Paperwork is a never ending part of life for special education teachers. It induces stress and can be one of the most challenging aspects of the job to manage.
Thankfully, there are ways to manage the impossible paperwork pile and finally relieve some of the stress it creates. The strategies below are ways that have worked for other teachers and may just work for you.
10 Ways to Manage the Impossible Paperwork Pile
1. Planning
One of the most important aspects of managing paperwork is to plan for it. Carve out a time when you can focus on things that need concentration and be unapologetic about avoiding disruptions during this time.
While it is ideal to have this time during the school day, more often than not teachers create this time before and after school hours. Whenever you are able to schedule it in, make sure those around you know that you are not to be interrupted during that time.
2. Batch Work
Instead of tackling all of the paperwork at once, batch work. Collect data on the same days each week. Write IEPs on the same day, do assessments, etc.
By batch working you can focus your efforts on a single type of task throughout the day so that you’re more productive and organized.
3. Keep a Cheat Sheet
When doing paperwork for special ed, there are many times when you use the same wording, phrases, citations, etc. Instead of typing it up each time, keep a document with the most commonly used phrases, goals, etc. on hand so that you can just copy and paste.
The cheat sheet can make it easier and faster to get through the mountain of paperwork that needs to be completed.
4. Templates
Templates are a great time saver when writing IEPs, doing reports, planning IEP meetings, and for just about everything that you do consistently. The only downside is that it can take a while to create a template for everything you need to do.
- Our IEP Toolkit has templates for all the vital sections of an IEP, including the Present Levels and progress reports. Need copy and paste IEP goals? Try our free IEP Goal Bank here.
5. To Each Their Own
Forget trying to keep all of your students’ paperwork in one folder or binder. One of the best ways to organize paperwork is to make sure that each child has their own binder. Not only does it make it easier to find their information quickly, but it also helps you to keep everything organized for each student.
Be sure to label the binders and use tabs to make sure you can easily find the things you’re looking for without having to rifle through all of the pages.
6. Quick Reference Sheet
While everyone has their own binder and their paperwork is organized, it’s also a good idea to create a quick reference sheet that lists the students and important dates related to their IEPs. Due dates, progress monitoring dates, meetings, etc. can all go on the sheet so that you can quickly and easily refer to it.
7. Use an Online Calendar to Create a Paperwork Program
Whether you use Google Calendar or another calendar app to plan out when your paperwork will get done, make sure that it is online. Not only does it make it easier to share events and meetings with other people, but it also allows you to access it anywhere. That way you can check dates from any place in the building or when you’re at home and make adjustments to your schedule as needed.
8. Use the In-Between Moments
Instead of thinking of an IEP as a document that you must complete in one sitting, think of it in sections. While you may not be able to complete an entire section in the few minutes between meetings, you can type a few sentences to get it started.
Use those in-between moments throughout the day, the otherwise wasted minutes between groups, before students come into the classroom, or right after lunch, to work on your paperwork in small chunks. Those in-between moments add up and the more you can get done within them, the less you will feel like you need to do outside of your contract hours.
9. Use Sticky Notes
Anecdotal reporting, notes about things that you need to remember to do, etc. can all be jotted down on a sticky note and saved for the end of the day or when you have a moment. Stick them inside your notebook or on your clipboard so that you can keep track of them.
You might even want to use different colored sticky notes for different things if color-coding works for you!
10. Let Google™ Do the Work for You
From using Google Forms™ for data collection to using Google Docs™ and Google Sheets™ to organize and create cheat sheets, make use of the free platform to help you complete your paperwork in less time. While it won’t eliminate paperwork altogether, it can definitely make it easier to keep things organized.
- Did you know you can use Google Sheets to then export your data points into a graph? This makes your data easier to analyze and understand. Here’s how to do that.
When you prioritize organization, it makes the rest of the paperwork pile easy to manage. Your due dates don’t fly by and it’s easier to stay in compliance.
Remember: start small. Do one thing first, and then once you’ve mastered that one thing – add another. Then another. Until your impossible paperwork pile is organized and you no longer feel overwhelmed.
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