One of the simplest methods for getting organized is to keep both teacher's and students' notebooks. You will need a three-ring binder with dividers for each student and the teacher, as well as a large quantity of notebook paper and printer paper that has holes punched. As an alternative to printer paper with holes, you may purchase a three-hole punch and prepare the printed handouts as needed.
At the beginning of the school year label the dividers with all the subjects that you will study. Possible labels might be: Bible, Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar, History, Geography, Poetry, Unit Studies, Latin, Science, Music, Art, etc.
In the teacher's notebook add a section for record-keeping. Print all the forms you will need and place them in the record-keeping section. Any hand-outs that you print in advance, such as blank maps for geography assignments, place in the appropriate section of the teacher's notebook. They will be ready when you need them.
As the students complete their work it should be placed in the corresponding section of their notebook. Math homework goes in the math section; books read should be recorded on the "Record of Books Read" form which is placed in the reading section; poetry handouts should be illustrated and placed in the poetry section, and so on.
One of the goals of this program is to provide the teacher with ready-to-use materials in a variety of subjects. These materials free the teacher's time for the more important task of teaching and dialoguing with her students. You may wish to keep a check list of subjects so that you can check what was covered each day. At the head of each column write the date. This form can serve as your log to satisfy state requirements for some states. Either place a check mark next to subjects studied that day, or record the amount of time spent on the subject.
For most schools, it is not possible to cover all the subjects every day! A check list assures that various subjects are covered over time. The sections of the notebook can be ordered in the same order as the check list so that during class the students move through their subjects in an orderly fashion. The teacher passes out the hand-outs which she has prepared in her corresponding sections. A sample check list follows: