Geeking Out on Organization

A new school year prime geek time.  I go into organization overload when thinking about a fresh start.  Do I always stay organized?  NO.  However, I need to keep trying!  

In the past, I have dabbled with creating my own lesson plan book.  Basic ones are great to start, but the longer I teach, the more I know what I want to have access to and see when I am planning.  Since returning to the library, I have been struggling with creating a plan book that fits my needs as a K-12 library media specialist.  This summer, I think I have done it though!  Take a tour of my plan book below!

My Situation

PreK-12 Library Media Specialist

• TWO  libraries (PreK-5 and 6-12) 
• ONE building
  
• Flex and Fixed Schedule
  
• Collaborate with Teachers
  
• Present PD
  
• Instruct Students
  

My Needs

• Everything I want ready access to should fit in my rolling laptop bag ("Office on Wheels") because I go back and forth between libraries often throughout the day.
• Be able to quickly grab materials I need to collaborate.
• Keep track of happenings in facilities/staffs with different schedules
• Quickly communicate what is going on to 3 principals, a title one director, and my superintendent (who loves the library!).
• Document what I am doing
• Do keep a lot of things electronically, but switching between screens to plan can get frustrating and time consuming.

If you are taking time to create your own plan book, you mine as well create a personalized cover that makes you smile when you pick it up!  I used regular copy paper on top of card stock.

I took my whole plan book to Staples.  They used the thick lamination on the front and back cover to make it sturdy and give it a chance of lasting throughout the year.  I also had them do a spiral binding.  Comb binders fall apart too easily for everyday use and a 3 ring binder is too bulky to carry around all the time.

Section 4 - Weekly Plan Pages.  Because I usually see all different levels in a day, I have a time schedule at the top.  Then I can write shortened details for the classes and programs at the bottom.

I used card stock as a divider between sections.  I also threw in a few blank pages as a place to put post it's or tape other things I might want to have handy.

Section 2 - Blank monthly boxes where I can plan out things like special days, programs, displays, whatever :)

Section 5 - Collaboration             - Planning Tools (top)
Depth of Knowledge chart and an ABC's of Learning and Demonstrating Knowledge Chart that I have been updating as I see/hear about different projects being done.  These just help give inspiration when I am collaborating with a teacher
- Planning Form (bottom)
Form I developed for when I talk to teachers.  It helps guide our collaboration conversation and usually prevents me from bugging the teacher later with things I forgot to ask them initially.

Section 1 - Task lists that I can check off.  I also have a place to record new tasks to add to the list for next year or I can mark out the ones to get rid of.

Section 3 - Long range lesson plans for our partially fixed elementary classes.

Section 6 - Program Planning 
This is similar to the collaboration planning sheet, but guides me through the steps of planning a program.

Sounds like a lot, but I have everything together when I am going between libraries and to classrooms or talking with administrators.  Do you geek out on organization?  How so?