Organizing Ideas and Reproducibles: Are You a Ripper?
Posted by Jen Bragg on 26 Feb 2009 | Posted in: Organization and Supplies, Teachers and Teaching
The editors here at The Education Center® chat regularly about our days in the classroom. One topic that comes up about once a year deals with whether or not we were “rippers.” What does that mean? A ripper is a teacher who rips out pages from her teacher resource books rather than keeping the book intact. I am proud to say that I qualify as a ripper. Although I kept resources like monthly books intact, I ripped out my reproducible skills sheets and sorted them into files labeled with corresponding standards. I’m an organizer, and by ripping out these pages, I could better keep track of the materials I wanted to use.
At last check 33% of our editors were rippers and 66% were not. (It always seems like there are more of us rippers, but maybe we’re just more vocal about it.) What about you? Are you a ripper? Why or why not? I’m not the only editor here who wants to know, so please, share your thoughts!
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56 Responses to “Organizing Ideas and Reproducibles: Are You a Ripper?”
More Comments Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 » Show All Comments
More Comments Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 » Show All Comments
I am not a ripper, but I copy all of the ideas that match my current themes. Once I have copied the pages I cut them out and place each piece into it’s appropriate folder. If I see the idea in my folder and I realize I wanted more from that magazine, I simply type the idea in the online index search and then go back to my original magazine. So in a way, I am a ripper, but only with the copied materials.
I am definitely a ripper. I rip apart my whole magazine, three hole punch the pages and keep them in a binder. All my April/May issues go in the same binder as do all the other monthly issues in their own binders. If there is an activity I know I will use or a seasonal activity I want to remember to use I make a copy of it and put it in that monthly file. So when I plan for the month I just pull out my Bookbag binder, my Mailbox binder, and my seasonal folde\ for that month and I’m ready to go!
I am a ripper purely for organizational reasons. I keep everything together by season, theme or content standard. I don’t have the time to search through all my books to find appropriate lessons. I want to pull out one file and find it all!
I am not only a ripper but I put the books in binders. I found this to be easier to have the while I was lesson planning. Now that I am a Program Director I find it easier to pull the pages for ideas in my staff newsletter.
I don’t rip and I don’t know why!!! I just do not seem to find the time to organize all my stuff anymore. I do like the idea of filing according to the standards though. Our school is so “PLC - Data Drive - Teach the Standards” it is almost taking the fun out of teaching. Your magazine is one of the few things I look forward to anymore!!!
LOVE the idea of copying the contents page of the Mailbox and filing them in a binder. I have struggled with this dilemma for quite awhile and believe this may be the solution for me. Thanks,Sarah and Mailbox as I just can’t bear the thought of ripping.:(
No way. No ripping here. I am an organizer, but I could NEVER destroy a book. I keep a sample of each reproducible I want to use in the subject file along with a note on it telling what book it came from and which page number it is on. Works great for me!
Total ripper here! Sometimes a book has one or two pages that fit a theme I use so I’ll rip them out to file with one or two pages from another on the same theme. When I need ideas on a specific theme…there are all of the many ideas in one easy to find alphabetized plastic file folder in my cabinet. (Unripped books just stay filed away in another cabinet and I never have the time to go through them.)For me, ripping is works great for the organization of themes in Kindergarten.
I am not a ripper. I just copy what I want either at home on our printer/copier or take it to school to copy. I would hate to do that to my books. I am a book lover so I try to take care of my things.
I am definitely a “Ripper!”. I try and try to keep my books intact, but it always seems to be that I forget what specifically is in each one and by the time I find it again, we’re done with that subject. I love getting books that SOMEBODY ELSE kept whole (so I can rip it apart); but I can’t seem to do it myself. It’s easier to make copies, I remember what I wanted out of each book, it’s SOOO much easier to keep all like things together to do a themed unit-these are good reasons for me to rip them out! Lots of folders, hopefully cross-referenced, are just a lot easier for me to deal with (in addition to all the other books and materials); than having a lot of books around that stay on the shelf and rarely get opened! Thanks for this question. I often feel guilty for taking a book apart; but seeing how many others do it, too, is really nice and encouraging!
NOT a ripper. No way would I take the chance of losing a great idea.
I am definitely a RIPPER!
I like to file things to “try” to keep some organization in my life, therefore I rip the great ideas out of the Teacher’s Helpers, file them away so they are just a file away when I need to use them. I never have time to flip through all the pages to find what I need and don’t have room for the magazines on my shelves. Thanks for all your great ideas!