Teachers are preparing to open the doors to their classrooms and parents are scrambling to purchase last minute school supplies. We’re sure these teachers wish that preparation for the new school year was as simple as purchasing pens and pads, but unfortunately it is not. However, Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management can make maintaining organization in the classroom a little easier for them.
Think about all the paper files that you have to keep track of and be able to find when needed. As a teacher, you are likely to teach many different students and subjects, and most of the time alphabetical order isn’t enough. Here are some of the things that Paper Tiger can help you with:
Of course, parents and students can easily get overwhelmed with the amount of papers, handouts, homework assignments, project instructions, etc. that is hard to maintain in an organized way if a filing system software is not implemented.
With Paper Tiger’s flexibility, the files can be organized in a way that fits your personal workload. You would simply input the name of the items and keywords related to each file in your Paper Tiger database. (Hanging File Folders = Items) When a file is needed, a simple search can locate any file in seconds.
You can use the aforementioned categories such as attendance records and student assignments and the keywords would include the specifics such as the class, the grade, the year, the class period etc. Replacing the endless paper piles on your desk, Paper Tiger not only reduces clutter but it saves time. You will no longer have to worry about losing an assignment to hand out, creating it again and making twenty-five copies only to spot the original on your desk.
Gone are the days of excessive sorting and taking stacks of miscellaneous paper home every night. With Paper Tiger, all of your paper files can be neatly organized in your file drawer(s) and you don’t have to worry about being able to find them later. This eradicates losing paper files as well. This type of system will also benefit your substitute teacher. Life sometimes gets in the way and we have to miss work. If your substitute teacher can easily find your organized files, (s)he will be able to find what she needs with a simple search in your Paper Tiger database. You can feel confident that your students won’t be disrupted in their lessons because you have implemented a system that keeps you, and your substitute teacher, organized.
Have you ever had a star student that you make an example of in the next school year? You can set a location for “exemplary work” and also know where your past students’ best work is. The same type of thought process can apply to parent teacher conferences and future lesson plans.
By implementing this system, teachers are not only becoming more organized and efficient, they are being responsible. Imagine if your students were going on a field trip and you can’t remember if Joseph brought back his permission slip or you’ve misplaced it. By organizing these types of documents, you will always be able to find them when you need them. You will always be able to retrieve the documents in a timely manner.
The same principle applies for parents and students. Decide what paper files need to be kept, then index the keepers into Paper Tiger’s database. When you need to retrieve an old project paper, you can search the database and you’ll know exactly which hanging file it was placed in. Also, each child could have one file for archives (reports, etc.) that should be kept and one file for stuff that can be tossed out when it’s no longer needed, to avoid having to sort through the files on a regular basis.
An example Location in Paper Tiger’s database for each child might be:
Location Name: Susie’s School Files
Item Name: English (with keywords for any projects and when they are due, along with keywords for other paper files that will be included in this hanging file folder and updated when papers are added)
Item Name: Math (with keywords for any projects and when they are due, along with keywords for other paper files that will be included in this hanging file folder and updated when papers are added)
Item Name: History (with keywords for any projects and when they are due, along with keywords for other paper files that will be included in this hanging file folder and updated when papers are added)
Item Name: Archives (with keywords for all paper files that will be included in this hanging file folder and updated when papers are added)
Item Name: To Be Tossed (set a date to toss these paper files, which could be at school end)
Paper Tiger is Not Just For Filing Paper! If you teach a younger group of kids that use a lot of educational toys, this indexing system will certainly keep them organized. You can use and label storage containers to store these larger items. Younger children have shorter attention spans and won’t be patient while you figure out if the flashcards and toy numbers are in the same place you had them last year. By numbering the storage containers to match the assigned indexed number in Paper Tiger, then input the contents into the keywords section, you’ll know exactly where the state puzzles are when you need them without searching through every container.
