A New Job for a Card Organizer

If you remember, I received a free card organizer from DaySpring with two packs of cards.

Well I've found a new job for my card organizer.

Back in the fall when I was planning my classroom, I wanted something to organize my papers to grade for each class. I saw an adorable hanging file bag that Elizabeth, on E, Myself and I, used in her classroom. I found the hanging file tote here:  Jamie Raquel Tote Store at a cost of $59.

I fell in love with the filing system because it looked like a cute bag I could carry over my shoulder or even set on my desk. It was stylish as far as teaching materials went. However, I just couldn't see the NEED to spend $59 on a file system, even though I really WANTED this particular one. We're trying to get a grip on our finances around here. I began searching around at WalMart, Target, etc. to see if anything came remotely close. Nothing.

Then I received my card organizer in the mail. It's an expandable file folder that can hold all of my papers. It has enough pockets for my six classes to have an IN folder and an OUT folder. My friend Danielle used her handy dandy label maker today to create labels for each class. She is an organization goddess! On each of the monthly file folders she placed a label for each class period. For example, Period One IN or Period One OUT, etc. They look so professional!

My plan of attack is this...When I collect my students' papers, I will mark them off as each student hands the assignment to me. This might sound like it will take a ton of my time, but this year I seem to have more students who claim they turned in the assignment and blame me for losing it. Me being the absent-minded 45-year-old teacher, how can I possibly remember which of my 130 students turned in their assignment on any given day? (insert sarcastic tone) This way each student will see me actually check the box by their name in my grade book. I've done this in the past and it works!

You know, it only takes one time to misplace a student assignment, and then any time thereafter when one of the little darlings says, "I turned it in. You must have lost it," I begin to doubt myself. Isn't that silly? But I do! What if it was my fault? What if I left it on the kitchen table when I was grading? What if it blew out the window of my car? I'm not perfect. I do make mistakes. Maybe that's why I doubt myself every time this conversation with a student or parent comes up. Does this happen to other teachers out there in blog land? If so please let me know so I'm not the only one.

Anyway, back to my plan of attack. Once I have collected their assignments, I will place them in the IN section for that particular class. The nice thing about the organizer is it can sit on my desk during the day, and I can carry it home to grade papers in the evening. When the papers are graded, I will place them in the OUT section of the organizer, and pass them back to students the next day. The papers will only travel from school and home and back again in this organizer. That way I know I will not have to search the thousand and one teacher bags for the "missing assignment." If it's not checked off and not in the organizer, then it was NOT turned in.

So here goes my first time with mid week confessions...

I brought home my school books to spend my three day weekend creating exciting lessons for my freshmen English classes...I never cracked a cover.

I have a PILE of laundry taking over my folding table downstairs. Rather than catch up the laundry, fold it, hang it up. I just truck downstairs each morning, pull something off of the pile on my table, throw it in the dryer to get the wrinkles out, and wear it to school.

I belong to three book clubs, plus as some of you know who read my blog I have a list of books that I want to read for 2012 that doesn't include any of my book club reads. The pile of books is growing beside my bed pleading with me to read them. I'm much too busy catching up on the blogs I follow.

I told myself that once the second nine week grading period was over that I would start walking every night on my treadmill. The treadmill is downstairs collecting dust and it's not even plugged in yet. I have yet to tread a step.

I have never written a review before, nor have I ever purchased anything from DaySpring. I can honestly say it was a nice surprise when I received this rather large box containing two packs of cards, one of the packs was Birthday Inspirational Cards, and the other was for All Occasion Inspirational Cards, and a beautiful monthly organizer to keep them in. DaySpring gave me the cards and organizer to review for free. As such the opinions I write are my own.

The cards are printed on a thicker quality card stock and pop with color. I hate it when I purchase a card, and it feels flimsy like it's been printed on cheap paper. Some of the cards resemble photos and others have images that look like they've been artistically drawn. One of my favorite cards of the two collections is the one with the two little girls in the hammock. You can see the card in the photo above. The saying in the card reads "Good friends are the best therapy." On the inside front cover there is a Bible verse: "Just as water reflects the face, so one human heart reflects another." Proverbs 29:19 NRSV. This card will be perfect to send to one of my dearest friends who has been such a blessing to me in the past few weeks and months. On the blog (in)courage Jessica Turner writes about Writing a Card for Thanks and Encouragement. Check it out.

The expandable file organizer is a sturdy tote with an elastic band to latch it closed. Each of the twelve pockets expands to comfortably hold at least ten cards. At least that's how many cards I placed in each pocket. It's organized by month. Each month has a removable file folder.

Each file folder lists the name of the month, birthstone, and flower. I pulled September because that's when I was born.  There's also a nice quote at the top of each file. The one for September reads:
         

             "When days are crisp and the trees wear their latest autumn styles, 

              Opportunities abound for spreading warmth and smiles!"

Below the quote there are two columns, one for birthdays and the other for days to remember. This would be a nice system to keep even me organized. Just take the time to write in the names of people who have birthdays each month or anniversaries, etc. Then purchase the cards to fill the pockets. My Mom buys cards whenever she's sees them on sale, or when she sees a card that catches her eye, or has a good message. That way she always has cards on hand. In the lower right hand corner is a Bible verse that reads, "We know how dearly God loves us, and we feel his warm love everywhere." Romans 5:5 TLB.

I certainly hope that my little review has been helpful to someone out there in the blogging world. Please share your thoughts about writing or organizing cards. Who will you inspire with a card this month?