So recently I saw a post in a facebook group about someone who was asking for advice about their secretary. The band department had their own secretary. Cue the cartoon jaw drop because really. I really read that. I can’t make this up because I NEVER would have thought this was a thing. So I started thinking about how amazing that would be, and what the secretary does for the department, etc. Of course most music departments don’t have their own secretary let alone people who are teaching elementary, so I started thinking about what a department secretary would do differently. Here’s five ways to be your own secretary this year to make your life easier.
1. Organize your paperwork
Get yourself a desktop file system and create folders for what you need most often:
- Deal with today before I leave (mail to be put away, things to pass out, file, send, etc) One event per folder.
- Folders for events you have like field trips, your extra ensembles, musical, etc
- Official paperwork that just needs to sit somewhere easily accessible. However, I’d keep student medical and personal info locked up somewhere safe near the lockdown spot in your room for privacy and other reasons.
- Things to copy for the next week
- Original copies of your frequently used things like student notes home, hall passes, school forms that get filled out weekly etc.
- Registrations, applications, etc.
- Get a notebook, label pages for categories instead of post its every where. (Or go by day). Cross out as you go.
- A place to jot down grades, things you need to document, etc.
2. Use checklists
Things can get overlooked if we don’t write them down. I’m a MASSIVE checklist writer, and I use Google sheets to keep track of things coming up. For your big events, especially ones you do every year, make a checklist template so you only have to fill in dates and change the basic info.
For my day to day life, I use a plain notebook, date a page and write a list. When it gets too messy from more scribbles, cross outs, etc, I start a new page. I even write down things like go to post office, grocery items to get, if I have a meeting, and if I need to call someone. I also write out a quick month at a glance calendar in the front so that I can double check appointments if I’m out without having to scroll day by day through Google calendar. I tried several notebooks, to get to this system where my personal life and Mrs. Stouffer’s Music Room things are separate from school things.
When you find the system that works for you, DO IT and stick to it. I’m apparently motivated by nice, softbound notebooks that can fit in my purse.
If you need some help with checklists, check out this set (no pun intended).
3. Bins by day or folders by classroom teacher
No name paper? Goes in the bin. Student absent and there is paperwork for them? Goes in the bin. Having one bin or folder for each class or even day makes a huge difference. You could even use this as a way for students to get papers when you are working with something you are passing out that day like composing sheets or a listening reaction.
Make it a classroom job for one student to be the weekly bin/folder checker. Then you don’t have to remember to see if things need to go out, be passed back, etc. Instead of piles on your desk or counter that you forget to check, having a system in the room that the students are responsible for will take one thing off you.
4. Set up things for your future self
- Curriculum end goals: Plot out your map so when you make lesson plans you know how to get there. We’ll talk about this in next week’s post. 🙂
- Prep your sub tub during back to school prep so you don’t have to think about it when the inevitable happens.
- Lay out your stuff for the next day or Monday morning.
- Save templates of letters, announcements, etc.
- Copy and pre-date weekly forms you have to turn in so you can remember if you did it or not.
- Put a little red post it flag on emergency medical info for students that have things like asthma, epilepsy, or anaphylaxis so you can act quickly while you are waiting for back up to get to your room.
5. Take “7 seconds”
I heard this saying a long time ago about how doing something correctly the first time only takes 7 seconds vs the longer time it will take when you try to organize later. I don’t know if that’s true or not, and I definitely have piles in my office, but I will try to get on a kick of putting things away correctly. Admittedly, some of these take more than 7 second because that’s not always true, but don’t let it pile up!
- New resource? Label it with your name or the school’s (depending on who bought it)
- Put things away after using them. Have one basket, wheeled cart, or place where you keep your most used items so you don’t need to put away the same book every day but you also don’t have piles on your desk .
- Open mail, toss junk, file what needs to be dealt with.
- Put conference materials away when you come back
- Bonus: Have your last class on Friday have a 3 minute clean up routine. Let students close up shop, dust a few things, organize the bookshelf, etc. This was one of the BEST ways I’ve ever kept my room in order and it even happened after I was gone 2 weeks dealing with a family death on the other side of the country that backed up into winter break. The kids kept it in order.
I hope this helps you feel more organized! If you get that department secretary, let me know. I’ll come work with you.
