Switching from 2nd grade to 5th Grade

Any suggestions for classroom setup, supplies and how you breakdown the notebooks or binders you use. Any helpful tips are TRULY appreciated!

Re: Switching from 2nd grade to 5th Grade

Well, I can give you suggestions from my previous 6th grade classroom!

I didn't have them use binders. I found it was too easy for them to get disorganized and pages so easily rip out of them, etc. They had marble notebooks.
1- Reading
2- Writing
3- Math
4- Science
5- Social Studies

For the setup, I had centers for ELA and math. I admit I wasn't that good at having centers set up for SS and science... but there's just so much you can do with limited space. My math center had math worksheets that covered the math we were doing and had sheets on all different levels. My ELA center was the same, only for ELA... If the students ever finished something early, they knew to go over to the center to take something to work on.

The older grades are nice because they can be more independent! I'm sure you'll love it! Hope that helped!

ETA: For my desk arrangements, I clusted the desks into groups and had 4 students in each group. (Basically, 2 desks side to side and 2 opposite them)

Message edited 7/16/2009 10:54:17 PM.

Re: Switching from 2nd grade to 5th Grade

Bump hoping some have sarted to get back into school mode...or at least thinking about it. tia

Re: Switching from 2nd grade to 5th Grade

I am a 5th grade special ed. teacher, so my kids follow the lead of the gen. ed. teachers in terms of supplies and I just go off that.

My favorite system was this:

Notebooks and folders were color coded.
Math (blue)
Reading/Grammar (green)
Writing (marble notebook)
Soc. Studies (red)
Science/Health (yellow)

There was also a homework folder where students put their homework and notices for home. Only thing is you need to remind them to empty out folders every once in awhile. I usually had a 5 minute folder clean-up every weeks, usually when we ended a unit.

I've also seen teachers use one large binder and have the kids separate using dividers. i didn't think this was too good because the binders were heavy and cumbersome and for kids with organizational issues, they always needed reminders to file the papers in the right section, etc. For some kids the binders worked well and a good step towards getting ready for middle school, i just didn't like it.