I just linked this post up with the Clutter-Free Classroom project!
I’ve been organizing a bit on my week off {sorry, had to mention it, hehe} and thought I’d share with you. Since I started teaching, I’ve been organizing my theme papers in binders.
I have one binder for each school month {some bigger than others}. In each binder I keep themes that I teach or touch upon during that month.
In my March binder, for example, I have worksheets for St. Patrick’s Day, Women’s History and spring… all copies I’ve acquired through blog stalking or from Scholastic printables. Right now I have the themes separated with paper/binder clips. Eventually I’d like to buy dividers and separate the themes that way.
This method of organizing has worked really well for me. However, this year I don’t have room for all my binders at school, so I keep them at home. I also have way more papers for each theme than I could ever actually do… obviously curriculum comes first, and we just fit themed fun in whenever we can.
So I decided I needed a space-saving and easy way to keep my favorites of the theme activities organized at school:
I plan on popping two of these {medium size} into my desk drawer, and then my favorite theme papers will be right at my fingertips! And my other papers will still be at home in the binders, for safekeeping, or if I ever want to change things up.
What are these boxes, you ask? They are open top file boxes from The Container Store.
Do you have a Container Store near you? If not, you should totally get one. Because it.is.fabulous. I could spend hours and hundreds of dollars in that store!!!
Anywho, the boxes come in a few different sizes, they hold hanging file folders, and they are cheap {$4.99-6.99 each… ON SALE right now for less}.
I bought a pack of 20 hanging file folders at Target for about $7… not too bad. I labeled the folders by theme, pulled my favorite activities from my stockpile of goodies, and popped them in the folders:
One box will be September through January themes, and this box will be my February through June themes. I’m not finished yet, but I get antsy when I want to share something with you guys!
I hope this post makes sense, because I rewrote parts of it several times! I also hope that one, the other, or both of these ideas can help you out in some way! Let me know 🙂
I love those open file boxes. I even use one inside my schoolbag for stuff going to and from school.
Laurie
Chickadee Jubilee
OMG, I love me a binder! I organize all of my theme papers the same way! FAB minds must think alike 🙂
Lisa 🙂
Made In The Shade In Second Grade
I am not crazy about binders…I feel as if I forget whats in them. But I love the open file idea! This is how I have most of my papers at work, right at my fingertips 🙂
Natalie
Teachery Tidbits
I have the binders, but same issue, no space so they are at home. Great idea for taking in what you need and storing at school 🙂
Amy
TheResource(ful)Room!
I LOVE the Container Store and could spend hours there (and money) looking at all the stuff!
Journey of a Substitute Teacher
So organized!! Love!
❤ Sandra
Sweet Times in First
sweettimesinfirst@gmail.com
I just found your blog and started following you. I do the same thing with the binders. I love having everything together for the month. It makes getting things ready ahead of time so much easier!
Glitter and Glue
Teri,
At the resource center where I work, we do it both ways. 1 binder for each holiday/theme and as many handing folder boxes for eax as it takes. The boxes sit out on counters so teachers can go through them and take what they want. Staff can always copy more from the originals in the binders. It works
– Lisa
a teachers bag of tricks
Oh Teri,
You are so organized! I am so envious! Maybe I can do some organizing this summer. I THOUGHT I was organized, but after seeing your post, I realized, I am actually not that organized!
Hope you are enjoying your week off!
Tarra
http://www.chalkboardchitchat.blogspot.com
I am not a binder girl but I do love those file boxes. A lot! I have lots! 🙂 Plus, I am partial to my filing cabinet.
A Teeny Tiny Teacher
I do the same thing with the binders, although since i've been blogstalking and TpTing, the stuff in them looks so old and crusty that I haven't even wanted to use any of it!
I've been starting to rely more on my digital storage than keeping paper copies, but it's hard to let go of them entirely.
Denise
Sunny Days In Second Grade
OH how I LOVE binders!
I'm not a filer, but I like your file boxes. Cute and simple. 😀
❤ Dragonflies in First ❤
That's how I file my theme papers!! It's so easy to use and browse through!! And I definitely need to check out the container store soon to see all of their cute organizing boxes like yours! 🙂
Cheers to School
I used to do the binder thing with 2 large binders, Aug-Dec and Jan-May. However, they got too large for me. I just did this very same thing and linked up too. 🙂 What was that about great minds???
Ms. M
Ms.M's Blog
A Teacher's Plan
I used to do the binder thing with 2 large binders, Aug-Dec and Jan-May. However, they got too large for me. I just did this very same thing and linked up too. 🙂 What was that about great minds???
Ms. M
Ms.M's Blog
A Teacher's Plan
I do the same thing with the binders and I put the worksheets in plastic folders. What do you do with your samples for projects that take up more space?
Michelle
Apples and ABC's
It's good news that you find those storage; adorable and spacious enough to fit all your documents. Anyway, keep that enthusiasm in organizing your stuff! You can do it, Teri!
–Ruby Badcoe @ WilliamsDataManagement