Posts tagged ‘organization’

I’ve planned my curriculum and my daily schedule.  I’ve planned my involvement in coops, sports, and field trips (you know…for all that great socialization!)  I’ve planned my reading lists, my library trips, and my music lessons.  Great!  We’re ready to go, right?

Not quite!  There’s one important thing you forgot!  How are you going to actually prove that you did all those great activities you have planned? How will you show your children’sprogress along the way? How will you document your homeschool journey?

Planning an effective record-keeping system is just as important as planning the details of your homeschool curriculum and schedule!  Let’s ask a few questions and take a closer look at the why’s and how’s of homeschool record-keeping.

“Is record-keeping really that important?”

Records from your child’s homeschool education serve several important purposes.  The first, and arguably, most important reason to create an effective record-keeping system is that detailed records can help you prove compliance with the law.  Secondly, when students apply for scholarships or other honors, school records may be necessary to prove eligibility. In addition, colleges and universities may require detailed records as part of the application and admission process. At times it may become necessary for a homeschooled child to enter (or re-enter) a public or private school.  Appropriate placement within the new school can be more effectively done if complete records can be provided.  Some families may elect to keep records for less pressing reasons.  Records can simply be used to showcase a child’s homeschool experience, or as a nostalgic “look back” for children as they grow up!

“But where do I begin?”

The truth is no one system will work for every homeschool family.  There are just too many variables in question to answer this question with a single “pat” answer. The information that follows is designed to provide you with the information you need to help you create your own record-keeping system—a system that is perfectly suited to meet the needs of your family!

“When should I start working on my record-keeping system?”

Maybe you’re just thinking about homeschooling for the first time. Or maybe you’ve been homeschooling for a long time, but have never developed an effective method for keeping records. In either case, the time to start keeping complete records is now!  It’s possible that you will never be required to produce the records that you have collected.  The advantages of having comprehensive records still far outnumber the hours spent working on them. And how much time will you need to invest?  While the time required will vary somewhat from family to family, most homeschoolers must invest relatively little time in order to create and maintain a well-designed record-keeping system.

“What should be in my child’s records?”

Hopefully, by this point you agree that you should keep a record of your homeschool journey.  The next question that should be considered is this:  What records should be maintained? Several factors need to be considered when answering this question:

• Where do you live?
• With what laws must you comply?
• How old is your child?
• Will your child be entering public or private school in the future?
• Is your child college-bound?

Where you live will significantly influence the decision of what records must be included.  In the United States, the education of all children, including homeschooled children, is governed by state laws.  Families who fail to comply with the laws of their state—either unwittingly or in defiance of the law—may face legal challenge, and could ultimately lose their right to homeschool.  Knowing and understanding these laws will help you determine what records you need to keep for your children.  An online search for the laws that govern homeschooling in your state can provide you with this important information. Homeschoolers in some states have very few requirements to satisfy, but still choose to keep records of their children’s homeschool experience solely for personal and/or sentimental reasons.

The age of your children is the next question to consider.  While it is important to keep records for all children, the need increases for high school age children.  High school records play an important role in the college and/or job application process.  Similarly, families who may eventually want to enroll a child in public or private school may need to present school records in order to simplify the placement process.  A student’s future academic interests and pursuits will also guide you as you put together your record keeping system.  But even if all you want to do is show off your young child’s academic abilities to family and friends, keeping records is a great idea!

“How do I put it all together?”

No two families are exactly alike when it comes to their homeschool experiences.  And that applies to their record-keeping as well!  Exactly how you keep your own student records will be determined by many of the same factors discussed above.  And as your homeschool experience grows and changes over the years, your record-keeping needs will likely change as well.

Of the many possible record-keeping methods you might choose, a portfolio is possibly the easiest, and most efficient way to compile and store your child’s academic records.  A portfolio is a collection of documentation intended to demonstrate a homeschool child’s academic progress. Though legal requirements and personal preference may cause the contents of a homeschool portfolio to vary from family to family, a comprehensive portfolio should contain some combination of the following items:

• A Student Information Page that contains general student information such as name, birth date, address, etc.
• Any Medical Records required by law such as immunization records, annual physicals, etc.
• Documents that prove compliance with local requirements and/or state laws. One or more of the following documents should be included:
  • A list of specific goals and objectives for each academic subject
  • Documentation of communication with local school district officials as needed
  • A listing of educational materials utilized. This list should include author and publishing information for all books, curriculum, DVD’s/videos, and software used.
  • A sampling of student work in all subject areas, particularly those required by law. This collection should honestly represent both the type and quality of all work completed by the student.
  • Documentation of required and/or voluntary assessment. Some states require some form of assessment.  Student progress can be assessed and reported in a variety of ways including report cards, standardized testing, professional evaluations, grade reports, and transcripts.
• A listing of extra-curricular activities such as field trips, homeschool group or church activities, sports, music, drama, etc. These can be presented in a variety of ways, but a photographic journal is an especially effective way to provide this documentation.
• Documentation of special awards, honors, accomplishments, or achievements earned.

Still not sure how to move forward?  An online search of key terms (homeschool portfolio, homeschool records, sample transcript, etc) will provide you with an abundance of ideas, tools, templates, and products designed to help you create thorough homeschool records. In addition, electronic homeschool management systems can provide easy access to much of the documentation needed to put together a complete record of your children’s home grown education.  What are you waiting for?  Now’s the time to stop planning and to start doing!!

This post was written by Linda Difino, a homeschool mom with four wonderful children.  Her homeschool journey began nearly 20 years ago with three daughters (all now graduated) and continues on with a 1st grade son!  When she isn’t homeschooling and
home-making, Linda works from home as a homeschool consultant and enjoys blogging at The Joyful Journey (http://joysandrewards.wordpress.com) and  The Homeschool Apologist (http://thehomeschoolapologist.blogspot.com).

Being that we are “noobs” to homeschooling (we only just started this past November), we still have much to learn about managing our time wisely.  I have found one of our biggest time management challenges to be overcoming the numerous distractions surrounding us in our home. I have weekly lesson plans and goals I would like to see accomplished within that time.  How do you get schoolwork done quickly when there are so many other things competing for your attention and time?

When I began preparing to have my nine year old at home with me, one of the first things I did was create a “school nook” just for her.  We purposely created a space next to the living room because I envisioned her working quietly at her desk (distraction free) while I sat on our living room sofa, reading or working on one of my many projects, ready to help her at a moment’s notice (that is, when I wasn’t teaching her directly).  And I honestly believed that she (and her school mess) would stay content and contained to this area…ha ha, how wrong was I???

I am just as easily distracted by my ever-growing “to-be-read” pile, the phone ringing, my computer (emails calling, favorite blogs begging to be read, my blog needing content, online “educational resources” to be perused), and one must certainly not forget to mention my sewing machine and the lovely shining sun!  And when mama gets distracted, her little one takes the opportunity to push aside her schoolwork and move on to something else.

My lively, precocious girl is always on the move and always into everything!  She prefers hands-on learning and drags her schoolwork to wherever suits her latest whim. Her favorite haunts are sitting on the floor in the dining room in front of my craft armoire…“why Mom…don’t you know that everything wonderful and enchanting can be found in there…” and working on the floor (you would think we didn’t have a nice big dining table right next to it!) near the kitchen island, which conveniently holds the flour and salt and is in front of the sink and next to the oven…more on this another time!  She has a terrible time staying focused on her schoolwork when there are so many distractions and other more interesting things she could conjure up.  She particularly loves making her own books filled with stories, pictures, and poetry, which is wonderful and great, but there is other work that needs her attention too. I believe her to be the perfect candidate for “unschooling.” Unfortunately, I don’t believe myself to be the perfect teacher for that…not yet anyway.  She could probably even be coaxed to do a super-long math sheet if I’d allow her to do it while crafting a cardboard dollhouse!  So really, the schoolwork that should take only a few hours to complete can sometimes take an entire day (and I haven’t even brought up the television or our adorable kitten and dog)!  Are you distracted yet?

As for me, I am just as easily distracted by my ever-growing “to-be-read” pile, the phone ringing, my computer (emails calling, favorite blogs begging to be read, my blog needing content, online “educational resources” to be perused), and one must certainly not forget to mention my sewing machine and the lovely shining sun!  And when mama gets distracted, her little one takes the opportunity to push aside her schoolwork and move on to something else.  By the end of the week, our attentions are short, our distractions are long, and we are in need of a change of scenery!

While talking these distractions over with a homeschooling “long timer” friend of mine, she suggested having “school” occasionally at the library or elsewhere (why didn’t I think of that?) So tomorrow (Friday), I am going to try something new…. I will pack a bag with the schoolwork that needs to be finished for the week, we will jump in the car and drive to a huge library that we’ve never been to (a few towns away), and we will see how our schooling goes there.  This might be just the thing we need to do once a week to shake things up a bit.

Who knows…maybe next week we will try schooling at the local ice cream shop over a hot-fudge sundae???  I am interested to learn how you all escape the distractions in your home and some fun places you have conducted school!

This post was written by Colette D., a homeschool mom living in Upstate New York and author of the Year of Handmade blog.  You can find out more about her, and our entire blogging team by visiting the Our People page.

When our subscribers talk, we listen!  We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the quality and quantity of Pathways found on LessonPathways.com.  Users love the flexibility to use the Pathways as a core curriculum for grades K – 5 or use it to supplement an existing curriculum.

“Thank you so much, you are awesome.  I have never seen my child so enthusiastic about doing school work!”

-Carol C.

LessonPathways.com Subscriber

One thing was  missing, however. According to our subscribers, it was the ability to print from our site.  We are happy to announce you can now print any Guided Journey, Pathway or Stepping Stone right from LessonPathways.com!

Printing any page from our site to add to your portfolio or lesson plan book is as easy as a few clicks of the mouse.  Look for the printer icon in the upper right hand corner of the page you wish to print.

After clicking this icon, a printable version of your Pathway will appear in a new window and automatically queue to your printer.  Simply select your personal printing preferences to print the page and close the window.

The printable version removes the navigation tree, banner and tabs.

Thank you, loyal subscribers, for your feedback and suggestions.  We’ll continue to work on site enhancements if you continue to provide the ideas!  Join us on our user board to let us know what you think!

This is the final post in a 5 part series written by Bethany of Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom. Be sure to check back to read more great tips for taming the paper beast!”

Welcome to the final segment of the “Put Paper in Its Place” series! If you’re a homeschooler and if you’ve been reading the entire series, this last section should just help you synthesize everything. As you may already suspect, I am not an advocate of keeping every single worksheet, piece of art, or diorama produced by the little darlings. Shocking, I know. Surprisingly, neither am I an advocate for trashing everything. You’ll be pleased to know that a middle ground exists. It’s called a portfolio.

The word portfolio usually strikes fear in the heart of homeschoolers. I have to keep a what? Why would I want to keep all that stuff? But all of the shadow boxes, insect project boards, wooden villages, and authentic medieval costumes won’t fit into a binder! Yes, I have heard all these comments and more whenever the topic of portfolios comes up. Yet, I always reply that a portfolio is not only a necessary thing, but also a good thing. Let me show you how and why.

What is a portfolio, anyway? I decided to look up the word in my official Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition to see what its normal usage is. After all, it’s a unique homeschooling word, right? At least, I thought the way that homeschoolers used the word was specific to us. I almost fell off my chair when I read this definition:

“a selection of a student’s work (as papers and tests) compiled over a period of time and used for assessing performance or progress.”

So much for being revolutionary! Regardless, a portfolio is a collection of your child’s scholarly achievements.

How do you gather all this stuff? Do you just grab the last three pages out of your kids’ hands on June 15 and call it good? Do you wait until your high school senior tells you that his prospective college wants to see his portfolio when he visits tomorrow? No, no, no! On the other hand, you really don’t need to have the exact same number of papers for every subject perfectly typed on the computer and color coded in a set of twelve filing boxes.

A meritorious portfolio does not include every single assignment from every single subject. It includes a representation of work completed: the best writing samples, the best test scores, the best artwork, the best notebooking pages, and the best worksheet pages. It also includes pictures of 3-D projects, field trips, and other activities that can’t be condensed into a single written document. Set aside some work from every academic year. Do it as you go through the year so that it will not be an overwhelming task at whatever point you close out records for each year. I take my children’s desk binders about once a month, choose papers to go into the portfolio, and trash the rest, unless they’re needed for a later test.

The further your child gets academically, the more you may wish to weed out some of the earlier work. You may end up with only one kindergarten handwriting page and one first grade math test by the time your child graduates. That’s fine. Don’t take all of it out, though. I’ve attended homeschool graduations where a portfolio containing selections from twelve years’ worth of work was displayed. It was really neat to see the child’s scholastic progression through the years. Your child may enjoy looking back over her progress as well.

Okay, you’re collecting all of these papers and photos (of larger projects), so where do you put all of them? The best place for a portfolio is in a binder. Yes, even for you file foxes. The main reason for this is that a portfolio should be portable. (Extra bonus points if you notice that both of these words have port as the root, from the Latin word porto, which means I carry.) It’s much easier to carry a binder into a college admission counselor’s office than it is to carry a filing cabinet. You’ll definitely want a 3-inch size for this project. Feel free to let your child choose her favorite color, or buy the kind with the clear pocket on the front and have your student design her own cover.

Put subject dividers into the binder. File the papers from earliest (kindergarten or whatever grade you started homeschooling or saving papers) to the latest within each subject. Just save one out of every ten, twenty, or even thirty pages. Save more tests than regular worksheets. Save the best essays, and choose just one of those essays to show all of the child’s work—outline, rough drafts, corrections, and final draft.

I can hear you now: Why am I making a portfolio? It sounds like way too much work, and it’s not even required by my state! Do I still need to make one even if my child is not headed to college? Obviously, some states make portfolios mandatory, but aside from that, reasons abound for making one. If you choose not to give actual grades or not to fill out a report card (or its equivalent), then a portfolio becomes even more important. A portfolio gives physical evidence that little Johnny really is a genius—just as you always thought! Portfolios preserve hard work, provide evidence for skeptical grandparents or other family members and friends, help with planning for younger siblings, and record grades and/or levels earned and completed.

If you have piles and boxes of papers, start slowly. Set up the binder first so you have a place to put the papers you’re saving. Then go through one stack or box a day, perhaps while you’re watching TV at night, and eventually you will have a lovely portfolio of your child’s academic successes. I’m cringing as I write this, but I just have to reiterate that you must keep up with a project this large or it will get away from you. If you put a few papers into the portfolio every month or so, it will be no big deal, but if you procrastinate, you’ll find it more difficult to subdue the paper piles.

I hope you’ve found this series on paper to be helpful. The more I wrote, the more I realized could be written; however, this is it for now. I’ve provided you with the tips and encouragement that you need to conquer the paper monster once and for all.

This post was written by Bethany L., homeschool mom, Lesson Pathways contributor and author of the Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom blog.

This is the 4th  post in a 5 part series written by Bethany of Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom. Be sure to check back to read more great tips for taming the paper beast!”

This is the post for which you have all been waiting. I’m going to give you a clutter-free way to save all your favorite magazine articles, recipes printed from the Internet, and helpful seminar notes.

First things first: do not read any further until you have sorted through all the papers already in your house (see the first article in this series, “Do I Really Need to Keep It?”). Next, set up your filing system. If you’ve been reading the whole series, you should have chosen to set up either a filing cabinet/drawer/box system or a binder system.

After you get your have-to-save papers under control, it’s time to sit down with a cup of tea and sort through your want-to-save papers. Go through every piece of paper and re-evaluate it. Are you really going to make that recipe, or is it wishful thinking that your picky eaters will actually eat the exotic vegetable recipes you’ve been hoarding? Are you going to re-read those notes and articles? Are they still relevant and helpful? If you can answer a truthful “yes” to these questions, then put those papers off to one side in stacks (recipes in one stack, home decorating articles in another pile, organization tips in yet another spot, etc).

Next, pull out all the back issues of the magazines you can’t seem to resist at the grocery checkout line or to which you subscribe. This is a good activity for when you’re watching TV or waiting for soccer practice to end. Go through each magazine (quickly–it will take much longer if you re-read everything!). Try to remember why you saved the magazine in the first place. Did it have some great recipes you wanted to save? A new look you wanted to try for your living room? A great article on working from home? If you can’t remember why you saved the magazine, or if you can’t find any articles that you– in retrospect–really want to keep, throw the magazine out (or put it in the recycling bin). Yes, I’m serious. Do I need to come over and pry it out of your fingers? It won’t hurt; I promise!

Go through all the articles you pulled out of the magazines and sort them into piles with your other want-to-save articles and papers. Now comes the fun part: organizing them in such a way that you’ll be able to reference them easily, which is really the point of saving them.

Look at your (neat) piles. Do you have a lot of piles? Is each pile a mile high, or do you just have a few piles containing a few papers each? For just a moment, set the recipes aside. We’re going to do something different with them soon.

Binder Queens: Decide whether one binder will be sufficient for your want-to-save papers. If not, figure out which categories can be combined and how many binders you will need. Make labeled dividers for each topic. File the papers from each pile. Either punch holes or put the pages into sheet protectors. That’s it!

File Foxes: Set up a new hanging file or files, depending on how many papers and subjects you have. If some themes can be combined, form a broader category for them. Then make labeled file folders for each topic. Put the papers from each pile in the proper file folder–in alphabetical order–in your filing cabinet/drawer/box, and you’re done!

Let’s talk about the recipes now. Let’s face it: not all of the recipes will be as picture perfect on your table as they are in the magazine or online. Or maybe you’ve tried certain recipes that didn’t go over too well with your family, yet you kept the recipe. Go through all the recipes and trash the ones you know you won’t use again. Get another binder; a one-inch binder should be large enough, unless you have a ton of recipes. Yes, even if you’re a File Fox, this is an instance in which a binder is the best tool for the job. Get dividers and label them for each type of recipe you have: meats, vegetables, soup, desserts, salads, etc. Punch holes or put the recipes in clear page protectors.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’m going to reiterate that in order for the system to work, you have to keep up with it after you start. I am the last person to tell you not to buy any more magazines or not to print off cool recipes from the Internet. Instead, turn down the pages of the articles or recipes you think you absolutely have to save. When you’re done with the whole magazine, go back and review the turned-down pages. If you think you still have to save the articles/recipes/ideas, just rip them out and toss the rest of the magazine away. Either file the papers right away, which is obviously preferable, or put them into your to-be-filed bin for later in the week.

There, you can have your cake and eat it too!

This post was written by Bethany L., homeschool mom, Lesson Pathways contributor and author of the Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom blog.

This is the 3rd  post in a 5 part series written by Bethany of Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom. Be sure to check back during October to read more great tips for taming the paper beast!”

Welcome to part 3 of the “Put Paper in Its Place” series. Last week we talked about how to set up a filing cabinet/drawer system. Today I want to cover binder systems. Some people don’t have room for a filing cabinet, and some people want to utilize both binders and files.

I love binders. I love them so much that I have sixteen of them in my house. Seriously. Most of them have school stuff, and a few of them contain music or other things. Does that qualify me as a Binder Queen? Many Web sites espouse the use of a “life binder,” a “household binder,” or an equivalent. I’m putting a few links at the end of the article about binder organization. If you find more, please leave me a message. I’d love to check out other people’s systems and ideas! Instead of repeating what they have to say, I’m going to show you how to use binders instead of a filing cabinet or box for all of your papers.

I have found that the one-and-a-half inch to two-inch size binders work best. They hold a substantial number of papers, but not so many that you can’t find anything. They store easily as well. Remember to have a three-hole punch handy; don’t even think about just cramming the papers into a binder without putting them on the rings in the proper sections! For papers that are not the standard size or that can’t be hole-punched for whatever reason, invest in a box of plastic sheet protectors. Keep them with your three-hole punch near where you store most of your binders. Color-coded binders could be fun; use a sharpie to write the categories on the spines and fronts so you can see at a glance which binder is which. If you choose the white binders with the clear covers, you can slip a labeled piece of paper into the spine and make your own cover (or get your kids to design the covers for you).

I love binders. I love them so much that I have sixteen of them in my house. Seriously. Most of them have school stuff, and a few of them contain music or other things. Does that qualify me as a Binder Queen? Many Web sites espouse the use of a “life binder,” a “household binder,” or an equivalent. I’m putting a few links at the end of the article about binder organization.

