Super Awesome Teacher Binder

I spent a lot of time on pinterest over the summer looking for new and interesting things to make my year a little more organized, a little more fun, and a little easier for me.  One of the things I came across that I really liked was a teacher binder.  Even though I'm the music teacher, I've noticed that having a teacher binder does keep me a little more organized.  Here are 2 that I found that I really liked...

• http://beyondthegrades.blogspot.com/2011/10/teacher-binder.html
• http://teacheristatales.blogspot.com/search/label/Classroom%20Organization

After I did the research on how to make a teacher binder, I pulled out the important things that I would need as the music specialist in my school.  Of course, as the year progresses, I am changing my binder to better fit my school and my classroom.  Here's what I have so far...

Important Information
I put all of the beginning of the year information, the master calendar, school wide schedules, guided reading information, and anything else that I might need for quick reference in this section. 

Essential Standards
I put a copy of all of the Common Core Essential Standards by grade level in this section for reference.  I also created a check sheet for each grade level, so I can check off the standards when I have taught them.

Lesson Plans
I only put the lesson plans that I am teaching during a particular week in this section.  If I were to put all of my lesson plans for all 6 grade levels for the entire year in my binder, there would not be enough room for anything else.  I have a file folder pocket chart hanging up behind my desk that has 6 folders (one for each grade level) that have my pacing guides and my lesson plans that I have already taught.

Meeting Notes
In this section, I have all of the notes that I have taken at various meetings throughout the year.  This includes all of our staff meetings, our book studies, Leadership Team, and the county-wide music teacher meetings.

I do not have a section with a class list or student data information because I teach 21 classes every week.  I have all of this information in individual file folders that are in the pocket chart behind my desk.  At the beginning of the day, I pull out the file folders of just the classes I am teaching that day.  I keep all of my student data in the file folders along with a seating chart and a class roster.

Something that I do not have that I think might be handy is a calendar section.  At the beginning of the year, I bought a planning calendar from Wal-Mart.  It is a nice calendar, but it is something separate from the notebook, and then I end up having to carry around both (to meetings and such) or just not have my calendar with me.  I think in the future I will add a calendar section to the notebook.

Update:  See my new post on organizational binders here: New Improved Music Teacher Binder