Dear Fellow Teachers,

I am all about saving time, so if I have something that works why re-invent it .  I’m all about time management.  I’ve been teaching for 34 years and have been through many cycles in teaching. I have been open to learning new things and love reading about the new and exciting things everyone is doing.  I feel I have many things I have developed and can share.  It is such a compliment when someone uses what I’ve created.  So here I go, I hope you enjoy having one thing less to do.
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I do Daily packets for my first graders and it is a Must Do for Monday -Thursday.  (On Fridays they have an Assessment Packet, that is made up of skills learned during the week, a Spelling test, and one of the Daily Oral Language and Math worksheet we did during the week.) 
Each Daily packet contains:

1.  A spelling worksheet:  my students start their day by coping their ten spelling words and two sentences from the white board  (I teach in a low socioeconomic area with a 95% second language learner population, majority of my students don't practice their spelling at home, so this is how I have had to compensate).

2. A Daily Oral Language /Daily Oral Math sheet:   I have cut these in 1/2 and put a language and math sheet on one page . (Hint:  In the beginning of first grade I really have to go over these sheets in my morning review of what their doing that day in their packet.  I may do exact examples on my white board so when they go back to their seats they have to remember what to do.  It does take a bit of time, but after a while they'll be working on their own.  The Key is patience.  Also later in my day I check this page whole class.

3.  I add a phonics page or two (usually what we're covering that week).

4.  A math page (usually what we're covering that week).

Really you can add anything your covering to this Daily packet. 

Important:  I do check this daily packet each day with each of my 24 -27 students.  Call me crazy! but they do get immediate feedback.  Plus the packets go home so parents can see exactly how their children are doing and perhaps where they need to practice. You may be wondering can't a parent volunteer or aide help.   I rarely if ever have parent volunteers.  (Most of my parents work, have little children, and/or don't speak English).  Yes, once in a while I can use my aide, but most of the time I need to use her during my Universal Access Time for small group instruction.  Unfortunately we don't always get aides at the right time either.  I may have my aide for 30 mins. but 10-15 of those mins. my students are at recess.  So it's up to me most of the time.  Now also if my students don't finish this packet (and they have plenty of time throughout their work day),  they may take it  home to finish and then can return it completed for a raffle ticket.  (Do I always get their work back?  Of course not.)

Time Saving Tip:

I always keep one copy of the Daily packet  and Friday Assessment for myself and I put it in a folder Labeled :  Week 1, 2, 3 etc.   I keep it from year to year.  How it works is simply locate my File Folder for the Week of school we are on and just pull that week out and look at last years work.  Now as you go through the years you change text books and grades, so things have to be tweaked of course, but over all I've used it in every grade I've taught and it works perfect.  Bottom line it saves me time.  I also do a weekly homework packet. I send a homework packet on Friday and it needs to be returned on the following Friday. That too goes in that weeks folder for reference for the next year.

Here's to Saving time,
  Cindy