Spend more time writing and less time managing!
Pre-bound journals: I really tried to make these work early in my career. It seemed like the best way to keep random papers from floating about the classroom. I tried binding them several different ways and they were super cute but I'd always get one or more enthusiastic "writers" who enjoyed filling pages and my system would fall apart. One student even went through and put a line on each page simply to fill the journal! With work, I could get many students to fill one page before moving on to the next. There were always those students with perfectionist tendencies. If they "messed up" they could have a hard time moving on without removing the offending page from their journals! Report Covers: These worked better than the pre-bound journals as I could add or arrange pages as needed, but the flexible bindings ultimately met with mechanical failure leading to a jumble of pages! Plus, for kinders anyway, they were not a kid friendly technology so much of the management fell to me. It was not a great way to foster independence. Folders: Then my district required all students use writing folders organized into a work in progress side and a completed side. A colleague found some with clear plastic pockets on the cover and inside so I could easily customize the fronts and backs with alphabet strips, writing process supports, mobile word walls, etc. These worked pretty well. The kids could more or less manage them and they were durable. However, it got very challenging to keep more than a week or two of writing in them and maintain any organization. So once a month each folder required a lot adult attention to keep this system going. Single pages: I also tried having students turn single "complete" pieces into our classroom parking lot so that I could maintain an ongoing file of critical work, but once again that put the task of organization back on me. It was challenging when kids wanted to use earlier work as a reference. This ended up working really well for things like writing prompt pieces we were required to collect, but not so well for works in progress. 3 ring binders: Enter the three ring binder! These ended up being my personal favorite. The main challenge was teaching children to insert pages without snapping their fingers but honestly, I think that element of "danger" inspired students to pay closer attention to keeping things ordered! I'm guessing the real threat of pinched fingers was a motivator. Like the folders with pockets, I could organize tools using plastic sheet protectors. I found having references at their finger tips increased productivity and focus for my students. The rigid backs were helpful as the notebooks could serve as a clip board or privacy screen. Other tips that help with this were having reinforcing rings handy to patch ripped pages and using a corner shelf unit to store the binders as they can be bulky. I did switch back and forth across systems depending on my students' needs and some years I used more than one system. The most unusual system was for one student who ended up writing a twenty three panel comic adventure! Each panel was a full size sheet of paper, so when taped together (as was deemed necessary for his creative process) his work occupied quite a bit of floor space. We found the best way to store his work was to roll it up and keep it in a canvas bag!
Like many things in education, meaningful learning gets a bit messy! I'm looking forward to reading your comments about paper management solutions and challenges.
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Meet Beth and Curtis!Presidential Award-Winning teacher and hula hoop fanatic, Beth loves bringing real world science to kids! Beth is fascinated by engineering challenges, technology, and outdoor learning spaces. After 25 years teaching kindergarten, she’s excited to share her passion and experience on-line with classrooms from around the world! Archives
May 2021
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