The Folder Experiment... Revisited

Back inward Oct 2016 I wrote a post near how I was trialling folders instead of practice books alongside Year 11. I promised I'd write a quick update at the terminate of the year, together with then hither it is.

I've decided that I will hold out using folders alongside my Year 11s i time again adjacent year, equally I believe it was a successful trial. I'm non maxim it had whatever demeanour upon on attainment - I'm non sure how I'd mensurate that - but it's all the same something I desire to proceed doing. In example you're planning to produce the same, hither are my cardinal observations:

Folder Type
By Christmas the band binders were falling apart because they were overflowing. Sometimes a educatee would alternative upwards their folder at the root of a lesson together with their nicely organised notes would autumn all over the floor, which was really frustrating. I suggested that my students each purchase their ain lever arch file during the Christmas holidays, but solely a handful did so.

I'd similar to purpose lever arch files instead of band binders from the root of adjacent twelvemonth but I can't because:

1. lever arch files are equally good expensive
2. 34 lever arch files are equally good heavy for me to proceed moving only about (I learn inward multiple classrooms).

So a possible solution is to purpose 68 band binders instead: i for the autumn term, together with some other for the jump together with summertime term. This may hold out expensive though.

Here's a motion painting through i of the amend folders together with then y'all learn an reckon of what my students' classwork looked like:

Worksheets together with Printing

I made a i page canvass for every lesson which included all the lesson tasks, addition infinite for notes. 

In pose out together with algebra lessons this was straightforward, but inward sort lessons it was to a greater extent than challenging to throttle the textile to 2 sides of A4. I managed it though, together with similar a shot it volition hold out pretty quick to excogitation my Year xi lessons adjacent twelvemonth because all the materials are railroad train to go.

The solely occupation is the printing damage - at 2p per side, that's 20p per calendar week for each of my 34 students, costing over £250 inward printing per year. Bear inward heed though that I don't demand practice books or glue, together with I in all likelihood would possess got all the same done only about one-half that amount of printing fifty-fifty if my students had practice books, together with then it doesn't travel out that much to a greater extent than expensive.

Organisation together with Pride

At my schoolhouse (all boys) nosotros produce abide by that quite a few students don't accept much pride inward their work. If y'all glance through a randomly chosen practice mass you'll in all likelihood encounter untidy handwriting, disorganised work, piteous purpose of space, doodling together with mayhap fifty-fifty graffiti... Switching to folders didn't automatically railroad train this, but I did encounter some improvement. My students ofttimes told me that they liked having folders instead of practice books. Visitors to my lessons ever noticed on how good organised the folders were. I'm for certain non maxim that folders would travel for every class, but they worked for me together with I'm looking forrard to using them i time again adjacent year.

Spotted inward a student's folder: a department for
'random interesting maths' -  not prompted yesteryear me!