Paper Tiger helps to eliminate clutter, so teachers, parents and students will be more organized, and each will have more time to spend with their families because they are not wasting time always looking for things.
This indexing system can benefit teachers of all grades, classrooms, and students. As you prepare to welcome your students in the next few weeks, think about using Paper Tiger Filing System to make school a much more rewarding experience for both you and your students.
Being a teacher or professor is one of the most important jobs, however, it can be a bit of a challenge to keep everything organized. In order for a teacher to do the most proficient job possible, it is key to have a structured organization system in place. If you are a teacher or professor, you already realize how much there is to keep track of and try to find a way to keep straight.
If you are planning on becoming a teacher or about to graduate and become one, you should have an idea of what to expect. Not only that, but you should also go ahead and plan to implement an indexing filing system in order to have everything make sense, and to start out organized so that you can easily retrieve what you need when you need it without a lengthy search through stacks and stacks of paper files.
In addition, you’ll also have books and notebooks to keep track of and depending on your subject matter, you most likely will have different kinds of supplies that you need to keep track of. All of which can be indexed into Paper Tiger’s filing system software.
Teachers and professors have to come up with lesson plans and keep these on file for years to come. They can refer back to these lesson plans to reuse them throughout the years. Educators must also bring home students’ papers to grade and may sometimes keep copies of these papers to refer to later for various reasons. Teachers also have to give out assignments and may keep track of the assignments they drafted as well as copies of their students’ work. The bottom line is that there is a great deal of paper work involved with being a teacher.
It was once nearly impossible to keep track of all these papers from the past. Filing them under some type of alphabetical system kept them neat, but far from an easy retrieval or finding system. In fact, unless you could remember exactly what you would have filed something under, these filing cabinet drawers and tons of paperwork can be useless. Fortunately, Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, an indexing filing system software can help you get your paper files organized and turn your filing system into a ‘finding’ system.
Now you can have your lesson plans, past assignments and tests on file and find them easily. Instead of having them alphabetical when one file could be under several different names or titles, you can simply include any and all keywords that you may use for your files. This is especially important for those who teach more than one subject. Your substitute teachers can also benefit from getting your files organized.
You no longer have to file everything under the title you think you should, which can end up causing duplicate files in some cases when files could be filed under different names. When you want to retrieve something, will you remember if you filed it under H for “History test” or F for “final exam.” In fact, for copies of students’ papers, how could you possibly recall what the title of a student’s paper was from two years prior in case you need to retrieve it again?
Instead, you use keywords, any and all of the keywords and search terms you can think of to help categorize your papers. That way, once you index your files into Paper Tiger’s indexing software by entering item names and keywords into the indexing system relating to the documents in your hanging file folders, you can find anything by conducting a Google-like search of the information in your database based on the keywords you’ve typed in previously. Search results will direct you to the exact hanging file folder. You can add keywords anytime, especially when you need to file a new document into an existing hanging file folder.
With Paper Tiger, you would number your hanging file folders to coincide with what you index into the database, enter the data into the software relating to each document or set of relating documents such as the item name and additional keywords that you might relate back to the files in each hanging file folder. You can also rest assured that you, and others working with you, will be able to find the file at a later date.
Really no matter what profession you are in, with Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, you will never again have to spend hours searching through file after file, … or through shelf after shelf of all your books, or through your boxes for the supplies you need to retrieve, … when all it takes is a quick search in your filing system database to find what you need when you need it! See our training videos and a webinar or two on our Training page and get started today!
Hi, I’m Janet Baker with Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management and I’m thrilled to have Meggin McIntosh with us today. Meggin is The PhD of Productivity™. Meggin founded Emphasis on Excellence, Inc. in 1996, and is based in a Reno, Nevada, where she serves individuals, but also travels extensively throughout the country consulting and doing workshops for associations, schools, Universities and Colleges, and companies through workshops, seminars, coaching, and consulting.
