Wasn't sure where to post this but I figure that this would be as good a place as any. I was wondering how long you keep letters, cards, notes from students, parents, etc. Not the ones that could practically be reference letters but the ones you get for holidays or at the end of the year with student's pictures and that say "I'll miss you". Ive been teaching for about 8 years now and I've kept almost all of them but I'm moving and the new name of the game is DOWNsizing so I'm debating whether to keep them or not. I do enjoy looking at them but I really only do when I add a few new ones to the box.
The standard ones I toss... there simply isn't enough room in the house to save every note you get over the years. But the ones that really pull on my heartstrings get saved.
When we cleaned out my husband's grandmother's house, she had kept every card she ever received. My mother-in-law, too. I didn't see the point in that since they stashed them and never looked at them. My vote is keep a few favorites and use the covers of the rest as cutting practice or a collage for your kiddos so you are repurposing them.
I keep it all in a box. When I left my last job and moved to PA, I did a real simple scrapbook of everything. But then again, I would imagine you get A LOT more of that kind of stuff as a kindergarten teacher than I do in high school.
Same here. If there is a gift or gift card that gets noted on the card so that I can get thank you notes to the proper people. The most meaningful go into my "happy notes" file. The rest end up in the round file. If there is a photo attached I'll remove it first.
I was just talking about that with one of my coworkers! I have a folder in my filing cabinet where I keep those and any other commendation letters from the administration. Like other posters mentioned, I don't necessarily save all of them, though.
I usually hang them up until the end of the year. At the end of the year, most get tossed. Especially heart-felt/special ones are saved.
I only have about a year and a half worth of notes and letters, but it's a lot. I don't think I'll ever throw them away, and knowing myself, I'll keep 10 years worth of stuff
I've been teaching seven years. I've kept every one. But, of course... I'm in middle school; I agree that Kinder teachers probably have boatloads more.
If it's not a keepsake, a few weeks or a month. I put all of the keepsakes into a file folder. At the end of the year, I add them to a scrapbook. It's NOT FANCY...takes me an hour tops. But it has the class photo, a few kind words from students or parents, and a place where I tuck 10 memorable photos.
