than just their homework and studying too! They used it to carry notes for their friends. They used it to keep their paperwork for after school clubs. Suddenly, a tool that I hated became my most loved tool.

My advice to my fellow teachers: stick with it! As with anything, keep in mind that they're kids. Keep in mind the age of your students and if they've ever been held accountable before. I teach 3rd grade and some had a VERY hard time with this. At the same time, I have a feeling a few of them will continue the binder next year!

Fast forward to the end of the school year and a meeting at our district office about going 1:1 with a device. Suddenly, I thought of my binder. What if I used an iPad to keep them organized? Would it be hard at first? Yes. Would it be worth it? YES!

So have you used binders or iPads to keep your students organized? If so, how did it go? Did it work out well for you? Let's hear about it in the comments section!

As always,

Overly Enthusiastic Jen