Weekend Project: How to Organize Teacher Computer Files in 5 Easy Steps

Time for my first ever Weekend Project: How to Organize Teacher Computer Files in 5 Easy Steps

Maybe you’ve never given a single thought to where you save your computer files. Perhaps you started the year off organized but by the end of the year had given up and have a massive cluster of files shoved in My Documents. With any luck you at least know what My Documents is : )


Regardless of your computer experience or how diligent you are, we all end up with a mess of digital files on our teacher computer at some point. If it’s gone on for a while, you may have hundreds, nay thousands, of files to sort through. It can be overwhelming, but rest assured, I’m here with the answer, because it’s time to finally organize your teacher computer files, and I’m going to show you how to do it.



Project Completion Time: 1 – 12 hours (depending on how organized you were to begin with and how computer savvy you are)


First things first, make sure you have enough time to get this all done before you need to use your teacher computer again. The process involves taking EVERYTHING off of your computer, and the last thing you need is to go crazy trying to find a file you need, or to undo the process out of necessity to get back to work. This can be done on a weekend, but I like to do it during the summer; mainly because IT tells us to back up our computer before we leave anyway, and it ensures that I'll have plenty of time to get it done..

Step 1: Take all of the files off of your teacher computer

The first thing you need to do is get your files off of your teacher computer. Yes, you could potentially do all of your sorting from within your teaching computer, but I guarantee you’ll be far more likely to stop in the middle of it (and either abandon it or forget where you were and have to start over), or will be far more reluctant to get rid of files you don’t need. You want a clean start here, so the best thing to do is to get your files to neutral territory so that you can look at it through a critical lens.


So, go through your work computer and move all of your files to a portable USB drive (aka flash drive aka pen drive). Don’t have one? I love the Lexar TwistTurn drives, since they swing closed to protect the USB end when you’re not using it.

Because there is such a wide variety of computers in use in schools, I am not providing detailed instructions for this step. The basic process is to drag all of your computer files into a single folder on your USB drive. I name my folder Work Computer and then the date I moved all of the files.

Make sure to check My Documents, Pictures, Videos, Downloads, and your Desktop! You don’t want to miss anything.


If you need more detailed directions, Sandisk has guides for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and Mac OS here.

If you’re still lost, contact your school’s tech support person, or find a tech savvy teacher who can help you out ^_~

Step 2: Copy your work computer files to your home computer

Now it’s time to copy all of your files to your home computer. The reason I copy the files to my personal computer instead of moving them, is so that I still have a backup saved on my USB drive. We all make mistakes and I like to know that if I accidentally delete something I need, I can get it back.

Note: all of the following images and directions are based on Windows 7 but the basic concepts are the same.


The first thing you need to do is plug in and open your USB drive. Chances are as soon as you plug the drive in, a window will pop up and let you open it. If that doesn’t happen, or you accidentally closed it, here’s what you do.

Click the Windows start orb, then click Computer. This will open a window that shows your computers drives.

Double click on your USB drive. It will most likely be towards the bottom of the window.

Now that the files in your USB drive are visible, drag them onto your desktop to copy them over. (You don’t necessarily have to use your desktop, but I find that to be a good place to work on sorting files, since it doesn’t require extra folders to be open.)

Step 3: Consider your folder organization system



At the heart of any computer filing system are folders. Just like the filing cabinet folders teacher use to sort out student files, unit documents, etc., computer folders are designed to sort and separate computer files. Folders on your computer have the added benefit of what’s called a folder tree or folder hierarchy. Simply, you can have sub-folders inside of folders. This allows you to create folders for larger categories, and then more specific folders within those.


As you can see in this image, I have a folder called Lesson Plans. Inside that folder is a folder titled Archive (for old plans), and one called PGP (for Professional Growth Plans).

Below that is a more complex set up, with a Lessons folder, which is full of folders for each subject I teach. Inside many of those folders are sub folders to break things down even more specifically.



