Ideas for Organizing Teacher Paperwork

I just laughed a little to myself as I thought about the amount of papers teachers get on a weekly basis. It’s a lot … right?! Then I had a second chuckle (possibly out of slight overwhelm) as I pictured the many piles of paper I’ve created in the past because I just didn’t know where to put them all.

Sound familiar?? (Please tell me I’m not alone!!)

Well, no more, friends! Let’s talk about what you can do with the never-ending stream of papers we seem to collect as teachers.

Before I list out ideas, I just want to say that these are NOT the end all be all, and you SHOULD pick and choose the systems that work for YOU!

STAFF MEETING HANDOUTS

Yeah, you know the ones I’m talking about. The handouts that you get at staff meetings that you’re never, ever sure what to do with because you may need to look at it sometime in the future, but possibly not. Those.

Here are some ideas for what to do with those:

• Have a folder dedicated to these handouts
• Create a tab in your teacher planner or binder labeled “Miscellaneous Handouts”

IMPORTANT MEETING PAPERWORK (IEP, INTERVENTION TEAMS, COMMITTEES YOU’RE ON)

Ideas for organizing paperwork from meetings regarding individual students:

• Have a tab for different kinds of meetings in your teacher planner / binder
• File in individual student file folders

Ideas for organizing paperwork from committees you’re on:

• Have a tab in your teacher planner/ binder for each committee you’re on. Insert paperwork there.
• Keep a folder for each committee you’re on. File paperwork there.

STUDENT PAPERS

Why are there so many student papers?! Ah! Ok don’t panic. Here’s what you can do with those:

• Have an “I’m Done” Bin that students put their finished work in
• After checking, file them in student hanging file folders (these are papers you’ll be filing, not sending home) OR
• Have students pass them out to go home OR
• Put papers in student cubbies for students to take home OR
• Put their finished work in their take-home folders for them

FORMS FROM HOME

• Keep a daily folder for forms that come in that includes a checklist so you can mark off who has sent necessary forms back

If these are forms you need to keep, you could organize them in one of the following ways:

• Keep a binder for forms / family / student information / emergency contacts
• Have a separate file folder for each kind of form and store in a drawer or filing cabinet
• Separate forms by student and file in individual student file folders

NOTES FROM HOME

• Keep a folder for notes that come in from home
• For any notes that need to go to another person in the building, send them there
• If the notes are for you: keep them in the folder until you respond to the note (if necessary).
• Depending on the content of the note, you may want to file in individual student file folders

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