Teaching in a small school has its own unique set of challenges. The challenge is even greater in a one-room school when you are not only the teacher but also the principal and can be overwhelming when you focus on all it takes to run it effectively.
My experience has shown me being organized is the key to accomplishing all that needs to be done. In the Spirit of Prophecy two key quotes to me were from Testimonies for the Church, V. 5, p. 181 “System is everything.” and Sons and Daughters of God, p. 117 “ …if they had practiced method in their work, and applied themselves intelligently to what they had to do, they would have accomplished much more in a shorter time.”
It occurred to me shortly after reading these statements that instead of reinventing the wheel, I needed to come up with a system to use repeatedly each year. My solution was to create notebooks with dividers, forms, and checklists. These are the notebooks I have made.
Teacher’s Control Journal: I basically operate from this notebook. The dividers I use are Routines, Schedule, Calendar, Zones, Ideas, Teacher & Assistants, Agenda Items, Orders, and the church directory.
Setting Up the School Year: It includes June, July, and August Checklists. There are dividers for Immunizations, August Set Up sheets, Planning sheets for the new schedule, the First Day of School lists, and Papers to Review before the year begins.
School and Church Board: These have dividers for School Board Minutes, Agenda Notes, Church Board Minutes, and Treasurer Reports. I also have a section with Spirit of Prophecy quotations I use from time to time to remind our board of the importance of Christian education.
Registration and Hiring: I have all the forms needed for registration, plus directions for parents seeking exemption of Immunizations. I also have all the forms and directions for hiring local help.
Closing the School Year and Graduation: I make a checklist that starts in March and it is updated weekly until it changes to daily for the week of graduation. I also keep a list of Class Aims and Mottos, music for Pomp & Circumstance, past graduation programs, and past speeches. For closing out the year I have a May checklist, the Checklist and Final Report form, and last a copy of the form Items to be Left in the Teacher’s Desk.
Technology: I have dividers for information I receive for Jupiter, Dashboard, Website Resources, Adventist Learning Community, Chromebooks, and any other online programs.
These are only ideas of how to use these to help you. Each one will be unique to you!
By Patti Castellano
Patti was the Head Teacher at Harrison SDA School in Harrison, Arkansas at the time she wrote this blog.