Start by making a list of the broad categories of papers that you need to organize and store. Yes, I am most definitely the List Queen! Be sure to write down such topics as bills to be paid, paid bills to be saved (temporarily!), medical or health, important documents, personal papers, household appliances, etc. Feel free to use your own titles, and make sure your labels are relevant to you. You won’t use this system if the divisions don’t fit your needs.

Now that you have general list of categories, decide whether or not the number of papers in each category will require their own binder. Some subjects can be combined into one binder with several different tabs. For instance, you can have a tax binder in which you have tabs for deductible charitable giving (church and missions), deductible medical payments (receipts for co-pays and prescriptions not covered under your flex pay benefits), your paystubs, utility bills (if you run a business out of your home), and any other documentation that you need to save for tax purposes. You can make a household binder with sections for appliance manuals, warranties (be sure the receipts are stapled to them), and receipts for large repairs and upgrades (like new windows). Make one binder for important documents and personal papers that need to be saved. For those papers that shouldn’t be hole-punched, use sheet protectors. You can make a tab for each member of your family, or you can make a tab for each section such as birth certificates and social security cards. Set up a family binder. Make a tab for each person and file medical records, school papers, work reviews, or whatever is applicable. If you homeschool, you will no doubt have several binders just for school, but I will cover that aspect in a few weeks. Stay tuned!

If you homeschool, you will no doubt have several binders just for school, but I will cover that aspect in a few weeks. Stay tuned!

Now that you’ve got your binders set up, it’s time to fill them. Set your binders out on the kitchen table. Pick up a random pile of paper (I know you’re hoarding them somewhere!). Go through the pile piece by piece and put each paper next to or on top of the appropriate binder. If you don’t REALLY NEED to keep it, TOSS IT! It won’t hurt; I promise! When you’re done with one pile, put those papers into the binders behind the right tab. Then, move onto the next stash. After you get your binders set up, find a place to store them. They can go on a bookshelf, on a shelf above your desk, on top of the refrigerator, or on a shelf in the closet.

I realize that it is not always feasible to file every single piece of paper the instant that you touch it (which would be preferable), so you need to set up a to-be-filed spot. This spot should be convenient and contained so that you’ll actually use it and so that the papers won’t accidentally be knocked to the floor or all over the desk. I suggest using either an upright hard plastic folder holder or a single letter tray. The easiest way to keep everything straight is to have three slots: to do, to be paid, and to be filed.

it is not always feasible to file every single piece of paper the instant that you touch it (which would be preferable), so you need to set up a to-be-filed spot. This spot should be convenient and contained so that you’ll actually use it and so that the papers won’t accidentally be knocked to the floor or all over the desk.

Since I have seen many desks, countertops, and floors overflowing with papers, I’m going to repeat the admonitions from my previous paper posts:

1. Sort the mail over your garbage can. Take what’s left and immediately put it in the appropriate in bin: to do, to be paid, or to file.

2. Go through those in bins weekly (go through the to-do bin daily).

3. As you put each paper into the appropriate binder behind the applicable tab, ask yourself if you really NEED to keep it. If not, toss it! Also, as you file each paper, ask yourself if you STILL NEED the other papers in that section. Toss the fliers for events that have already happened. Toss last year’s field trip permission form. Toss last year’s utility bills. Please!

4. The process of setting up your binders and going through all your papers will take some time. Be patient and be persistent.

5. Keep at it! Train yourself to pick up those stray papers DAILY and to put them where they belong. Before you know it, filing papers in your binders will become a habit.

Ta-da! You are now a Binder Princess! The more time you put into maintaining your binders and the more binders that you accumulate, the closer you become to attaining Binder Queen status. Next week, I’ll be talking about what to do with the stacks of magazines lying on your coffee table and all those neat recipes you printed from the Internet.

Here are a few links to certified Binder Queens:

Cindy Rushton shares tips on how you, too, can become a homeschool binder queen.

eHow has tips on school binder organization tips.

Great, free, printable forms to help you and your kids organize your binders can be found on the ESL Printables Web site.

This post was written by Bethany L., a LessonPathways blog contributor and veteran homeschool mom.  You can read more about her at her blog Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom.“

This is the second post in a 5 part series written by Bethany of Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom. Be sure to check back during October to read more great tips for taming the paper beast!

Now that you’ve disposed of all the dross (see last week’s post, “Do I Really Need to Keep It?”), it’s time to set up a filing system that will work for YOU. If you don’t have room for a filing cabinet, or don’t want a filing cabinet for whatever reason, I’ll be writing about setting up a binder system next week. The key here is to figure out what will work for you, not what works for someone else. If you have a method of storing papers that works, you’ll have a much easier time actually using it. And, that is the point, right?

First things first. You do NOT need to go out and buy an expensive, wood-grain, four-drawer filing cabinet. Spend some time thinking about how much paper you REALLY need to keep. If you’re just an average family, probably one drawer is sufficient, or even a filing bag/box, or a large filing envelope (or two). If you’re filing homeschool papers or if you have a small business or work from your home, you may need a two- or three-drawer cabinet. Resist the temptation to acquire more storage space than you need. Empty spaces (files) have a tendency to get filled, so the more space you have, the more stuff with which you’ll fill it. Here’s a true confession (for those of you who read my blog, Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom): the small, two-drawer filing cabinet that I use was garbage-picked by my dad for me. I spent no money on it!

