Organization Tip: Tackling Student Absences!

Hi there!

I'm Michelle, a high school math teacher in Virginia! I have been teaching at my alma mater for 10 years, and I teach Algebra I, Algebra II, and Pre-Cal...but I would say my forte is definitely Geometry.

I've learned a lot of things over the past 10 years, but one of the most important things I have discovered is this: an organized classroom aids in producing successful students. I'm not naive enough to say that's the most important thing, or the only thing. All I'm saying is it helps myself and my students...A LOT!

I would like to share my absolute FAVORITE organization tip. It has saved me countless time AND keeps my students accountable. WIN-WIN!

Do you have trouble with keeping up with work for student absences? I would've said "I do", but since I have implemented this technique, I have had ZERO trouble. And, I mean it! I will warn you, that you have to work each day to implement it...but the end result is worth the while. Not to mention, after a few weeks, it will become second nature to you!

This is my absence station. This semester, as you may notice from the picture, I have Geometry and Pre-Cal classes. Each class has a corresponding calendar (graciously provided in mass quantities by our local Coca-Cola bottler at the beginning of the school year), and a corresponding 3-ring binder. A big one. BIG!

At the beginning of the semester, each binder is empty...with the exception of numbered, tabbed dividers-one for each day of my semester (90 to be exact). You can find them here, if you are interested!

Each day, I fill out a small Post-It note (small enough to fit on one of the days of the calendar) for each class. On DAY 1, the Post-It will say "DAY 1" and list all of the activities/homework that were assigned that day. I place the Post-It on the calendar day that DAY 1 fell on, then here is the BEST part: I put all of the extra notes/worksheets/papers/etc in the binder behind the "1" tabbed divider. I do this after school EVERY DAY, for each class that I teach. It may sound like a pain, but trust me, it will take you hardly any time to do.

 From the first day of class, my students are schooled (ha!) on the process. When they return from an absence, they don't even ask me for their make-up work. They visit the absence station, check the calendar, see everything they missed, then retrieve all of their work from the binder. Bonus: if a student loses a paper, they can visit the absence station as well to pick up an extra!

SO easy, and SO helpful for myself and for my students! Oh and another cool thing! At the end of the semester, you basically have completed for yourself a timeline/lesson planner that you can look back at from year-to-year. Again, a huge time-saver!