Keeping Organized: Part 1,224,567

This is how is USED to organize my stuff:

 

This is the area next to my desk. The black stackers on the top are for the week- one for each day. The bottom 3 black stackers were for fancy paper (overhead transparencies- which I no longer use so those recently went in the giveaway pile, cardstock, color copier paper, etc).

The white drawers to the left were for miscellaneous things copies, papers to be graded and filed and so on. There were a few problems with this system.

  First of all, my copies box, often overflowed out of this box. We tend to make copies in advance and need a place to store them, or have copies we didn’t get to that week and want to go back to them (we actually do this often).

The second problem is that I am a piler and I love to hide my piles. That file box got fuller and fuller until it wouldn’t shut. Sigh. I hate to file things back! Now I have a smaller box on top of the file cabinet where I put materials (usually new things that need a new home) that need to be filed. I am hoping since it is on top of my file cabinet it will entice me to file? No such luck yet!

The last problem is that papers to be grade box. I never put papers in there. Usually I put papers to be graded in my bag and they hibernate in there until I get the itch to grade (or my bag gets too heavy). I take very few grades, rely GREATLY on observation, and grade tests immediately as kids turn them in or pretty much the same day. Most the papers in the bag are for practice and I don’t stress too much about them.

So, it was time for a new system. I must say I LOVE this system MUCH better!

I had other drawers and stacked them on top to make a higher set. I took some of my fancy papers and put them in the drawers to keep them from getting ripped up and mixed together (I had too many different kinds and only 3 black stackers to sort them in previously). So the top 3 drawers are for my most often used paper: copier paper, color copier paper and card stock. Then I have a drawer for Math, ELA and Science and Social Studies. I store future copies in each drawer (paper clipped together)) or copies we did not get to. It is so easy to refill the weekly black stackers to the right! Or if I need a time filler (this happens rarely, but has happened) the copies are RIGHT there. The bottom drawers are student rewards and carbon copy notes for parent communication!

Today is the big day! Please make sure to “hop” on over to my store for the big 28% off Leap Day sale!  I am one of several sellers participating! I can’t wait to fill up my own cart!!