Before you start labeling every folder in sight, take everything out of your filing cabinet. Gulp. Pile it neatly and temporarily on the floor or desk. If you have hanging files, start with those. Begin with larger categories. For instance, label one file “Bills to be Paid.” Label another file “Utilities.” Label one “Health Care” and one “Important Documents” or “Personal Papers,” and so on. Take a look at the papers you have and make hanging files to fit them. If you don’t have hanging files, make a file folder for each of these categories.

Now put the hanging files (or file folders) into your cabinet or container in alphabetical order. It’s okay if you don’t have something for every letter of the alphabet or if you have several things that start with the same letter. Just put everything in order. If you started with hanging files, now go through and make separate file folders for each smaller subject within each larger category. For instance, within the “Utilities” file, put a folder for each utility bill that you plan to keep (for only a few months, of course). In the “Health Care” file, make a folder for each person in your family and/or a folder for things that can be deducted from your taxes. Not all of your categories will have sub-categories. If you have school-aged children, make sure you have a file labeled “School” and then a folder for each child within that file. If you homeschool, put the papers you’re required to keep by the state into the appropriate folder. If your children attend a public or private school, this is where you file the plethora of papers they bring home.

You do not have to own a labeler to make this system work. You don’t have to have pretty, matching file folders to make this system work. For a long time, I put plain, white, address-type stickers over pre-labeled, used folders with my hand-written titles.

At this stage of the game, you should have a filing cabinet (drawer, box, envelope, whatever) full of hanging files and folders that are all neatly labeled and are in alphabetical order. Now go through your neat stack of papers one by one. Put every piece of paper in the appropriate folder. You may come across a paper that doesn’t have a folder. That’s fine; just make a folder for it right then. You may come across a piece of paper that you don’t really need to keep. Toss it! WARNING: this process may take several days if you have a limited amount of time to work on it. Don’t give up! Keep working at it, and before you know it, you will have a beautifully organized filing cabinet.

The next trick is to keep your filing cabinet organized for the long haul. Yes, it can be done! I realize that it is not always feasible to file every single piece of paper the instant that you touch it (which would be preferable), so you need to set up a “To Be Filed” spot. This spot should be convenient and contained so that you’ll actually use it and so that the papers won’t accidentally be knocked to the floor or all over the desk. I suggest using either an upright hard plastic folder holder or a single letter tray. You can add another slot called “To Do” if you wish. Train yourself to file papers from your “To Be Filed” folder weekly. It should not take more than ten or fifteen minutes if you keep up with it. Condition yourself to check your “To Do” file daily and take care of business as needed. This way, you won’t run out of time to order from your kids’ fundraisers or forget to make cookies for youth group.

One last piece of advice: carefully evaluate every piece of paper that comes into your home as it arrives. If you don’t need to keep it, throw it away right away. If it needs attention, but not immediately, put it in one of three folders: “To Do,” “To Be Filed,” or “Bills to be Paid.”

That’s it! It may take a while to get your files set up in a way that works for you (and to go through all the papers you already have to make sure you really need to keep them), but it is time worth spending. Be persistent, and eventually you will achieve your desired result: an organized filing cabinet/box. Discipline yourself to keep it that way. You can do it!

This post was written by Bethany L., a LessonPathways blog contributor and veteran homeschool mom.  You can read more about her at her blog Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom.

It’s 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. I’m lying in bed, waiting for my brain to shut off. I start running through the week in my head–what I’ve done and what I still have to do. I say a quick prayer that my daughter will sleep in tomorrow. I’m exhausted, and 7:30 a.m. is going to be way too early for me.

And then it hits me. My son has a doctor’s appointment at 8:40 in the morning, which means we have to be out the door by 8:20.

In the midst of my busy life, I’d somehow forgotten that fact. No, it didn’t get forgotten on the calendar. In fact, it’s on all three calendars (fridge, my monthly planner, and my week-at-a-glance planner). And yet, my organization didn’t mean a thing because I was so busy I forgot to even glance at the calendar before hitting the sack.

This got me thinking about organization and how it plays out in our lives as homeschooling parents. Trying to keep everything straight and get everything accomplished that needs to be accomplished is a HUGE task. I know from experience exactly how big a task it can be–and as you might be able to tell from the example above, it doesn’t always happen exactly the way it’s supposed to happen.

As a SAHM/WAHM, I have a lot on my plate. Usually, I thrive from the “pressure” and “stress” of it all. But this week has been an extra-busy week coming off a busy weekend (which was preceded by another busy week). Sometimes, things just go from “organized chaos” to all out CHAOS!

Most of the time, I have three calendars keeping me in line, along with my ever-growing “to-do” lists. I have my computer station set up in the kitchen, so I can keep an eye on the kids at all times (I have a full view of the kitchen, dining room, living room, and toy room from my perch) while I do my “work.” However, sometimes I get so caught up in my “to-do” lists and calendars that I forget to get off my stool and get down on the floor with my kiddos.

