We have all been there… circulating the classroom, catching a glimpse of our student’s desks. There are papers everywhere, school supplies are in disarray, and we may even find an opened snack or two. This used to drive me absolutely crazy! I knew there had to be a better way to set my students up for success. I also wanted to have a better system for organizing unfinished work that helped keep desks clean. That’s when I decided to implement the Unfinished Work Folder. Learn why you will want to start this in your classroom, too!
How to Set Up the Folder
I usually assign one specific color folder to be the Unfinished Work Folder. For me, it’s green!
From there, you could take it a step further and label each pocket. One side can say “still working” and the other can say “complete”. Then, spend time reviewing and including this in your daily routine, reminding students to place their work in the correct pocket.
And honestly, I did that… for a while. Then, I loosened up a bit and just allowed work to go in the folder. Any completed work would get turned in to me via the finished work bin. I found this cleared up ANY confusion as to what we should do with our work when it’s done. Believe me, I saved myself lots of headaches by eliminating labeled pockets. Kept the routine simple: Unfinished work in the folder finished work in the bin.
Then, at the end of the week, we’d do a quick sweep of our unfinished work in our folder. The completed items would get stapled together, then sent home. Anything not complete, students would work on during “Catch Up and Pickles”.
Either way… the goal is that students know where papers go and aren’t being shoved into their desks.
How to Use the Unfinished Work Folder
One of my favorite things about using the Unfinished Work Folder is that it eliminates the need for multiple folders. I have never been a huge fan of having 4-5 different folders. I always noticed some folders really never got used. Also, my students would get confused about where specific papers should go. Having one folder for everything eliminates any unnecessary stress!
Another rule I had in place is that my students knew they could NEVER take the folder home. The Unfinished Work Folder would always stay in the students’ desks for easy access.
The Desk Fairy
I also decided to implement something called, The Desk Fairy. My students absolutely loved this! Every once in a while, our desk fairy would come to “visit” and check all the desks. The fairy would then leave a small treat on clean desks. My students’ favorite treats were candy, stickers, or fun pencils! Having an Unfinished work folder helped students stay a bit more clean and organized!
What is “Catch Up and Pickles?”
Ok… so remember earlier I mentioned “Catch-Up and PIckles?”
Instead of formal center rotations at the end of the week, I did a “Catch-Ups and Pickles” routine.
Students who had work in their Unfinished Work Folder used this time to “Catch-Up,” while those who had finished were allowed to “Pickles,” a reading-based activity.
Check out my past blog post to learn more about this awesome work routine! This really helped me with grading and dealing with missing or incomplete work assignments.
The Unfinished Work Folder
So there you have it! This is a great way to keep your students organized and stay on top of any incomplete work. It was a lifesaver in my classroom, and I no longer had to chase after students that were missing assignments! You can grab the labels I used in the pictures by signing up for the Applicious Resource Library below!
Do you plan on implementing this in your classroom? Or do you already have an Unfinished Work Folder? Let me know in the comments below!
