Papers, Papers, Everywhere!

One of the most challenging things that I have had to deal with as a teacher is the amount of paperwork that comes through my door. Here's some tips & tricks to manage the papers you will deal with everyday. Photos to follow

Homework

Home work that is done

I go over homework with the children every morning. They correct it themselves. Any children who leaves before we can review the work hands their work to me and I put it in a folder to be marked on prep.

Home work that needs to be completed

I have a metal file holder that steps up. I keep manilla file folders in the rack.

The first step holds the folder that says "To Be Copied"

• any papers I need copied for that week go in there. This way when I am headed to drop the children off to special I can quickly grab the folder and make copies without searching for them
• this also helps me keep track of my originals so I can be sure to put them back where they belong. 

The second step holds the folder labeled "Monday"

• Any homework, logs, or papers to go home on Monday will be stored in this folder. 
• So when children lose their homework you can immediately give them a new copy instead of searching for where you put the extras. 

I repeat the above with the third step thru fifth steps each holding the folders labeled "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday" respectively for any homework, logs, or papers to go home on those days.

On the sixth step is the "Extras" folder. 

• At the end of the week I label the contents of each folder with the date and clip them together. They are put into the "Extras" folder for a week in case I need them for some reason. They are discarded a week later. 

Centerwork

To manage the center work for each group, I have a hanging folder organizer on the side of a 4 drawer filing cabinet easily accessible to the students. I use manilla folders labeled with the centers. I keep their worksheets and/or directions for that center in the organizer and switch them out at the end of the cycle or week depending on what we are working on.

I have a separate 2-drawer filing cabinet purchased from Walmart that I store my beloved center activities in. They are separated by center and then by category. So for example, my comprehension activity center is in its own section and then I have further broken it down into topics such as main idea, story elements, fact & opinion, etc. For easy location.

Classwork

Classwork to be Completed

• I keep my classwork that I have copied for the students in a tiered rack system I got from Staples. Each shelf is for Monday-Friday. This way when I make copies for the week I can put them onto the appropriate shelf instead of a pile on my desk. 

Classwork to be Checked

• Any work that is completed and needs to be checked by me goes into a "Finished Work" bin. I collect the work and put it in a folder to bring home so I don't have papers all over my bag. I have seen a file organizer that you hold like a briefcase where it has several different sections to store different types of papers. If I find it again, it may be worth it to buy it because then you can sort the papers at home into graded/not graded or finished, incomplete, go over with child, etc. I currently just use two folders for graded and not graded. I place any work that I want to go over with a child together, paperclip it and Post-it. Then I put it in the front of the folder so I can easily find it the next day. 

Checked Classwork

• Once I get into my classroom I take the papers from the folders. I have a set of mailboxes for the children. I have another step file rack on the top of the mailboxes. I put any checked work in the rack until I am ready to sort out the papers into the boxes and send them home. (We have Thursday folders where all papers and notices are sent home to the parents so I wait until then. Important notices go on the right side of the folder. Finished, marked work goes on the left side. 

Filing Cabinets

Your filing cabinet should be your best friend if you are not computer savvy. (If you are, it should be your flashdrive!)

Set your filing cabinet up so each of your drawers are separated into subjects. Break down your subjects as much as possible.

For example:

• I teach Envisions. So I have one whole drawer for math. It has folders for each topic for every unit and then I have a folder for each unit test as well. It has a section for my timed math drills. I break each drill into its own folder so it can hold the practice logs for home, copies of the test, and the awards for beating the level. I have another section on Test Taking where I break it up into skills and resources needed. 
• I have an entire drawer for ELA. Each folder is broken into categories and then skills such as "Fact and Opinion", Spelling, Writing Essays, Guided Reading, Leveled Book Lists, ELA Test Taking Strategies, etc.