Made 4 Math - 4 Pocket Folders

Look at all of the awesome stuff I scored at Staples for less than 7 bucks!! The spiral notebook is for my "to-do list" that I keep on my desk (if it's not on a list and not RIGHT in front of my face I always seem to forget to do things), the tissues are for some "teacher survival kits" I'm working on (more on that later), the index card holders don't have a definite use yet, but I'm sure I'll figure out something to do or someway to organize with them, aaaaaaaaand the folders are for my #made4math project!!!

Every year I keep a folder for each of my 5 classes where I usually keep track of their homework, attendance, seating charts and any quizzes or tests they have returned to me (If they fail a test or a quiz they have to bring it home and have it signed by a parent and then I make a copy for myself). I usually used the folders with fasteners in the middle so that I could use the folders for more than just two things (in the two pockets). My seating chart (printed from PowerSchool) went inside a page protector and that got put in between the fasteners along with the weekly attendance. If I'm being honest here half the time (ok ok...more than half the time) the attendance sheets never made it between the fasteners because it was such a pain to unfasten them, insert the sheet of paper, and then refasten them each week. This made for messy folders with papers just shoved in the middle and messy doesn't make for a happy and calm Ms. Mac. 

So when I saw a pin of 4 pocket folders on Pinterest from Ms. M's blog I just KNEW it was something I would incorporate into my classroom this year. 

Obviously for this project you need a couple sets of two pocket folders. I got five sets of two since I have five classes. I also used a single hole punch instead of a three-hole punch because I wanted a little more control over where the holes were on the folder. I also recommend using a pencil to make your life a little easier. 

I started with two folders - one with fasteners and one without. On Ms. M's tutorial she used different colored folders, but my two folders are the same color because it would drive me nuts if they weren't!!

I took the folder without fasteners and folded it inside-out...

Now I have to decide how I wanted to put the two folders together...do I want the fold facing in? 

Or facing out? I picked out. Side bar - Does anyone else like to do their projects on the floor? For some reason I would rather be on the floor than at a table. 

To make it easier for myself and to make sure my punched holes matched up to the holes on the "outside" folder, I used a pencil to trace where the holes should get punched. At this point I learned by trial and error that you should trace the holes from the back of the fasteners and not the front because you want the holes to be in line with where the metal piece needs to go through. I ended up having to re-punch the yellow one, but at least it was possible to re-punch and I didn't have to scrap it altogether!

This is Loki. He decided to help me in the middle of my project by laying on top of all of my newly created 4 pocket folders. I guess that's what I get for working on the floor! ha

Final product!! :)

I can't wait to see how well these work out this year!!