My File Folder System

Such as it is. :)

Although I've used this file system for the past four or five years, it's still very much a work in progress. I'm forever tweaking it, trying to make it simpler to manage. Basically, this system is my attempt to gain some control over our home, our learning, our life - and most importantly, that ever elusive paper tiger.

Now brace yourselves, I'm about to delve into some serious nitty gritty file folder talk - probably far more than you need or even want to know about my organizing methods, LOL! But please bear with me; wordy though I tend to be, I will try to be as concise as possible. :)

In spite of my first disclaimer, I do think this system has potential and it's that potential that keeps me coming back to it every September, hoping that this year I'll tweak it just right. I will say I believe most of the fault lies with - well, me - but in particular my serious lack of proper time management. Any organizing system needs attention and regular maintenance or else there will be no miracles wrought. A system is just an idea and a hope until you put it into consistent action. And that I believe is where I've fallen short in the past. THIS year I am planning out regularly scheduled times for working the system so that, hopefully, the system will end up working for me. :)

OK so I'm getting wordy again. Enough of the disclaimers, here's what I do.

Supplies:

• file crate
• hanging folders (7)
• file folders (52)
• month-at-a-glance calendar
• daily journal
• in-box
• master to do list

Set up:

I use a simple plastic crate as my base and inside it I place seven hanging folders, labeled:

• Autumn 2006: September - October
• Holidays 2006: November - December
• Winter 2007: January - February
• Early spring 2007: March - April
• Late spring 2007: May - June
• Summer 2007: July - August
• 2006-2007 General Information

Inside the 2006-2007 General Information folder I store our official school reporting correspondence - the end of year report/educational plan package, approval letter, HSLDA membership letter and brochure and support group membership letters. I place this folder at the back of the crate as I don't often need access to it. Up front is the current season, followed by the rest of the seasons. Sticking up in the back is a liturgical calendar for easy reference.

Each one of the seasonal folders holds two months worth of materials - and by materials I mean paper, for the most part: print outs, e-mails, brochures, bulletins, appointment cards, clipped articles, photocopies, invitations etc. I am a famous one for throwing stuff into the in-box to look at later - things that are, needless to say, never seen again - or at least not until well after their timeliness has expired. Although I do use my in-box I am way too apt to disregard that ever growing pile of stuff, so the files give me a quick place to put something and then it will be available when the time comes.

For example, today we had Earlybird's speech evaluation. Way back when I scheduled the appointment I was asked to bring in copies of any previous evaluations and progress reports. I had written this request into my daily journal; when I looked back over my journal that weekend, I remembered to make the photocopies which I then filed in this week's file folder. The end result - today, when I got ready to leave, I had those copies at my fingertips.

This is what's in the Autumn folder now:

A file folder for each week in the two-month period, from 9/4-9/10 through 10/24-10/30 (8 in all). It is more convenient for me to run my weeks from Monday through Sunday, so that is how I date them.

Also within the Autumn folder are materials that are timely to the current season, but not necessarily to any specific week like:

• my recent autumn delights post printed out
• an article on the new solar system from Newsweek
• a recipe for apple turnovers
• a 4Real thread on the rosary I printed out
• autumn poetry samples
• National Honey Month information (and a 4Real thread on bees)

Another example ~ I printed out my homeschool support group's September newsletter. That goes inside the Autumn folder, but not in any one week's folder. I also printed out an e-mail regarding the group's annual planning meeting to be held on September 30. This went into the folder labeled September 25 - October 1.

Another example, today in the mail I received a condolence letter from my vet for the passing of our beloved cat, Patty, last week. I will eventually do something more meaningful with that, but after sharing it with my family and perhaps displaying it for a few days on the shelf, I will store it in the Autumn folder. I also recieved an invitation to a baby shower for September 24th, so it went right into the folder for the week of September 18 - September 24. (But first, the baby registry information card went into my clear plastic shopping pouch.)

I'm getting carried away with examples, but here's a couple more. :)

Recently I decided I'd like to do a Christmastime unit on the animals of the nativity. I found some information online, printed it out, and placed it inside the Holidays folder. I don't know which week we''ll work on it, but I know it will be sometime in November or December; when I go to do my month-ahead planning (mid October) I will see that information, remember my intent and plan which weeks to begin.

This is also a handy system for organizing library sheets. Our library system has a wonderful online catalog. If I find a book I'd like to take out (or request as the case may be) I print out the info. sheet for reference. Inside this current week's folder I have the library sheet for Demi's Mother Teresa, whose feast day was yesterday and whose story is part of our Catholic Mosaic study. Because my local library had a copy on shelf, I placed the sheet in this week's folder. If it had needed to be requested (brought in from another town's library), I would have placed it in the previous week's folder so there would have been enough transit time.

OK, do I still have you with me? :) (I could go on and on about this - oh wait, that's what I'm doing, LOL!) Anyhoo - inside each week's folder I put any materials I will need, including photocopes, reminders, emails, printouts etc. By the end of the week, the folder also holds work samples and mementos from the week, including a week's end report.

So far this week's folder has in it:

• Bookworm's oral surgeon appointment card
• the reports and information for EB's evaluation
• my grandmother's recipe for picalilli (it's family tradition to make it on Labor Day)
• Steve Irwin's obituary from the Globe
• this week's menu plan and marketing list
• coloring book pages of this week's birds (American Crow + Eastern Screech Owl)
• information on, and activities for, the Nativity of Mary
• this Sunday's Magnifikid

Now here's how it works, and this is the tricky part (for me) - making and taking the time to work at maintaining the system ...

This Friday I will pull out next week's folder along with a few other resources.

