3 Things You Absolutely Must Have in Your Student Folders

Have you ever put thought into what goes into your student folders?  You know, the file folders that collect student assignments throughout the year?

 

When administrators visit your classroom for a formal or informal observation, they’re very likely to ask you for a sample of student folders. Here are three things you absolutely can’t afford not to have in your folders.

1. Writing – regardless of what subject you teach, there is a lot of pressure for students to improve their writing.

Including samples of writing assignments will let your administrators know that writing occurs in your class. If you teach math, consider a short writing assignment where students research the contributions of mathematicians from a certain region or country and its impact in our lives today. If you teach art, have students write about their favorite painting or sculpture and explain why it’s their favorite piece. If you teach physical education, students can write about the top ten ways they feel teenagers can improve their health today.

So no matter what subject you teach, make sure you include some type of writing assignment and file them in your students’ folders.

    2. Reflection – students need to become introspective about their learning and the learning gains they are making.

Having students reflect on their academic progress will hold them accountable for their own learning. An easy way to do this is to staple a sheet of paper to the inside of the file folder and have the students fill it out at the end of the marking period. It could be as simple as filling in the blanks like this:

“This marking period I earned a(n) ____ in this class because _____________. I am ____________ about this grade because ___________________. I plan to _______________ this grade next marking period by doing ____________________.”

This is a quick way for students to reflect on their academic progress. Having it stapled to the inside of the file folder makes it immediately visible to your administrators and keeps it at the forefront for your students to read every time you pass these folders out.

        3. Assessments that are consistent in form and content to what and how they’ll be tested – if at the end of the year your students will be take an end of course exam that is just multiple choice questions, then the quizzes and tests in those student folders should include multiple choice questions. If they will take a test that includes free-response questions, then your administrators will be looking that you are giving your students adequate practice through assessments that mimic how they will be tested.

There is increasing pressure on administrators to ensure that the school is performing to standard, especially with so many states assigning letter grades to schools or using some other accountability model.

So if you’ve never really paid attention to what goes into your student folders, you need to understand that folders tell the story of what’s been going on in your classroom. By looking through samples of student folders, your administrators and department heads can get an instant snapshot of what’s been going on throughout the year.

 

Let’s RECAP three key components you must absolutely include in your student folders:

1. Writing assignments
2. Some sort of reflective piece where students are introspective about their learning and academic progress
3. Assessments that mimic what they’ll see at the end of the year

 

What’s one key component you always ensure is in your student folders? Share it below.