We’re almost there! Long days on the beach are so close you can smell the ocean air and feel the warm sun on your face. But, before you kick back and relax, taking some time to wrap up this year’s affairs will help set you up for success for the next school year. Here are some tips for wrapping up your school year with Google.

Tip 1: Use proper naming conventions for all of your documents

There is nothing more frustrating than having to go through a bunch of different documents to find the one you are looking for. A simple way to prevent that is to have a naming convention for all of your documents. This will not only make it easier to identify each document, but it also will make them searchable. It’s best to choose something that you will remember and understand. Here at Teq, we recommend the following naming convention: Unit/Period, Title of Unit/topic, What the Document is (Quiz, test, handout etc).

Tip 2: Create folders

Once you have decided on your naming convention and named all of your documents, putting them in folders will help keep them organized. You can create folders by class, period, subject/unit, or by student. You can also create folders within folders. If you haven’t been doing this all year, this is a great opportunity to get everything organized for easy access and searchability next year. This will save you time looking for things or recreating things you have already created. It can also make it easier to collaborate with a co-teacher or other members of your team.

Tip 3: Use color codes

By selecting different colors for your folders, it will be easier to visually find what you are looking for. You can color code by subject, class period, or student.

Tip 4: Archive your work

There is no true way to archive your documents in Drive, but we do have some tips for cleaning up space and your view. The best way is to create your own archive folder. At the end of the year, or the beginning, create a folder for that specific school year where all of your other folders will live. Remember, you can create folders within folders. If you’re creating this archive folder at the end of the year, simply drag and drop everything into that school year folder. Then, drag and drop that folder into your new archive folder. Once it’s there you’ll still be able to search and access all of your documents, but they will be neatly tucked away.

Alternatively, you could consider creating another account to designate as your archive. This will prevent those files from showing up when you search your drive. It is important to note that transferring ownership can only be done with other accounts in the same domain.

How to share to a different account:

• Create a folder
• Move all unused files to this new folder
• Name folder with naming convention
• Click Share > Advanced
• Share the folder with a separate Google account and make them the owner
• Click Remove

How to use Google Takeout:

• Navigate to google.com/takeout
• If you aren’t already logged in, you will need to log into the account you want to download data from
• Click Deselect all to deselect all of the Google tools
• Select ONLY the data you want to include NOTE: We suggest doing this only for Google Drive as the procedure for moving other data (such as from Gmail) into a personal account varies
• Click Next Step to continue
• Choose how you want to export your archive
• If you opt for email of a *.zip file (compressed file format), the file will be sent to the account for which you created the archive
• Then, download it to a computer, unzip it, and upload it to your personal Google account or add the Drive content directly to other cloud storage services such as Dropbox or OneDrive

Tip 5: Archive old Google Classrooms

If you use Google Classroom, it is important to wrap that up as well. It’s recommended to name the class with a naming convention and archive the class so it does not appear on your dashboard. Have no fear, you are able to reactivate the class after it is archived if you ever need to. Also, make sure to return all classwork to your students before archiving the class.

How to achieve your class:

• Log into Google Classroom
• Identify the class you want to archive
• Click the 3-dot menu in the upper right hand corner of the class tile
• Select and click archive, the class will then disappear from your class dashboard

How to retrieve archives: 

• Go to the hamburger menu in the upper left-hand corner
• Select archive classes from the menu
• Select the class
• Click the 3-dot menu on the class tile
• Click Restore and the class will then appear on your class dashboard

Bonus! Clean up your Google Calendar

It is also a good idea to clear your calendar so you have a nice clean view of everything for next year. To do this, open your Google Calendar, find the class you want to remove from view, and click the 3-dot menu next to the class then, click hide from view.

For more step-by-step instructions and on best practices for Google and Google Classroom, make sure to check out our course Wrapping Up Your Year with Google on OTIS for educators.

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more articles on the Teq Talk blog.

We also offer virtual professional development, training, and remote learning support for educators with OTIS for educators. Explore the technology, tools, and strategies that can spark student success — no matter where teaching or learning are happening.