And let me tell you, they know when they haven’t had enough “Mommy Time.” All of a sudden (or so it seems to Mommy, who has been deep in a trance staring at the computer screen), four little hands start pulling on my legs. Voices start whining. The toys, books, and TV (all educational, of course–haha, yeah right) are no longer keeping their attention. They need Mommy to turn off the computer and give them her undivided attention. I check my to-do list and week-at-a-glance planner to make sure nothing else needs my immediate attention, and I hit the floor to play with my kiddos. Hopefully, they’ll take naps today, so I can get some work done then.

When you have multiple tasks needing your attention throughout the day (and each day having a slightly different routine than the day before/after), it helps to have some sort of organizational system, even if you are living in complete chaos. I have found that I need things to be written down, or else I’ll forget within three minutes (or less).

My to-do list must be on a piece of paper that is easily visible. I can’t use a computer to remind me (there are days when I’m so busy with life that the computer doesn’t get turned on), and a mental to-do list is about as good as a leaf blowing in the wind (here one second and gone the next).

I have three calendars to help me show up to appointments on time (assuming I actually look at them!!), meet deadlines, and remember important dates. I have a monthly planner that is my _______ calendar –the other two are both written based on it. My monthly planner includes all events, appointments, important dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc), and meal plan (I plan my dinner menu a month at a time). My week-at-a-glance planner is my lifeline. This helps me to keep straight everything I need to get accomplished during the week, from appointments to books that need to be reviewed to tasks I need to accomplish sometime during the week. This planner also allows me to see where I have “extra” time during the week for any errands that need to be taken care of outside of my normal Tuesday morning errand time.

I also have a monthly calendar on the fridge (whiteboard calendar) on which I put all the important appointments, events, and dates, as well as my menu plan, so that anybody in the house can see at a glance (without having to “dig” through my Life Binder to find my planner) where they need to be and when. (This is mostly for me to be able to see what’s for dinner or what appointments I have the next day without having to open my LB, or for my husband to be able to see what’s going on in our lives.)

All that is to say your organizational system isn’t going to look like mine–nor should it. Organization needs to be individualized, or it won’t work. If an organizational system isn’t tailored to meet your specific needs, you’re probably not going to use it. And the whole point of organization is to keep you organized, right? The key is to figure out what works for you. If you need three calendars (like me) to help you organize all your tasks, appointments, meals, etc, then figure out what three calendars will work best for you. I had to create my own week-at-a-glance planner because I couldn’t find one that met my specific needs. If you don’t have all the “extra” responsibilities of a WAHM, then you might not need three calendars. Maybe one monthly calendar in a centralized location is perfect for you. Some people work better with paper (me), and some prefer using a computer or electronic device to keep them organized. Whatever works for you (and try different things to find out if you’re not sure) is going to be your best bet at organizing the chaos in your life!

Sometimes a chaotic life requires organization and planning. Sometimes organized chaos resembles more chaos than organization. Sometimes organization requires a little chaos to break up the monotony. And nobody’s organization looks exactly like anybody else’s. The key to organized chaos is knowing when the organization is important and when it’s time to get down and play with the kids!

This post was written by Ashley P., homeschool mom and Lesson Pathways contributor.

Did you know that most “junk” is still useful and can be recycled? Few people take the time to notice the countless items around them that hold so much potential. However, I am a recycling junkie, possessing firsthand knowledge of this hidden potential, even in the most unlikely of objects. Saving money is nothing new. Heck, who wouldn’t like to have a little more in her pockets? What’s sad is some people are leery about reusing old items, be it in the home or in the garden, afraid others will think they’re cheap. On the contrary, frugal individuals like me are not cheap–we’re simply being artistic (and happily saving money in the process).

Here are just some of the numerous ideas you can try to help you get started in the art of recycling…and remember, even if you share the same idea for something, it can still be unique if you add a personal touch.

• Consider displaying a number of your prized possessions on a makeshift shelf made from a rustic piece of board from a torn-down barn or other structure. Alternatively, you could spruce up an old ladder, adding quilts, family photos, etc. This is also a good way to preserve a small piece of history, perhaps even your own.

• Reuse boxes as makeshift furniture. Large boxes or plastic crates become instant dressers or shelves. Just stack them up (opening facing out). This is a great temporary fix for anyone on a budget (I did this following my divorce). You can also recycle old drawers to store treasures. Toilet paper tubes make interesting holders for writing supplies. Apply self-stick fabric to cereal boxes and store magazines or files in them.

• Don’t overlook little items. Small touches can add big appeal. CDs can be reused as reflectors, coasters, or other objects–like clocks. A stunning pair of earrings can be used to accent hand towels or curtains. Crystal necklaces or similar items can be used to dress up chandeliers. Hardware items, such as hooks or brackets, make great hangers for pots and pans, which can also become interesting pieces of art. Years ago, my brother asked me to help spruce up his landscape. While clearing the backyard of piled-up trash, I found a cast-iron skillet, old and filled with flaky rust. Anyone else would have tossed it, again. Not me. I took it home, cleaned it up, and painted a rooster on the outside of it. Then I hung it up on the kitchen wall where it’s right at home with my rooster collection.

• Create artwork by reusing old signs, magazine covers, board games, puzzles, or outdated books and calendars. Place your treasure in a frame and hang it on the wall or place it on a shelf. Use an old windowpane for framing photos, or cover an end table with a piece of glass and add your favorite photographs or artwork beneath it for everyone to enjoy. Laminate all that piled-up artwork (from your children) and decorate a bookcase or even a wall with them. You can turn your child’s favorite toy figurines into ornaments too.

