4 Things Working Well for Me So Far This School Year

We just wrapped up week five of the 2025-26 school year, meaning we're halfway through the first quarter. Progress Reports just went home, and we're really starting to settle into the pace and rigor of the curriculum. Eighth grade is hard, and it takes a little bit for some students to get in step with the quicker pace and more rigorous expectations; those first progress reports were definitely a wake-up call for some of them!

At this point in the school year, I like to reflect on what's working and what isn't. This is a good time to reassess procedures and even expectations, especially if things are not working. I've been fortunate so far in that really only one thing hasn't been working, but it's in the process of being corrected. Step one was implemented this past week, and step two will be phased in this coming week.

What I really want to focus on are the things that are working well for me so far this year. I decided to share the four procedures that are making the most impact in my daily teaching life. These are the top 4 things I'm doing in my 8th grade ELA classroom that are helping to prevent headaches (for me) before they even start.

1. Pencil Parking Lot

No one is more surprised than me that this is actually working, but let me tell you how grateful I am that it is. It has been an absolute game changer for me. Last year, the "I-don't-have-a-pencil" issue was such a headache! Here's how it works: I taped off a section of my dry erase board with black electrical tape -- a pencil parking lot, if you will. Inside this area, I placed six adhesive pencil holders. At the beginning of the year, I filled each holder with a full-sized wooden pencil. Students are able to borrow a pencil from the parking lot as needed, so long as they return it before they leave. I do not replace the pencils if they all disappear in a day, but I will pick up pencils left behind on the floor or that are swept up by the custodians at the end of the day and use those to fill any empty parking spaces. I also will replace any that have been sharpened all the way down and refill with brand new pencils at the start of a new month if needed. I fully expected to have an empty "parking lot" at the end of the first month, but most days at least half of the parking spots still have a pencil. It's still early in the year, so this could be a false sense of success, but I'm cautiously hopeful.

2. Writing Folders

This is the one system that has held over in its entirety from my first year of teaching, but it works so well for me that I have to share it. As in, I have changed absolutely nothing about this system (other than the brand of the folders I use and the storage container). At the start of the year, each student receives a hanging file folder; I have the tabs with their names already attached, but they're able to decorate their folder in other ways if they want to.  I order from Amazon for the best price. The folders are stored in a pair of crates; I've found that they're much sturdier than other storage methods and also cheaper. Mine came from Walmart. My students do all of their writing in class, and all of their writing materials - outline, rough draft, etc. - are kept in these folders so that I can go and pull things for grading, conferencing, review, etc. The folders do not leave my room other than brief trips to ISS. At the end of the year, their folder is essentially a portfolio of all their writing from the year.

3. L-Shaped Desk Arrangements

This is also not a new thing for me, but I'm including it because it really is what works best for my classroom. What I like about this desk arrangement is that I can position myself directly next to any individual student no matter where they are sitting. It also means each desk faces the smart board. This layout still promotes group and partner work, while also creating a bit more division between groups, which is what one particular class needs. Note: I do have one central desk pod because of space constraints, two sets of two desks each, and a straight-line trio in a tighter space. I also have a table at the back of the room that can sit two students (I have one large class that needs the table, and a few students in other classes that need separation).

4. ParentSquare Calendar

If you have any dealings with a school, then you'll know that Remind is no more. It's been replaced with ParentSquare, and let me tell you -- I am impressed with this program so far. My favorite feature by far is the class calendar. I can put quiz and test dates, project due dates, etc. on this calendar, and it will automatically send a reminder to parents the day before. Total game changer for me because I don't always remember to send out those reminders (even though students are reminded on the daily, ha). I can also keep better track of who's reading the regular posts, which is super helpful.