School Counseling Card Organization

This circled green container was my nemesis each and every school day morning for my 19 year career. It contained all of my "cards" I used for games, discussions, class lessons, group sessions, etc. Thrown in the box, the cards were either bundled up with rubber bands, separated in Ziploc baggies, or clipped together. Everyday, as I was gathering my materials for that days' activities or the next days' events, I had to practically empty out this container to FIND the cards I was looking for. Not only was it frustrating to search for what I needed, it was such a huge waste of my time. For a few years I've been thinking about a better system of organizing all of these cards -- there HAD to be a better way! I needed something to make this daily chore easier and quicker for me!

Then I came across a post from Lucky Little Learners - in which she talked about organizing her infamous Brag Tags. She introduced me to these Iris Extra Large 4x6 Photo Keepers and it was like an "Ah-Ha" moment for me. I am not kidding you, I was so happy to see this product...these containers were going to organize all of my CARDS!!!! Gone with the dreaded card container, gone with the daily searching and frustration! 

I set-out to find the containers. If you click on the photos, you will find them at Amazon.com. They are a bit pricey - so shop around. They can also be found at Michael's and at JoAnn's Fabric and Craft Store. The multi-colored ones are super fun, but the clear containers are just as nice. I find the Iris containers sturdy and stack beautifully. Inside the large container are smaller 4x6 containers which will hold each set of your precious school counseling cards. Make sure you figure out how many card sets you have first....when organizing, I had so many more card sets than I thought in that green box. Some were tossed and some were saved to be used again. But, I filled up these containers quickly!

As I was organizing all of the cards, I found that I had some cards that were too large to fit in these smaller 4x6 containers. Iris has some other options for your bigger materials. There is a container that holds 5x7 boxes inside and there is also a greeting card organizer. Both of these would be perfect for organizing the larger sized school counseling cards you have in your closet! Again, I find them sturdy and perfect for doing the job they were meant to do!







Finally, I purchased some removable file folder labels to clearly label which cards are inside each little container. This is a job I will be doing when I return to school in the August. I decided on removable so that I could easily change out the labels in the event that I decide to retire some cards. 

Looking to get yourself a little bit more organized this school year? Treat yourself to these Iris Photo Keepers - you won't be sorry!