I’ve had several requests about how I organize my clip art as well as how I utilize my Erin Condren planner, so I thought I would share a few of my organizational ideas and/or tips with you!
To be honest with you, I think know that some of my organizational methods are kind of crazy and over the top, so it always surprises me when I post a picture of a binder or a labeled bin that there are always inquiring minds that want to know more!
SO I’m here to tell you more 🙂 If organization isn’t your thing . . . you might want to stop reading now. 🙂 Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Ok, so one of my absolutely FAVORITE school tools is my EC planner…
I’m an EC planner first timer, and after seeing the beauty of all of yours this summer, I decided that I had to have one. I won’t lie when I tell you it was a near sleepless night the day it came. I had to get it “set up” and decide how it was going to work for me!
I’m a lesson plan typer. I must have my plans typed, easy to edit, easy to find, and easy to modify from year to year.
This year, I’m going CRAZY over writing LITERALLY every plan I teach from scratch because we have a new reading/writing series PLUS I’m redoing the way I teach math this year, too, to set it up very similarly to the math rotations like Stephanie’s at 3rd Grade Thoughts. Needless to say, plan writing takes me FOREVER – especially when I want the plans themselves to be well done and be able to be used again so I DON’T have to write them all again next year!! . . .
So, where does my EC planner come in?!
Well, I try to have my plans written and copies prepared about 2 weeks ahead – just because life happens sometimes, and since I have crazy anxiety I just always want to be prepared with some room to spare! 🙂 So, by the time I get to a week’s lesson – even though the copies are ready, and the templates are prepped, I might forget what I’m supposed to teach that day because it’s been so long since I’ve actually seen the plan since I wrote it weeks ago!!
Enter EC planner 🙂
I used my EC planner for 2 primary purposes.
1. I use to map out my months
Each month, I map out my math lessons, staff meetings, IEP meetings, grade level meetings, emergency drills, etc in the monthly planning pages of my EC planner. It’s not “my calendar” per-say, though. That’s on my desk. 🙂 This is just a map of month at a glance at school!
2. Then, daily, I use my EC planner to jot the highlights of the day’s lessons before I teach them. I basically use my planner as a cheat sheet for me beyond my already written lesson plans.
I do this at the end of every day for the upcoming day’s lessons. It’s my last “to do” each day to map out and set up for the next day! 🙂 So that, in a nutshell is how I use my EC planner! Feel free to email me with questions!!
Ok – is any one else obsessed with clip art?!?!?! I can’t get enough…so I needed to control the madness…via a binder. (not control the spending haha)
My name is Ashley, and I am addicted to fonts, borders, and CLIPART!!! I kind of knew when I started this journey, that it would be filled with new addictions, soooo I needed to figure out a way to organize my plentiful supply of that to which I’m addicted . . . .CLIP ART!!
When I’m starting a new organizing project, a binder usually calls my name…
This project was no different. So here’s how I organize it all. I have 4 sections inside of my binder…
1. Fonts
2. Borders/Frames
3. Clipart
4. Paper
FONTS
I simply printed all of the font Preview pages and tabbed them as “fonts” in my binder! This way I can SEE all of the fonts I have!!
BORDERS!
I organize my borders by artist – then each pack is labeled with my code name for the artist (Creative Clips borders are all named CC_______ <—- name of the pack!) . I have made thumbnails of each, title each page of thumbnails with the name of the pack (CC MEGA PACK, etc)), print and then tab each artist’s borders/frames in the border section of my binder! Again, it just keeps it easier on me to SEE what I have!!
CLIP ART
Clip art is organized very similarly to my borders. It is also by artist and organized that way in my clip art files on my computer as well as kept in that same order in my binder so I can find the pack I’m looking for quickly!
Example: AH accent lines with scallops is by Ashley Hughes and the name of the pack (that I named so I would remember what it is!) is “accent lines with scallops”!
The next Ashley Hughes set I have is also AH________ <—-name of the pack! That way, all of my AH resources are in the same place in my files on my computer! They’re all together in that same order in my binder, too!