Now that you understand how the folder system works, it’s time to decide HOW you want your folders organized. As you can see in my folder tree, I have main folders based on key times of the year (beginning, end, and holidays), a separate folder (Classroom Setup) for printables for around my room, a folder for all of my ESE work, one for final exams, and the aforementioned Lessons folder.

The list goes on and on. If you click here you can see my entire folder tree. This was pre-reorganizing so it may change a bit, but you can see how much I love using folders! By contrast, my co-teacher uses much fewer sub-folders because she doesn’t like have to click into multiple folders to find something. I can’t stand scrolling through long lists of files, so her system doesn’t work for me. You really just need to find what’s right for you.

That being said, I do have some recommendations.

On my computer, the Lessons folder is the heart of my teaching. I know that all of my teaching materials are in that folder and its subfolders; nowhere else. Nothing but actual teaching materials go in here.

I’d recommend a Personal folder. No, we’re not supposed to handle personal business at work, but we’ve all had to fax a letter to a doctor, submit insurance information online, or something else that we find takes up our lunch break ; ) So have a spot to keep anything that has to do with your personal life to keep it separate.

Create a To Sort folder. I use this as a safety net for when I get overwhelmed with fifteen million things and I stop keeping up with organizing my files. At the end of this school year I had 165 files sitting in that folder to sort through! Can you imagine if they were scattered throughout my computer instead?

I also have a folder called School Documents. This is where I save the various passes, schedules, testing calendars, etc. that administration sends out. I like keeping them separate because 1) it makes it easy to find them, and 2) I can usually delete them at the end of the year since admin sends out updated documents each August.

Everything else is really up to you. You know what you have and need, so you can best organize.

Step 4: Create folders for your newly organized files

Here’s the key step. We’re going to create ALL new folders to move your files into. First create a master folder to put all of your files in. This will keep everything in one place and make transferring it back to your work computer easier.

To create a new folder, right click on the Desktop. Put your mouse over New to open another menu, then click on Folder. Your New folder will appear with the text highlighted in blue so you can change the folder’s name. I named mine Work Computer – Organized but you can name it whatever you want.

If you’re super organized and know exactly where your files will end up, you can create all of your folders at once. Since I tend to mix things up a bit and organize things a little differently each year, I like to create folders as I go along. I start by creating some of my master folders, then add others as I need them.

DO NOT just copy over full folders from your existing files! The idea is to actually look at everything as you go.

Step 5: Move your files and delete the junk

Ah, the final step. Time to move your files over. As I said in Step 4, the idea here is for you to actually LOOK at your files. I’m willing to bet there are some you haven’t opened up in years. Do you really need those sitting around taking up room and gumming up the works? If you haven’t used something in years, and aren’t suddenly inspired now that you’re looking at it, go ahead and delete it. Anything you want to keep, move it into the appropriate folder.

What will happen is that gradually you’ll be emptying out your old archive folder, and filling up the new folder. By doing it this way you ensure that you went through every single file and you’ll know you’re truly done when the older folder is empty.



So there it is: 5 Steps to Organize Your Teacher Computer Files. Hopefully I’ve explained everything clearly enough. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know in the comments below and I do another post to add anything I missed, clarify, or throw out some advanced tips.

I’d love to know how this system works out for you, and feel free to tell me how you organize your files. I'm always looking for new ideas!

5 Things Every Teacher Should Do Each Summer

Yes, summer time is finally here! It's the moment you've been looking forward to for at least the last month or two (don't deny it). If you're anything like me, come the end of the summer you'll be wondering "Where did all of the time go?" and "What did I even do?" With that in mind I can up with five things we should all do each summer.

Take Time to Relax

I don't know a single teacher who isn't mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted by the time they walk out the doors at the end of the school year. You've worked hard and earned this break, so take advantage of it.

Now, relaxing means different things to different people. For me, it's letting my body sleep as much as it wants (often over 10 hours a night at the beginning of summer when my body is recouping). For my friend, it's waking up early to hit the beach in time for sunrise, and for another it's RV'ing around the country.

So, figure out what it is helps you relax, and seek it out. I have a rule at home, that I'm not doing anything for the first week of summer but relaxing. Institute the same rule if you need to and hit the spa, read a book in the backyard, do some coloring, or practice Tai Chi in the park. Whatever works for you, do it.

