Best organizational tools

At school, I am an organization princess. At least that is what people tell me. Also get called "the most organized person they know" and told that "if Jennifer is confused, [whatever they're talking about] was wrong, not us."

I've borrowed and adapted many things from fellow super-star organizers over the past few years to earn this title. Here are my top 10 best organizational tools for an overworked (and way over papered) teacher in no particular order:

1. Create a folder system on you computer that is logical. How many times have we seen someone's desktop that has 50 files all over it? Just look at Dave's. Instead, I create a folder that says the subject, within that are subfolders that say the main categories (Discipline, Admin Materials, Seating Charts, Sub Plans, House on Mango Street, Persuasive, etc), within the categories, name files so they are extremely clear. I also use one letter in front of the curriculum folders to indicate it if is reading (R), writing (W), or testing (T). You don't want to have to open the file to realize that it isn't what you're looking for. For example, to find the bingo card I used today in class, here are the steps you'd click--My Computer, Jennifer's Hard Drive, Arlington High School, Intro to Lit, T-Finals Review, "Bingo Card for Lit Term Review"
2. Look at every email once, file accordingly. Delete it if it requires no action and you don't need it for reference. After you've created seperate folders in your inbox, if you need the email for reference later, drag it into the correct folder. If the email requires a response, respond immediately or it will be gone forever from your mind.
3. Spend the extra hour at the beginning of the year typing all of your parent emails into your Outlook Contacts, under the students name. Make them into a distrubution list by period and you can send out mass emails by clicking just a few buttons. Also, by organizing it by the students name you don't have to try to remember which paper goes with which kids now that we have SO many different last names.
4. Look at every paper once and put it in its place immediately. Decide immediately if it is trash (98% of papers), it it requires immediate attention (1%), or if it required "keeping" for the future (the last 1%). Obviously, trash goes in the recycling bin without further ado, immediate attention gets "done" whatever it may be, and "keeping" gets put in the storage area based on what the paper is about. This works especially well if they've placed a recycling bin by the teacher's mailboxes :)
5. Create a file system that is easy and clearly labeled. So the 1% of papers that need to be kept are usually something that you'll use in the upcoming months. If you leave them on your desk (like is our natural tendiency), they are gone when we need them and or take way too much time to find. I staple file folders to the wall with the common areas I get papers (English Dept, Staff Development, School Site Council, Student Info, Classroom walkthroughs/Evaluations, Unfinished tests) and when I get a paper that I need to keep, it slides into the folder and is held there until I need it. No fancy filing, nothing annoying, no three hole punch needed.
6. Collect no student papers. Every single paper, no matter what, gets turned into the period boxes (plastic three-drawer things from Walmart). Don't remove them from the period boxes until you're ready to grade them. After grading, put them in the second set of period boxes marked "Corrected Paper." Never lost a paper/assignment yet.
7. Keep everything electronic, electronic. If you make a "master" to photocopy, but it is still on your computer, there is NO reason to keep the master, use it as a handout. Don't print agendas, minutes, email, etc. Binders of papers don't make us organized because we rarely look at them. Store it electronically, it is a whole lot easier to find.
8. Invest in bins to organize supplies. $1 each at Big Lots--get 20 shoe box size ones at least (I have 20 shoe box size and 10 paper box size). Label the containers, put the supplies in the bins and always put it back when you're done. They stack, they are easy to unstack, and there is no confusion when you send someone to your cabinet to get something or a kiddo is suppose to "help" put something away.
9. For staff and department meetings, bring a folder with supplies. I'm talking a pencil pouch with pencils, pens, color pencils, highligher, ruler, scizzors, and glue stick, along with pacing guides, testing schedules, common assessments. Why? Because at every meeting we waste 80% of the time looking for something that we can't find that we need to make a good decision. We want to create a "great" idea but we don't have the stuff to do it. At the beginning of the year I make several identical folders up with this stuff--this year I only had two: English Department and SELA folder--and I'm ready to go for the whole year. I get to be the hero for this one often, but really, my goal is to waste less time. It also helps when you're bored out of your mind and you're trying not to get in trouble for taking over the meeting or talking to everyone around you, you can just "draw."
10. Use an electronic calendar (Outlook) and put all the information on it--then LOOK AT IT. Parent conferences with the crazy parent? Note it. Sub day for conference? Note it and add the job number, the date you called in the sub, and the location of the conference. That way when you forget at 7:52 and you're suppose to be there at 8:00, you can look it up in a central location. Dentist appointment, yep, that should be there too, because heaven forbid a kid wants to stay after school that day, you say yes, and realize later that you can't be there, but it is too late to get transportation home. Most importantly--look at it. Look at the whole week at a time.