Tried It Tuesday (Save my Sanity Organizer)!!

 I am so saddened about the events in Boston.  

It is like a huge cloud hanging over our heads and my thoughts and prayers go out to all the families and friends who have loved ones affected by this tragedy.

We are on our fourth week of "Tried It Tuesday" and I love all the amazing ideas that bloggers are linking up!!  There are super talented educators linking up creative ideas that you will want to check out!

Thank you so much for linking up and for showing support by reading along or commenting:)  

<center> <a href="http://fourthgradeflipper.blogspot.com/"><img src=" http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt15/04fallingstar/3AM%20Blog%20Design/3am_triedittuesday_3_zpsd7a240d4.png" width=225 height=225 border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center> Awesome linky button above designed by the talented Michelle at The 3am Teacher! What is 'Tried It Tuesday'? 1.  Write a post about any"thing" you have...TRIED (new or old)! 2.  Describe what worked and maybe what didn't work. 3.  Keep it simple and focus on one general topic.  You can link another idea next week:) 4.  Link your post back to this post.

My Tried It Tuesday:

File Organizer Pocket Chart

You would not believe how much the addition of this pocket chart has improved my organization sanity!!   I snagged it for under $15 at Amazon! It takes up no floor space and I have it hanging with thumbtacks pushed into a strip of cork at the top of my board.  There are three holes at the top of the pocket chart.  At first, I thought it wouldn't stay put, but it does! It holds an amazing amount of papers!!  Seriously, I wouldn't have believed it myself. As you can see, I have some pockets with multiple file folders.  There are 10 pockets total.  
Why has this little pocket chart made such a difference? It has saved my sanity because before I had a pathetic poor method for organizing the extra handouts for absent students or lost papers (sometimes "conveniently" lost:).   Background:  I keep extra copies of assignments on hand because when students lose an assignment, they receive a new one and have to start the assignment over.  The same goes with papers that needed to be corrected and are lost.  It really cuts back on how many papers are "lost" after the first month or so of school.   Every so often, I have students who chronically lose papers and they no longer have the privilege of getting a new one to write on.  They borrow an extra copy and write out the questions and answers on a separate paper:)   I consider myself a fairly organized person so I don't know why I didn't fix my system sooner!  I used to keep extra papers in a metal organizer on a shelf behind the door but it always ended up crowded and was difficult to find the copies there.   When I was looking, I was usually annoyed because I was spending MY time looking for another copy of a paper that one student "conveniently" lost  Although, I was determined that they would not get out of doing the assignment!   Now, I have all the extra copies arranged by subject in their own little file in this hanging pocket chart.  I just tell the student to look for an extra copy in the folder when they have lost a paper (much to their chagrin)!  Love it!!   There is plenty of room for some extra work on writing activities that are handouts.  I also have some extra math center activities here that won't fit in my drawer organizer. Isn't it amazing how one little change can make such a difference in your day? I hope you will link up one of your "Tried Its"!   You never know who may be inspired by it:)