One of the most used office product in our homeschool is our file box.
Yes, a file box!
It used to lived in my Thirty-One bag, keeping long-term storage for a long while. Currently, I am using it {instead of my Desktop Apprentice} for our current filing system, as we are homeschooling in a small space now- our dining room.
What are all of those folders, and what do I do with them?
Our curriculum is broken up into units, with each unit lasting six weeks. I like to plan ahead {even if it didn’t happen much when I was away from home..} so I usually print off a six week unit at a time.
From back to front:
These recyclable folders are permanent. When I finish a year, all extra copies go live with my books for when we reuse the curriculum later.
The week folders is how I break up the six weeks of printing, so I just don’t have a giant stack of papers lying around.
The Monday-Friday folders is where I put the worksheets and lapbook components for the new week. I either pull them out on Friday or Saturday when I put the work we just finished in my children’s binders.
Our oldest is working with different curriculum alone, so he gets his own folder. The finished work folder has some art in it currently.
After printing, I three-hole punch all work going in a binder {99% gets punched, the paper below won’t be going in a binder}.
I paperclip papers by days that are going into the weekly folders, and then I paperclip by student when they move up to a Monday-Friday spot.
That way, when class starts I just pass out all of the work each child will need to complete by the end of that school day. It really saves time!
© 2013, Sam Kelley. All rights reserved.
Sam Kelley
Wife to one and mom to six. I love my Lord, my family, organizing and fitness. I'm a homeschooler who takes pictures obsessively. I love good tea. I don't eat meat.
We are new to POE this year, just started in January! I am schooling five kids and the mountain of paper is insane, thanks for the organizing tips, they have been so, so helpful!
So glad I could help!
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I like that idea – I am thinking I need to switch over to something like this. At the moment I have loose stuff if it doesn’t make it into a drawer – your way is much more organised. I would just need to tweek it a little for what I would need it for. TFS.
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You’re welcome! Thanks, Deborah. :)
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Great info and help, again. With my POE papers, I print and paper clip by child and day. I don’t do the hole punch, because that is done by the child after I have checked the work. This way we know what needs to be filed in the POE notebooks.
I only have two DD who have gotten into the groove with this set up.
I paperclip for the current week only, otherwise I run out of them! Good tip about the hole-punching, although I am so used to doing it now, I doubt I will stop!
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Wow so very organized.
Thank you!!!
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..The File Box
This is really helpful and so easily changeable depending upon what curriculum you are using. I almost did something similar to this for science this year, but then changed my mind about what curriculum I was going to use. “Filing” away for future reference.
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Love the pun!!
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..The File Box
Thanks so much for the organization help! We are in POE and I sometimes get overwhelmed with all of the papers. I enjoy all of your organizing tips!
Thanks, Robin!
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..The File Box
Love that – I do something similar – but in a tray, not a box.
I’d need a lot of trays!
Very nice! I love it. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!