Folders, Folders, and Folders

My life is currently defined by folders. I am trying to be organized in the midst of a minor whirlwind of activity and new experiences, so I have turned to the comfort of folders. You may not be able to tell from this picture, but I have four colored folders that are currently organizing my progress and process. 

Why?

That's a great question! I am a visual learner/organizer so having different colors helps me to easily and efficiently choose the information that I need at any given time without having to spend much time thinking about the process.

How is it organized?

The yellow folder (my current favorite color, by the way - it varies between yellow and green) holds my reminders. There is an article about John Dewey, one of my educational inspirations - go immersion!! There is another article about another one of my educational gurus, William G. Spady - go outcomes-based education! There is an article about preparing yourself for professional interactions.

The pink folder contains all of the contact information that I need for this adventure - copies of emails, contact numbers, schedules, and other stuff as well.

The blue folder is where I am keeping my lecture materials. This adventure contains presentations and demonstrations, so the blue folder is very important. Without it, I will be lost, stumbling, and looking pretty foolish. The blue folder is important.

The green folder has information about the place where I am located - the structure, the expectations for participants, and various and sundry other sources of information.

I am going to leave the yellow folder at my home-away-from-home. It is really just something for me to have during my preparation for this adventure. Other folders will go into and out of my bag as needed during the discussions today.

How do you organize yourself? It's important to know what works best for you. For me, it's over organizing the small stuff so I feel like I have control over the big things. Knowing that what I need is at my fingertips helps me to relax about the details. I can concentrate on what I need when I need it. That is the purpose of organization, isn't it? Being able to find what you need when you need it with a minimum of searching and fumbling.

I hope I've done it!