I Go By ...

One of the biggest organizational problems I have had is the chaos of the end of the day. In those last 15 minutes we try to squeeze in so much and I kept feeling like things were falling through the cracks. Then there was the inevitable - "oh Mrs. Fornero, I am taking the bus today!" "Oh ya, I am going on a playdate at G's house!" "My grandmother is picking me up, I have a dentist appointment!"

In order to ensure I knew ahead of time where everyone was going that afternoon, I made it their job and part of their morning routine to tell me. But let's face it - 22 kids telling you how they are getting home that afternoon? I might remember 2. So I created this "I Go By..." board.

I used sentence strips to write the different options, then put little pieces of velcro next to the option. Each of their names were put on a strip with velcro on the back and each morning they put their name next to their transportation method.

The options were - Bus, walk, car, playdate, or after-school program. Underneath the board (not shown) was a basket where students could drop notes to me from their parents. If a student was doing something out of their normal routine, we needed a note to allow it.

I hope this helps with some organization :-)