How to Organize Google Drive with Your Students in 5 Easy Steps

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As a teacher, you want to make sure that your students are organized and efficient with the tools that they use in class. One of the most popular tools for students today is Google Drive. In this blog post, we will show you how to organize Google Drive with your students in 5 easy steps!

Step One:

The first step is to create a folder for this school year. To do this, simply go to your Google Drive and click on the "New" button. Then, select "Folder” and name that folder “2022-2023.”

Step Two:

The next step is to create a folder for each class. Click into the folder you made for the school year and then click “New” and select “Folder.” Give your folder a name that reflects the class or subject (ex: English or 6th grade Math).

Step Three:

The third step is to create folders for each unit or project. This will help you to keep your files more organized. Create a new folder for each unit or project and name it accordingly. Then, move the appropriate files into that folder.

Step Four:

When you create a Google Doc or Slides or anything, make sure that you create it within the correct folder or move it there right away. To create the Doc in the correct folder, click on the folder you want to have the document in and then click “New” and select “Google Doc.” It will automatically place the document in that folder. This way it won’t get lost in your Google Drive and you won’t lose any progress you have made just because you lost the document.

Step Five:

The final step is to encourage your students to name their files accurately. When I give the students an assignment where they need to make a new Google Doc, I tell them what to name it. I make it a step in the process so that we don’t have a ton of “Untitled Documents” floating around and no idea what they are.

By teaching your students how to keep their Google Drive organized, you will help them to be more efficient and productive in class! If you are looking for a great lesson to help walk them through this organization process, check out the Student Directions for Organizing Google Drive. It breaks down the process into easy steps and even shows them how to have fun with changing folder colors and adding emojis!

This is how I recommend organizing Google Drive for students which is a little different than how I recommend doing it for teachers. If you want to see how I recommend teachers organize their drives, check out this blog post!