For the record, my virtual desktop is really well-organized. So are my thoughts. The problem lies with the papers on my desk. Well, really the problem lies with the stacks of papers on my deals and on the window ledge behind my desk.
For the record, I usually know which pile something I need is in. I can close my eyes and see myself putting it there the last time I sorted through my paper piles. I am unable to close my eyes and visualize which file on my computer desktop contains an item I need. I don’t really have to because they are all labeled and neat.
For the record, I do have a magazine file box labeled “File Me” for really important papers. I don’t use it as I ought to.
So, last week, just before conferences, when we received an e-mail from the principal reminding us to review the Plan & Profiles we filled out at Fall conferences, I didn’t panic.I closed my eyes and pictured them. I remembered two folders, one that had to be turned in to the office (Compacts) and one that I had to keep (the Plan & Profiles). But I couldn’t visualize where I had put that second file.
I tried to be logical. I was certain I put them in a safe place, probably the “File Me’ box. But they weren’t there. Then I though maybe I had been really on top of things and put them in the portfolio box where I keep work for conferences. each kid has a file there and I thought maybe I’d actually filed them. Who was I kidding they weren’t there.
What to do? I considered just ignoring the message to share them again with parents, but that was just postponing a problem. They cad to be put in the kids’ CUM files at the end of the year. I talked to my teammates about it. They suggested not worrying about it because they’d show up by June. They said I could ask the secretary to print off a new set. (For whatever reason, the secretary can print these forms but the classroom teacher can’t).
I started to worry that, maybe, I’d accidentally recycled them in a flurry of organization. That would be a huge problem. They had to be signed by parent & child so if I don’t do something now, and waited to print a new set in June, they’d go into the CUM folder unsigned. I decided to bite the bullet and talk to my principal. She was pretty easy-going about it and told me to just have the secretary reprint them and have people sign them at conferences. I did. During my plan time I went through them all and filled out what needed filling. Everyone joked that they’d show up by June.
In fact, they showed up earlier. As I sat at the kidney table getting organized, I termed and a saw some papers on the shelf behind me. They were the conference sign up forms from Fall. Hmmm. But the Plan & Profiles were not there. I got up to get my tea mug and on my way back to the table, I spied a box on the bottom shelf behind the table. It seemed to have a manilla folder inside. And there they were.
I laughed and shared my joy with my teammates, the secretary and principal. I felt on top of the world. I shared the forms at conferences and, because I had an extra set printed, I was able to fill one out for the new student who came in December.
For the record, the file is now sitting in the “File Me” box, ready to go into CUM folders.
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