Another example: All of my Melonheadz is labeled MH _______ <– name of the pack!
Then, I make thumbnails of the images in each pack, keep one pack per page in my binder, and keep all of my “MH” clip art in one place in my binder and my files!
PAPER
Lastly is my paper section . . .It’s a small section as I’ve only printed out the papers I use most! (a’hem Graphics from the Pond . . . Sonya DeHart Design!
Again, I organize by artist and name it using the artist’s name first followed by the name of the pack 🙂 🙂
Please know that I don’t print ALLLL of my clip art/borders . . .just my mostly used stuff. When I buy a new pack (or 4) that I know I want to print and add to my binder, I download it from TPT straight into a folder on my desktop called FILE THIS CLIPART! Once I thumbnail it and print it to add to my binder, it gets filed with the rest of my clip art on my computer! 🙂
I also organize it a 2nd way in my dropbox – – I keep the files all together where they currently are, but I additionally add my clip art packs/paper files to a holiday folder, too – so I can at a glance see what I have/need for an upcoming themed pack!
I hope that helps!! Please please please feel free to email me with questions! 🙂 It has been a life saver and a time saver for me for sure as I’m still learning these TPT ropes and tricks of the trade! I’ve only been at this since October, but wowzers my clip art obsessions addictions collections are multiplying!! 🙂
Here’s a PERISCOPE that recaps much of what is written in this post! Enjoy!!
I love how you organized your binder!! I totally need to do this too! As I have started creating products I have just made new folders and dragged the clip art, borders and paper want to use into that folder. It works, kind of, but I love this idea to be able to see what I have!! I think this may be a Spring Break project, or if not, then for sure a summer project!! Thank you for the inspiration and great idea! I will be in Vegas for a conference the same week as the TPT conference, so I hope I can see you there!!
Mrs. 3rd Grade
I'm so glad you liked my post and AHHH I hope we get to cross paths in July! <3 Thanks so much for your support and encouragement! It always makes me smile!! 🙂
OMG! I love how organized you are!! We must have been sisters in another lifetime!!! 😉 See you in Vegas my dear!!!
-Aris
Sailing into Second
Yayyy!! 🙂 I LOVE finding my long lost organizational siblings <3 Can't WAIT to meet you!! 🙂 🙂
Love your organization and your products!
Thank you for sharing how to stay organized! I LOVE organization! I have started a fonts/clip art binder similar to yours. The biggest reason was because I bought Pink Cat Studio's phonics clip art and I couldn't remember which pieces I had already used in a large packet. I printed out thumbnails and slid them into plastic sleeves so I can use an expo marker to cross out what I use as I go. I want so badly to print and organize my borders and clip art elements, but I have such a hard time getting away from making products!!! How much time do you spend organizing VS creating? It's so hard to balance! I admire all you do and would love to hear how much time you allocate to each aspect of being a teacher author!
Lauren
A Teachable Teacher
My goodness, your binders must be huge! I have a lot of clipart but can't even think about printing thumbnails of everything. (I did make little jpgs of some paper packs that didn't have them, so I can look at all 20 at once, and that nearly killed me!) You go, girl!
I LOVE the idea of putting all that stuff in a binder! I'm such a visual person, and it's so much easier to print it out and browse through it! I'll have to tackled that soon!!! And WOOOO-HOOOO for Vegas! I can't wait to go!!! 🙂
Janae
The Sharpened Pencil
You are an inspiration! One day I am going to start blogging and creating products. It all looks a little overwhelming though. However, I truly enjoy reading your blogs and all your products. You make them very appealing to the eye and the kiddos love using them! I can't help but notice and want to know more about your digital lesson plans. Maybe you can share a week with us sometime?! Thank you again for all you do!