• Use old clothes for creative projects. For example, when used as fabric, old pieces of clothing can make wonderful placemats, quilts, pillows, etc. Pockets are good for storing small items. Take them from a worn out pair of jeans and sew them on an old quilt, and then hang it up. Fill the pockets with sewing notions, craft tools, or even office supplies. You could also use pieces taken from favorite items to create a special memory quilt. Take those old boots and shoes and place them in the garden as plant holders.

• Turn a chipped bowl into a planter or centerpiece filled with potpourri. Use an old planter as a decorative storage container, filling it with washcloths in the bathroom. Plastic milk jugs or soda bottles can be turned into plant containers or piggy banks for the kids. Old coffee and soup cans can also make interesting containers for plants or candles. Transform a watering can into a garden fountain. Reuse baby wipe containers (the cylinder ones) as yarn dispensers to help prevent tangling. The list goes on and on.

Dare to be different. With a little creativity, you can turn nearly anything into something useful.

This post was written by Nikki P., homeschool mom and Lesson Pathways contributor.

This is the first post in a 5 part series written by Bethany of Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom.  Be sure to check back during October to read more great tips for taming the paper beast!

Most articles I’ve read about putting paper in its place start with storing your most important documents (whatever they may be) in a safety deposit or fireproof box. I’m going to start at the opposite end of the spectrum. Let’s take a look at the plethora of papers that come into your house daily.

The first thing you need to do is to sort your mail standing over a trashcan. That way, all the junk mail and fliers for stuff in which you are not interested doesn’t even get set on a counter. Then, take the rest of the mail and put your bills in a to-be-paid file, tray, or slot on your desk. Put invitations, surveys, and anything else that requires a response in a to-do file or bin. Post other necessary information near your family calendar. (What? You don’t have a family calendar? Hhmmm, maybe I’ll make my next article about that.)

Take a similar approach with papers your kids bring home from outside classes (or school), sports, church, or party and event invitations. If you need to fill out papers, put them in your to-do file. Make a note on your family calendar of important dates. Read the other information, then toss the papers or file them (temporarily) in the appropriate folder or binder section.

Important note: flip through your to-do file daily.

Before we can get to organizing files or binders, you need to take some time to clean out the dead wood that you’ve already got cluttering up your desk, floor, and filing cabinet. Get a large trash bag and make sure your shredder is plugged in. If you have any old invitations, fliers, newspapers, magazines, or letters, throw them away. If you cancelled checks, keep ONLY those you need for tax purposes (more on that shortly) and shred the rest. If you have any banking records from more than seven years ago, shred them. Seriously. Shred the deed to the clunker car you bought when you were sixteen. Please. Shred ALL of the utility bills that are more than a year old.

Now that you’ve cleaned out all the unnecessary papers, look at how much room you have to organize the papers you really do need to keep!

In my research, I found that the general rule of thumb is to keep financial papers pertaining to taxes and investments for seven years. Period. It is suggested, though, that you keep a copy of your tax returns (but not all the other papers) permanently. Since I’m not an accountant, I will add this disclaimer and tell you to check with yours to make sure that you’re keeping the right papers for the right length of time.

So, what about bank statements, utility bills, and the fifty-zillion receipts littering the top of your desk right now? Bank statements should be saved for no longer than a year, so as you put this month’s in your file, throw out any statements that are from last October or earlier. It’s a good idea to save utility bills for several months for proof of residency or other issues, but it’s unnecessary to save them for longer than that unless you use them as tax deductions for a home business. Again, ask your accountant for his recommendations. Make a file for each utility bill and as you put the new ones in each month, throw out ones that are older than three months or a year or whatever your accountant suggests. Receipts only need to be saved if they are tax deductible (in their own file), for a warranty (staple it to the warranty and file it with the owner’s manual), or for something that may need to be returned (clothes or tools, for instance, but weed these out regularly). The rest should be entered into your computer budgeting program weekly and then thrown out. I promise it won’t hurt!

Personal papers that need to be kept permanently (birth, death, and marriage certificates, citizenship and naturalization papers, separation and divorce papers, military records, social security cards, etc.) should be kept in a safety deposit box or a fireproof box. Only a limited number of other items should be kept on a long-term basis and updated regularly. These include medical histories, employment, insurance, real estate and tax return records, insurance policies, and things like advance directives. These papers should be kept in a fireproof box in your home so you can readily update them and have access to them.

Some papers need to be kept in a safe place only for as long as they are in effect: wills, car deeds, records of car repairs and service, passports, and owner’s manuals. If you keep these things in a filing cabinet, make one file for each type of record. Label it clearly and file it in alphabetical order.

I could say so much more about putting paper in its place, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. Besides, until I started writing this article, I didn’t realize how much information was out there. In fact, there is so much more information to cover that I am going to write four more articles in this series—one every week during the month of October. Whatever you do, do NOT print this article out—you’ll just create more papers for which you would have to find a place!

This post was written by Bethany L., a LessonPathways blog contributor and veteran homeschool mom.  You can read more about her at her blog Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom.