Chances are, when you first started dreaming of becoming a teacher, your vision did not include excessive meetings, lots of data collection, and a clutter-filled classroom that caused you even more stress.
Even if you were not picturing yourself as the proud owner of a space that looked like something Martha Stewart, Pinterest and Joanna Gaines collaboratively created, I would put money on the fact that you didn’t imagine frantically trying to find your students’ homework packets under the stack of assessments you didn’t have time to correct because you were too busy looking for the lesson plans you had placed down…somewhere.
And you certainly didn’t imagine you would be repeating this same scene every. single. day. for the better part of the school year.
Are you finding yourself…
- A) staying later than you would prefer each afternoon (or let’s be honest, each evening)?
- B) walking into school each morning and feeling defeated by the site of your classroom before the day even begins?
- C) feeling frustrated and embarrassed by the condition of your classroom?
- D) not enjoying the time with your students as much as you should?
- E) all of the above
You certainly are not alone. The majority of teachers I speak with all report feeling overwhelmed, and more often than not, a cluttered and disorganized classroom is a huge factor weighing into their stressful days.
In a recent blog post titled, 10 SIMPLE STEPS TO BEING AN ORGANIZED TEACHER WITH A CLUTTER-FREE CLASSROOM, I wrote…
I’ve been running workshops, presenting at conferences and consulting with teachers 1:1 for over a decade (you can read about that here) on the topics of Classroom Organization and Management. When working with teachers to get their classrooms decluttered and organized I always advice them to follow these ten systematic steps.
2. Create an action plan.
3. Enlist the help of others.
4. Know where your clutter will go.
5. Gather supplies.
6. Make a clean sweep.
7. Schedule time to work on the space.
8. Work through the decluttering process.
9. Organize the items that remain.
10. Create systems to maintain your new clutter-free classroom.
Each of those steps are explained in detail in my online workshop, Classroom Organization Made Easier. The workshop comes with videos, a digital book, and lots of printables to help you get and stay organized.
Need more tips and ideas for classroom organization?
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