Tackle a big non-work project

I think it's in our nature for teachers to give their all to their students and lessons during the school year, often to the detriment of things at home. I know I'm guilty of it at least. That's why each summer I try to tackle at least one large home project, and try to make some progress on a few others as well. This will help give you a sense of accomplishment, and reconnect you to life outside the classroom.

For me this year, it's finishing painting our house. Last spring we began searching for a home to purchase, intending to buy at the start of summer. We figured we'd have several weeks before move in to paint the house and get everything ready. Of course that didn't happen. We closed less than a week before the start of the school year so we're way behind where we'd like to be with the house.

So this summer try tackling some home upgrades, deep clean the house, or finally clear out and organize that walk-in closet. Of course if you have kids, just keeping up and spending time with them may be enough of a project. : )

Learn something about your field

It seems that educational best practices change all the time, and it can be hard to keep up. I try to read anything that comes my way during the school year, and check Pinterest regularly then as well but there's still so much to learn. That's why I try to actively learn during the summer.

This year I'm attending a CHAMPS training offered by our district (I made my sister sign up too. Always bring a friend to trainings if you can!). Most districts offer in person or online trainings for free, so see if any are of interest to you. It sucks to give up a day of vacation, but it's often well worth it.

No trainings offered near you? No problem. Time to check out some of those amazing education books you've heard so much about. Reading The Book Whisperer two summers ago completely changed my teaching, so I always write down books people are raving about (suggestions welcome). I just read The CAFE Book to see how well it can apply to high school, and have a few more books waiting in the wings .

And of course there's the internet. I have a board on Pinterest titled Read then Pin, for all of those interesting sites, blogs, and articles I come across but don't have the time (or mental energy) to read when I find them. Each summer I work to clear that board out.

Sort computer files

If your district is like mine, then chances are they tell you to back up your teacher computer files over the summer, in case anything happens to the network. As much of a pain that is, I've turned it into an opportunity to be more organized.

Every year I start with a great file system in my computer, but over time it gets jumbled. I make an assessment that covers several subjects and I'm not sure where to put it, so it sits in My Documents. I accumulate tons of random files I downloaded from TPT to check out and never organized or deleted. I may also have come up with a new way of organizing during the year that I want to try out.

So, each summer I take all of my files home on a USB drive. I sort through EVERYTHING, and refile them in folders that make sense to me now. When I go back to school in August, I copy everything to my work computer and I'm cleaned up and ready to go.

I know being able to do this may not come naturally to many people, so check out my post: How to Organize Teacher Computer Files in 5 Easy Steps

BONUS: This is a good time to clear out e-mails as well. In g-mail, labels and archive are your friends! Don't be afraid to delete things you don't really need.

Plan for the coming year

I won't get into a huge post here about how to plan for the school year (just Google or search Pinterest for teacher planning, long range teacher plans, teacher curriculum plan, or View my Planning board here.

Bottom line is that it is SOOOO worth planning out your year ahead of time. Start by asking yourself the most crucial skills your students need to learn. Then try to arrange them so they build on each other. Even just having that simple framework of what to teach in what order will have you feeling far more sane as the new year approaches : )



So, those are my suggestions for teachers this summer. Is there anything I missed? Anything you can't stand? What are your plans for the remainder of this summer? Tell me in the comments below.

The Sales are Starting - Tips for Buying and Saving on Classroom Supplies

Oh yes, it's that time of summer we all look forward to/dread. Supplies are going on sale and we have to grab them while we can!

Did you know that most office supply stores post their weekly ads online before the sales go live?
Staples posts their ad at 10:00am on Thursday.
Office Depot/Max posts their weekly ad at Midnight on Thursday night/Friday morning
Totally Target posts early scans of the flyer.

