With so many more kids turning in more pieces of paper so much more frequently, my paper management skills are stretched to the breaking point. This includes paper that I give to students and paper that students give to me. I’m trying not to collect homework on separate pieces of paper, but instead students finish their homework in composition books. That has been a boon so far. The problem is that classwork has generally been done on loose sheets of paper and I want to collect them and give feedback on them so students take the work seriously. My organizational problems are compounded by the fact that I am shuttling between two rooms since I don’t have a room of my own, so I have to lug the papers around and it’s easy to get things mixed up.
Do you require your students to keep a binder (or notebook)? Students have to be taught how to “do school”, which includes how to keep an organized notebook, including how to take notes, how to divide up a binder, etc. Like, when you pass back papers, you have to teach them how to file the paper back in their NBs. Next, do you have a place in your room where students can keep their NBs (if losing them is the problem)? Another idea: keep a small portable file cart (like the $20 from IKEA on wheels). Every kid makes their own hanging file and then the files are alphabetized. Pass back papers, and then students get up and file their own papers. Other ideas: grade papers in class by trading papers (keep a box of purple pens or something, and train kids to only to use those pens during grading), which cuts down on grading and on the papers you have to collect (but remember, you have to train kids how to do this). Last idea for now: if students sit in small groups 100% of the time, then give each team a team folder (like I did with the table groups in the ROP class 2 years ago @ PCMI), and then papers are returned via that folder. Takes waaaaay less time…