• month at-a-glance calendar
• master to do list
• grocery flyers (they arrive in Friday's paper)
• menu plan for next week
• Saturday's marketing list

Over the weekend, I'll look through the in-box and file what needs to be filed. I will look back through the past week's folder as well as my journal (where I keep my day-by-day notes and clippings). I'll file any work samples or items from the bulletin board and then write up a few comments about the week that was. Then, I'll place a rubber band around the completed folder and slip it into the back of the Autumn folder. When the next season comes around, I move Autumn to the back of the crate.

Friday through Sunday, I work on next week's to do list and add that to the new folder. (I like to staple it to the inside cover of the folder otherwise it gets lost in the shuffle of papers.)

So here is a brief re-cap:

1. plastic crate + 7 hanging folders + 52 weekly file folders
2. label each hanging folder with a season; assign each file folder with a week. File away.
3. As materials generate or arrive, they are filed in their proper folder.
4. At week's end, the current week is organized, noted and stored.
5. Over the weekend, the next week's folder is brought out and looked over, organized, made ready.
6. Over the weekend, check: next week's folder, the in-box, daily journal, calendar, master to do list. Make up week's end report and next week's plan.
7. Keep the current week's folder out and available throughout the week (usually at my desk alongside my calendar and journal).

So that's the general plan, such as it is. I'm afraid I probably made it sound a lot more complicated than it is. Really for me it's just making the time to attend to it. I know in the long run these folders end up saving me time ...

Like I said, I'm still working out the kinks, but every year seems to work a little better than the last. At some point I'll get it right! :)

Comments

[Maura]

I found my way to your blog by way of Starry Sky Ranch... I just had to tell you how much I've enjoyed reading about your homeschool and how you keep organized. You've inspired me!

Maura

[Theresa]

Sounds like an awesome system. Way too organized for me, of course...

[Jennifer]

Dawn, have you read the book "All for the Newborn Baby?" by Phyllis Root? It's a little hard to find, but worth it. It is beautifully illustrated and focuses on the animals present at the birth of Christ. It is really different in its approach and my daughter LOVES it. We were reading it not half an hour ago.

[Jennifer]

OK. The title is "All for the Newborn Baby." not "All for the Newborn Baby QUESTION MARK!" Sorry. That kind of alters the tone.

[KC]

Wow, Dawn, you are awesome!!! I've started using a week by week file folder system, but it's not perfected yet. You've given me many, many ideas.

[kristina]

Dawn,
It looks like you are on to a good, workable system. The files seem to offer more accessiblity than the overstuffed binder that I use to attempt organization. I think I am inspired.. thank you!

[Dawn]

Kristina, I just wanted to mention that I also used a binder for a while to do this system. I found the extra step of 3-hole punching materials (or slipping them in a sheet protector as the case may have been) was just enough to derail me entirely, LOL!

Just being able to pop the materials into the files (which I keep right on the learning room table) has simplified it for me.

I just need to keep up with it! I'll let you know how it goes. :)

[Wendy]

Wow Dawn. I always wondered what was in that crate! I think I am too much of a visual learner to follow it completely. Might a "tour" be possible? :)

[Dawn]

Hey, Wendy! :)

Sure, I can do a follow-up with a look inside the folders! I was afraid this post would sound way too complicated, LOL! It's kind of hard to describe!

[Jennifer]

Excellent! I think I could do this-and I already have most of the supplies! I have boxes and binders full of articles, info, things to try...but I can never find anything at the right time. For example, sometime in the past two years I printed out a recipe for pumpkin pie playdoh. I finally found it in July. Now it will go in my Autumn folder! Thanks!
Jennifer

[Jennifer]

What a great system and I'm so glad you mentioned the binder option. I've been considering beginning a system in a binder as there is no room for a box of course.

I'd really like to just take over one of the drawers by the companionway but every time I cast my eye in that direction, so does a certain somebody else! LOL! Capt's orders, Ma'am! Needed for safety equipment currently.

[Angel]

Wow. None of this would ever have occurred to me, but it sounds as if it would really make life easier! Unfortunately I'm not sure I have the discipline to be quite so orderly, but you've given me some great ideas to ponder. I do have a file drawer set up now (and have been using it), so maybe it wouldn't be so hard...

[Jessica]

I have a similar system, but I don't have the seasonal folders (I think I got my original idea from you, it was months ago and I can't remember) - I have hanging folders color-coded the liturgical year with the plastic removable tabs labeled along the lines of "Ordinary Time week 1" etc. I just stick any seasonal items in the first week of that season and when I come to it, I decide if we should do it that week or a later week. My box has a lid on which I taped a sheet protector so I could insert a printed out monthly liturgical calendar which notes each day's Mass readings, feast days, etc and I colored all the days their appropriate liturgical color so if there's a special feast day I want to cover, we can change our prayer table cloth appropriately for morning prayer (we also read the Mass readings on the days we don't attend). This system seems to have the least maintenance of all the systems I've tried in the past - and after almost a year, it's still going strong! It got me through carrying more than a full-time college course load, running a family daycare, two atriums, tutoring, and homeschooling my son.

So... thank you for the idea!!!!

[Sandy]

I just set up my file folder system! It's new, but I'm already finding it useful. I'm using your monthly themes and plans idea as well. In both cases I wondered why I hadn't thought of it. Such good ideas. Thanks for posting.

http://sandy-fallinglikerain.blogspot.com/2008/05/my-interactive-calendar.html

[Amber]

I'm printing out your system, so I can read it, then I'll make a staples order and hit the books for a 2008-2009 lesson plan.

Thanks again for sharing ALL your WONDERFUL ideas with us!

God Bless,
Amber