Now, why do you care about viewing ads early? So you can map out your plan of course! Every summer these stores put out some really good sales (and a good deal of not so good ones), but quantities are limited and stores often only have a few of each item in stock. So, if you don't want to miss anything, you have to plan ahead and get to the store early on Sunday. This is my sister's first sale season as a teacher so we'll be at Office Depot/Max when they open this week and hopping over to Staples right after : )

One thing to keep in mind is that you CAN purchase over the customer limit as teacher. You generally need to speak to manager to do this, although some cashiers will ring you up and just get the manager to override for you. I've heard that managers do have a certain level of discretion regarding this policy and they can make you wait until later in the week so other customer's get a chance to get the deals first, but this hasn't happened to me yet.

UPDATE: Apparently my local Office Depot no longer does this. You can get around the limit by making multiple purchases at different stores or at different times. Not as easy but worth the effort for some deals. Staples used to let you buy more and get the deal back as a rebate but they have discontinued that option.


As I said, there are some really good deals out there, and some that aren't worth your time. So here are the supplies I look for and the price I aim for:

• Binders - 50¢ or less
• Copy Paper - free
• Colored Copy Paper - $1 or less
• Loose Leaf Paper - 25¢ or less
• Spiral Notebooks - 25¢ or less
• Composition Books - 50¢ or less 
• Pocket Folders - 15¢ or less
• 3 Prong Folders - 25¢ or less
• Pencils - 50¢ or less
• Pens - 25¢ or less
• Crayons - 25¢ or less (may pay higher for Crayola)
• Colored Pencils - $1 or less (you'll see some off brands for sale way cheaper, but they're not worth it)
• Markers - $1 or less per pack
• Highlighters - $1 or less for multipack
• Liquid Glue -  25¢ or less for small bottles, 50¢ or less for large bottles
• I no longer buy stick glue. Even though it's less messy, it doesn't last.
• Rulers - 25¢ or less
• Scissors - 50¢ or less

A note on Free Items:

You can get some awesome freebies during school supply sales. Before merging with Office Depot, Office Max definitely gave the best deals in this regard for MaxPerks members online so I'm curious to see what Office Depot does this year.

Free items are often free after getting store rewards back. In other words you pay out of pocket for the item, then get rewards on your loyalty card which equal what you paid for the item. These rewards often expire within 1-3 months, and sometimes may not post to your account until summer sales are over, so be cautious about picking up things you don't need. You may end up buying even more stuff you don't need just to spend your reward credit.



One last tip. Passion for Savings has a back-to-school deals page. It's worth following to catch some lesser known sales, especially if you have kids yourself as they post deals on clothes and backpacks, etc.


So, what summer sales do you look for? Tell me in the comments!

Welcome!

I feel like the inaugural post of any blog ends up seeming silly and out of place down the line. It's the sort of thing you feel should be profound and amazing to hook people in, but at this point I have no idea what this blog may evolve into.

So instead of stressing over how to kick things off, I'm going to use this post as a bit of an introductory About Me session. Hopefully it's a good use of your time and mine : )

My name is Tracy and I teach ESE (aka special education) Intensive Reading in a Florida high school. My classroom is not exactly what one would call traditional. My co-teacher and I (more on that in later posts) work with students from grade 9 through 12. Some of them are decent readers who need help with higher order thinking, and others have the lexile of a 3rd grader. They may have learning disabilities, language impairments, behavior disorders, health impairments, or any combination of the above. So you can imagine how crazy it can get.

That bring me to the name of this blog: Disorderly Teaching. Clever, I know. I chose the name for two reasons. One, my students all have some sort of disability or disorder etc. Two, I have several disorders myself. The more common ones I face are ADD and mild OCD. I am also in the process of getting diagnosed with Asperger's, which is part of Autism Spectrum Disorder. I plan to write more on that in the future, as well as how these disorders (sigh, such a negative word) affect my teaching.

Beyond teaching, my hobbies include a variety of crafts, reading (I'm obsessed with Harry Potter - Go Hufflepuff!), watching too much TV and anime, and playing video games. I'm also a beginning runner, although my asthma is fighting me on that : p

So hopefully you now have an idea of who I am and what I'm about. I hope you'll stick around and enjoy Disorderly Teaching.