Meggin’s purpose is to help others to know, feel, dream, and do more, and differently, so they are living the best and most productive, and doing so with consciousness, clarity, and conviction.
The choice for the name Emphasis on Excellence is deliberate. Meggin and her team endeavor to make excellence their habit, which is important to know because they not only have high expectations of themselves, but of the situations and set ups where and with whom they are working. They work with bright people who want to be more productive, so they can consistently keep their emphasis on excellence.
As a coach, Meggin will support you in the changes that you want to make. At times, she can help you see the next step. Other times, she can give you a push to take the next step, and sometimes she will question you on your decision not to take the next step. Having a coach makes a tremendous difference and accelerates the change and often the direction of your change.
In addition, Meggin is an accomplished author and speaker, and continually publishes articles on her diverse websites that will help you gain control of your life and stop being overwhelmed. The many websites she publishes can be found from her primary website www.meggin.com and two of my favorites are www.justwhelmed.com instead of ‘overwhelmed’ and www.stayingpositiveinafreakedoutworld.com.
Meggin, wow, this is quite a bio! and that doesn’t even begin to tell us of your accomplishments! Thank you so much for agreeing to interview with us today.
MEGGIN: Well thanks! And I will certainly tell people that we teach what we most need to know and I always like to let people know that ahead of time, because in case anybody thinks, ‘I bet Meggin has pretty much everything all figured out as far as productivity and never gets overwhelmed or all of those things.’ I would let them know that we’re all learning all of the time, so I’m kind of my own laboratory so I’ll try things out with myself and ask, ‘did that help?’ … ‘yeah!’
JANET: So you know from your own personal experience what to tell people.
MEGGIN: Exactly!
JANET: ok, Meggin, I’m going to start with asking you a few questions about Paper Tiger, and then move forward, ok?
First of all, let me ask do you use Paper Tiger for yourself?
MEGGIN: Yes I do. Should I tell you how I got started with it?
JANET: Yes I would love to hear it.
MEGGIN: Well many years ago when I was a professor and then I was the director of our excellence and teaching program at our University and so I had a few people who worked for me in our office. We taught Professors how to teach better and so forth. My office manager was there one day and then she was gone the next, with no advanced noticed. She had announced that she was pregnant, but nowhere near having a child yet, but she got very, very sick and became a bed-ridden like overnight. So like I said, there one day, gone the next. She was gone for three months. The whole office, I don’t want to say we almost fell apart, but we at least fell apart as far as knowing where things were and how to find them, because Karen knew where everything was and how to find everything. So when she came back, I said you must find a solution for us. That is your first job. Don’t even worry about any of the backlog of this work. You find a solution. And what she found was Paper Tiger and that was back when it was at 1.0 or something and it was a long time ago. We implemented Paper Tiger, tried the free trial and I was sold instantly and I have used Paper Tiger ever since. There are a lot of things in my office I would give up if I had to, I wouldn’t necessarily give them up happily, but I would not and could not give up Paper Tiger. And I tell people that all of the time. I’m not just telling you that.
I say that in my workshops or with my clients. I just say, “You’ve got to have Paper Tiger.”
JANET: Wow, I’m really glad to hear that. I appreciate you letting us know. In fact, that describes one of the main problems that Paper Tiger does solve and that is to be able to let a replacement actually find or actually the office manager in your case, the boss, find the files that need to be found.
MEGGIN: That exactly what I tell people, whether you are a one person shop and you just need to be able to file and find your own materials when you don’t have anybody else helping you or you have a multi-person office or you have an assistant who comes in once a week or anything like that. To me, it’s the only way of being able to have efficiency in filing items, not having to re-create things, being able to have somebody else to help us. And finding things, let’s say we’re not in the office and if you’re like me and travel as much as I do, there are times I need to be able to tell somebody else, ‘Hey, would you please look up thus and such, and tell me what’s in there.’ One of things I use Paper Tiger for is in my storage unit. So it’s not just for files, I have boxes in there that are labeled and numbered; and I can for example ask my husband or my assistant, I can say, ‘Look I’m getting ready to do a workshop on this and this. When I come home, if you could have these 6 boxes loaded up in the back of my car’, because I’m going to need them then the following week as I head out into the hinterlands to teach something else; and if I didn’t have items organized in that way, then I would never be able to ask somebody else to look in the storage unit.
JANET: Exactly. So obviously, you’ve just told us two of your favorite things that Paper Tiger fixes for you. What are other things that Paper Tiger solves for a majority of your clients and yourself, of course.
MEGGIN: I work with a lot of Professors and if people think of the stereo-type of professors as absent-minded professors and they’ve got stuff all over their office and I would say that is not just a stereo-type. It’s true. I mean there are a few faculty members that really do know where everything is, but most of them have way too much stuff in way too small of a space. I have faculty who has used Paper Tiger to catalog videotapes and even though some people think, ‘well I don’t know if people use videotapes that much anymore’, but they do. I have certainly used it for CDs and DVDs, some people have use it with notebooks. I’ve worked with people in government agencies and school districts who often have so many notebooks from so many projects or conferences that they’ve attended and they don’t even know what they have. We number those notebooks or whatever the other items are and that has really, really helped. Plus in some cases where people find through Paper Tiger, they realize, oh gosh, I actually have three of these notebooks, but they are in different places and I only need one that I can find and then they are able to free up some space.
JANET: That’s really cool, so they’re able to keep up with all of those and I know that professors have so many different subjects that they teach and they have to keep up with the paperwork for their students and everything else, so that’s great.
Do you find that Paper Tiger is used mainly by administrators or managers or a mix of the two?
MEGGIN: I’ve had some instances for example, when I’ve had grant funded agencies that brought me in and they often do have an admin who gets things set up and they handle it. So I have some of that, but I try to make it clear to people that it’s easy enough to use and it’s fast enough to use, that we don’t have to have somebody else do it. For example, a lot of time, especially now that I have Paper Tiger Online, but even before when I had the desktop version, I’d always have it open, and so I could just quickly open up that window, type in what I needed, find it and it took three seconds. So I try to let everybody know this isn’t some monster software that is going to be impossible for you to use.
JANET: Meggin, tell us how you implement Paper Tiger in your client’s offices most effectively. I understand that you mostly work with Professors and that kind of thing.
MEGGIN: Well we just did in. I have some people that I work with remotely, but mostly I love the hands on, the going in and working with people and getting it set up and then I start to show them, and I usually bring an assistant with me and I usually ask my client to have an assistant so there is four of us, and so that the main client and I are doing the decision-making, making it happen, figuring it out, answering questions and the assistants are either dropping things into folders, running things out into a recycling bin. I mean it’s a beehive of activity. So that’s what I really like is sitting with a person and showing them how it works. I also find that for most of us, even though the concept that, it’s the decision-making. I try to tell people ahead of time when I worked with them, you were going to be exhausted. I try to brace them for that. It is not that they’re going to be exhausted physically, because we will have other people that will be physically doing the work. They’re could be mentally and emotionally exhausted even though overjoyed at the same time. Does that make sense?
JANET: Sure, because the benefits far outweigh the physical activity. Just like a work out, an exercise workout in which you feel tired and everything while you’re doing it, but afterwards you feel refreshed, especially if you keep it up.
So that brings me to another question, do you find that your clients are easily maintaining Paper Tiger after you’ve help them implement the system and after you have gone.
MEGGIN: Almost always, I mean I would love to tell you 100%, and I would say that’s something I need to do a better job as far as follow up and checking in. It’s very funny, a government agency I worked with, probably four years ago, and they had quite a few people in their office and it was a major, multi-day event. I happen to see their main admin at Costco the other day, and I said ‘hi, how are things, what’s going on?’ I wasn’t even sure that she was at the same place. She said, ‘well we’re still using Paper Tiger!’ I said, ‘I’m certainly glad to hear that! I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t be’
There will always be somebody here and there that interfere with staying with a new one. So those are the only people that sometimes have a little bit of trouble and it’s because they’re not setting themselves up with any maintenance time. They just keep letting stuff pile up instead of realizing … split, they could have it put away. So overall though people just say ‘oh my God, I get it’ and I can’t imagine what I did before it, and it’s the energy that carries them through. That’s what I tell people, gosh what has it been 10 or 11 years that I’ve been using Paper Tiger? and I still am still so happy when I find things! And so easily, I think Wow! because it was many years before that I did not!
JANET: Yes, because it still amazes you that you can find anything in 5 seconds or less?
MEGGIN: It does!
JANET: So what does your clients have to say when you have helped them get their offices organized versus what they would have been able to do without your help?
MEGGIN: Well I think part of what people appreciate is that I’m helping them implement a system; that I’m not just coming in and “cleaning up their offices.” This is one thing that sometimes when people don’t understand what professional organizers do anyway. I tell people that if they want to somebody to come in and clean, they can hire somebody for a lot less than me that just cleans. I’m not coming in to just dust or straighten. We’re implementing a system that will allow them to maintain this on their own. That’s what they say is, so many people it’s the first time they have felt control in a long time. They appreciate the fact that when they walk in, their desk and workspace looks professional and that’s a big part of it. The people I work with, they are professionals and they want their space to be representing that level of professionalism; and if it could have gotten there by themselves, they would have gotten there. That’s why all of us who have coaches, it’s why we hire coaches, because we think I can’t get there by myself or I would’ve already done that. So making sure that they are bringing in a professional to help them get organized and be able to stay organized and with Paper Tiger being a big part of that system, they’ve made the decision that yeah it’s time.
JANET: Right and with professionals sometimes, it’s like they almost don’t think that filing is an important thing … it’s kind of a menial task according to the rest of the things that they have on their plate and so with you giving them the system to work with, the decision making processes in how to actually have a productive day and keep organized in the same way, I’m sure very helpful to professionals.
MEGGIN Yes, it really is, and that is what some of what our discussion will often center around, your filing may not be this super high-level responsibility that you have, and yet, you can’t put your hands on a document or proposal or an invoice, or who knows what else, when you need then you can’t even go forward on the part that are the higher-level, more strategic types of processes that you need to be involved in.
JANET: Right and if they cannot put their hands on what they need, especially if their boss is standing there in the office, they look even more unprofessional, I think.
MEGGIN: Oh absolutely, and how embarrassing is that and then we spend a bunch of time apologizing or stressing over this, and it’s no good. It’s much better to use Paper Tiger, and have the system in place so that you can stay on top of things. Cause heavens know there’s enough coming at all of us, any tool that’s going to support us, because I don’t think the deluge and the pressure is going to stop anytime soon, or not that I’ve noticed!
JANET: No, remember they talked about the paperless environment, I think it was 1990 when they brought that out and here we are!
MEGGIN: Yeah, here we are!
JANET: Meggin, tell us what else do you have going on currently that you want to tell everyone about.
MEGGIN: I’m never at a loss for things. I do love supporting people who want to be more productive, and the reason they want to be more productive is as you said at the beginning, is so that they can maintain their emphasis on excellent. One resource that people love is the www.top10productivitytips.com and there are 8 different series there that people can access. There is a weekly set of tips … there’s a set for women and a set for professors and a set for entrepreneurs and so on and so forth, that people are welcome to take a look at, and those are available at no charge whatsoever. Then http://www.justwhelmed.com that you mentioned and that one is going through a metamorphosis and it’s going to be much more extensive than it has been with the real focus on women. In particular, academic women, so people who are brite, educated and let’s just say there’s a lot of excitement around that. That’s getting ready to come rolling out. I always have teleseminars going on and I would encourage people to go to Meggin.com and you can usually see at least two of the upcoming teleseminars featured on my home page and there are things about writing, things about taking a look at your energy, many, many different areas. So there’s always something, because, I think you know Janet, you get my things.
JANET: Yes, you have a very diverse mind and you’re always willing to share all of your thoughts and tips with us and we appreciate that too, believe me.
MEGGIN: Well I’m thankful for the opportunity. I’m thankful for what I’ve been given and I love the fact that there are other people that find it useful. They let me know that it’s very gratifying and encouraging.
JANET: Is there anything else you’d like to add before I close out?
MEGGIN: I don’t’ think so but I’ve certainly appreciated over the years working with your company and ever since you came on, you are just so delightful to work with and you’ve always been so helpful to me and my assistants and also to my clients when they’ve had to check in on something and so I really appreciate everything you’re doing there so keep up the good work.
JANET: I appreciate that, thank you so much. Meggin, thanks again for your time. I have had a great time to you today. I appreciate you so much. Your spirit of teaching and coaching others is beyond compare.
I strongly encourage everyone to go to Meggin’s website and peruse through what she has to offer. I guarantee there will be something there for you!
About Meggin McIntosh
Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh supports smart people who want to be more productive so that they can consistently keep their emphasis on excellence.
Emphasis on Excellence, Inc.
Email: meggin@meggin.com
Phone: 775.853.5510
MEGGIN’S WEBSITES
http://meggin.com (Primary site)
http://GetaPlanGuides.com
http://KeepingChaosatBay.com
http://TopTenProductivityTips.com
http://JustWhelmed.com
http://OwningWordsforLiteracy.com
http://PumpernickelPublishing.com
http://StayingPositiveinaFreakedOutWorld.com
http://LifeofEs.com
Many people think that all that teachers do is teach our kids the things they need to know in order to be able to graduate and go on to college, or get jobs. They do not realize all of the little things that teachers do in order to be able to teach their classes. After all, lesson plans don’t just appear out of thin air, and tests don’t make themselves up. Teachers have to create their own lesson plans, create tests and exams, grade tests and other assignments and keep track of those grades, and so much more. Often, you will find quite a few filing cabinets in a typical classroom, and these are filled to capacity with all of the things that teachers have to deal with every single day. This is a really good reason why teachers should switch to a much easier form of paper management, such as that offered by Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management.
If you are a teacher, you know all too well how much paperwork accumulates on your desk in the course of a day, and at the end of a week, you may even be buried under all of the paper files that you know needs to be filed away, but how to file for easy retrieval is mind-boggling. You may think that a file management system such as indexing software for filing is something that is just for businesses, but it is something that can really make your job a whole lot easier and free up a lot of your time. You can eliminate a lot of the clutter from your classroom, and your mind, so you are free to do what you really want to do: teach.
Some of the things that you can use this system for include:
Paper Tiger Filing System Software is an excellent tool for teachers and professors who want to free up their time and space. Because this is an indexing system and not a scanning system, you will still be able to keep all of your original paper files. You can keep what you need, and toss what you don’t. This filing system software is designed to save you time and effort when you are ready to either file or retrieve your paper files. You simply indicate where that item is stored and assign it a series of relevant keywords. Then you never need worry about misplacing a file again. When you need to find something in a hurry, you won’t have stacks of paper files to go through or have to remember what name you put on the hanging file folder tab, because you can find it with just a few keystrokes on your computer.
The next time you are trying to find something in a pile of papers, perhaps a test that you want to hand out to your students the next day, and are ready to give up and make a new one because you have so much to go through that it is overwhelming, consider implementing a different sort of paper filing system that will save you a lot of time. If you’re filing the old-fashioned, alphabetic way without Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, you’re working too hard!
Learn what Paper Tiger can do for you, and how it can make your life a whole lot easier.
