I've finally figured out a classroom poetry binder system that actually saves me time—and I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner! If you’re a teacher looking to simplify monthly poem organization, you’re going to want to try this.
The Struggle Was Real
Every month, I’d print out our classroom poems, pass them out, and watch 20 tiny humans try to line them up with the three rings in the binders. Of course I'd help but by the time I got all the way around the room, poems were upside-down, backwards and out of order. 😅
I did this September-June! Every. Single. Month..
I thought I was doing things efficiently. I really did.
Spoiler: I was not.
Enter: My New Binder System
This year, I did something wild — I printed the entire year's worth of poems ahead of time. Yup. All of them. Double-sided. Sorted by month. Dividers which were simply labeled, "September Poems, October Poems, etc. included.
I handed out binders in September and said to my colleagues, “I'm done.” And guess what? I really was!
Here's What I Do Now
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Copy/paste just the poems I want into one master document (Thank you, Google Slides link in my TPT packet ).
Number every poem so we can find them quickly
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Print double-sided and sorted by month (include Month dividers!)
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Put into binders just ONE TIME!
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Done and done.
Bonus: A Google Slides Shortcut!
If you're using my TPT poetry packet, grab the Google Slides link. I just drop the poems I want into one doc, and it's way easier to edit and prep for print. Then when I'm introducing a poem, no more scrolling. They are in the exact order I need them and display perfectly on my projector. (I also have PDFs included which I used for display for years. But while helpful, not ideal. Slides much better!)
Seriously, Try It
I feel like an idiot for not doing this sooner — but also like a genius now. 😂 If you're still doing the month-to-month chaos, consider giving this full-year method a try. It’s honestly one of the best time-saving shifts I’ve made.
And don't forget, my September Poetry Packet is FREE!