Hi Ashley, I'm sitting here thinking about planning, aka procrastinating while I catch up on blog-reading, and I find myself wondering if you are considering selling an editable version of your lesson planning templates on TPT. I really love the to-do lists and parent conference form packs I bought from you. Now that I see your lesson plan format, of course, I am equally impressed! I am pretty sure I mentioned this on IG, so I just wanted to let you know I am still definitely interested-you know, in a hopeful, pretty please, whenever-you-get-the-chance- in-your-busy-life kind of way! Hope you don't mind 🙂
Thanks so so much <3 I swear I haven't forgotten about the lesson plan template – yet here's the thing – I set my LA up to go along with my Reading Series – like the categories and sections of my plans are specific to the reading series – – However, I can totally change the categories to make it more generic to post 🙂 I SWEARRRR it's on my list – – – with the crazy large spring centers unit that I posted last week, and the busy week of district meetings, grade level meetings, and report cards this week, I've just been SLAMMED!! Plus, this weekend I actually have like real plans LOL which stresses me out because of the work I won't get done! HAH!! ANYWAY! I promise I haven't forgotten! It's on my list 🙂 🙂 🙂
Lindsey thanks so much for your sweet comment! I just love hearing from other aspiring bloggers and fellow teachers! I am working on a lesson plan template to share. The tricky part for me is, mine are very much so tailored to the reading and math series that I use, so it will take some time and revamping to make it shareable 🙂 I'm working on it!! 🙂 Promise!! Thanks again!!
That's EXACTLYYYY why I put it all in a binder!! I needed to see it all!! <3 Glad you like it!!
LOL I know it did take me a VERY long time to set up – but now, I just add to it when I buy more!! 🙂 🙂 Not ALLL of the clip art I have is in there! Most of it is, though 🙂 🙂 Thanks for your sweet comment, friend!
Oh Lauren, my answer to you could totally be a blog post! 🙂 I honestly just go go go go go. I don't balance my time between product making and organizing very well to be honest. I'm a workaholic and just don't let myself stop haha. And I also don't sleep much. My alarm goes off well before any normal person's who doesn't have cows to milk should! But I am a morning person and get a LOT of my work done before my day starts! But here's what I've TRIEDDD to manage to do the last few weeks in particular as my store has really started to do quite well : I try to prep/draft my blog posts in the evenings during the week. The large organization projects, I KNOW I need solid time for, so I map it out for myself on a calendar. I either will set aside a day or a morning, or pick a day to stay late a school and just get it done! Creating, for the MOST part, I save for Saturdays/Sundays. As the week goes on, and I see that my kids need something, or that a buyer is requesting something, I may create a small pack/activity or two during the week, but I save the school weeks for grading/keeping up with general classroom to-dos. Again, though if a giveaway, or something else pops up that I feel the need to blog about, I just roll with it and post when I can. Now, this week, I really wanted to blog about my character ed pack, yet it just didn't happen! I've had a meeting and report card filled week, so I accepted the failure. haha! Anyway, I should probably blog about this at some point! Whew! Sorry for the long winded answer!
Hey Ashley-I see your reply above my comment-oops-should have read that first!
Ashley, I can't thank you enough! I have done binders instead of files forever it seems and I have been making pages of my most used or needed clip art. BUT I never even thought to make thumbnails of the packets and units I own. I can't keep track of it all. But now I feel like there's hope…I have already started. Love this idea and your pages are so cute too. Thanks Again and I hope to meet you at convention!
Pauline at First Grade by the Sea
Ashley,
As a fellow anxiety ridden teacher I love love loved your lesson plan template. I do the same thing where I type mine up and then write them in my EC planner. Do you have any other posts with a closer look at your lesson plans that you type? I want to make mine look like that next year!! Also, just wanted to let you know that your products and Instagram pictures always brighten my day so keep on posting!!! I'm going to spend my day off organizing my tpt purchases with your organization packet and I can't wait!!
OMG! I might need to do this now. I kinda love you and hate you at the same time for putting the idea of organizing clipart and such this way in my head. 🙂 Thank God I already have the KG Fonts printed in a binder or I'd be in trouble.
-Mercedes from Surfing to Success