Teachers, you are rounding the final turn. The finish line is in your sights. You are quickly approaching the end of another school year. Like most teachers at this time of year, you may feel that the last day of school can’t come soon enough. Before that day comes, as part of your yearly classroom breakdown, make it a priority to clean up your Google Drive! Set your mind at ease before you hit the beach!

Organizing and cleaning up your Drive can feel like a daunting task. However, successfully organizing your Drive can lead to further productivity. Being organized can not only boost motivation, but your creativity as well. This can also have a positive impact on your mental health and create a happy work-life balance. There are so many benefits that can stem from cleaning up your Drive. Additionally, it never hurts to take one thing off the summer to-do list when it comes to preparing for the following school year.   

1) Organize your drive

If you’re like me, a busy school year has you constantly downloading, creating content, copying and pasting into Docs. Over time, you may find that your Google Drive is filled with “homeless” files. To solve this, simply open your “My Drive” and start creating folders by clicking on “New.” Then, you can then start moving those stray files into folders, giving them a place. 

Check out the OTIS course, Simple Steps To Cleaning Up Your Google Files, for step-by-step instructions on how to do this. Plus, learn how to color code your folders, create subfolders, and more organization tips for your Drive.

2) Archiving your Google Classroom

Archiving your classes is a great way to clear the slate for the upcoming year. As you archive classes, you are still able to access all your files and content when you need them. To get started, head to your Google Classroom and click on the 3-dot drop down menu that appears in the top right hand corner of your Class tab. Click to archive, and you’re done! Another school year of classes has been successfully stored away. A fresh space to build the next year’s class awaits.

3) Google Takeout

When it comes to the end of the school year, Google Takeout is a great way to move and store your files. Does your school district allow access to your files during the summer? Are you changing school districts? Are you finally retiring? If you answered yes to any of these, Takeout allows you to move all of your files from your account and transfer them out to an external source.

This is a very simple process. All you have to do is go to Google Takeout, log in to your account, then choose all the files you wish to transfer. Choose a destination for those files and you’re all set! You have all of your files in a separate personal account to access when you need.  

Spend your summer relaxing and recharging. Your job is essential for shaping and guiding young minds in preparing for their future. Organizing your Google Drive may be just a small step in preparation for the next school year. However, it can have a lasting effect on your teaching and your approach to the new crop of students entering your classroom.

For more on cleaning out your Google Drive, head to OTIS for educators and check out the accompanying course to this blog. You can also access additional over 170 Google courses by selecting the Google Tab in the Course Library.

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more content on the Teq Talk blog or our YouTube channels OTIS for educators and Tequipment.

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

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