Organzing for Writer's Workshop

Over the summer, I was thinking about Writer's Workshop and how I hated that the organization piece was always lacking in my classrooms. It was hard for me to keep track of where each of my students' were in the writing process, and they would lose papers ALL OF THE TIME!

I decided on a new system that I am starting for the first time with my 5th graders.

It goes like this:

1. Every student will have a Writer's Notebook (black and white composition book labeled with their name and the words, Writer's Notebook. This is also can be decorated in a way that represents the writer.)

2. Every student will have a binder with 4 sections.

3. The composition book is used for brainstorming different ideas.

4. The sections are for drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.

As the students move through the writing process, so do their pages.

What do you do to keep your students organized during writing?