Classroom De-Cluttering Continues

Sometimes I feel like I have fallen behind in everything I am trying to do.  Just last week, I discovered a pile of math papers from October and some terrific "Thankful" activities that I found in BlogLand--and never got to teach.

While I have been working faithfully on the Clutter-Free Classroom Project challenges, I never seem to find the time to post about them.

So today you're getting a couple of installments all at once...
For each week, you can link back to the post at the Clutter-Free Classroom Project.
Why don't you click over and join us?
 

Week # 4 Challenge: Teacher Work Area

As I have mentioned before, I don't have a teacher's desk.  There's just no room.  What I DO have is a "back table."  This is where I meet with small groups or confer with readers.  When other people come into my classroom to work with my students, they meet with them at the back table too.

For quite a while, I had a class job called "clear back table."  The kids knew how to move all of the various cups, bins, and things onto a nearby counter.  If I had been working on paperwork before the day (or before their lesson) got underway, this "clean up" was particularly challenging.

In Week #4 of the Clutter-Free Classroom Project, Jodi challenged us to consider our teacher area.  I wanted this to be an organized and clutter-free area for me to work that would also accommodate the teachers who "push into" my room.

I decided I needed to have a way to clear off the surface in one quick whoooosh! Enter this sweet little organizer.  Both the support people and I need access to these items, but we need the table area too.

I put away or threw away LOTS of bits and pieces that were formerly housed on the table and left only the essentials (Okay, to ME, multi-colored Sharpies are essentials). You can see that I also cleared away the majority of the items in the nook.  I boxed up most of the "treasures" that have been there for years.  There are a few photos and three most beloved items.  That's it! (Truth: There were 34 pieces of "flair" before the clean up!)

 

When someone needs to use the table, they simply move the organizer to the nook!  Sometimes the kids do this before their "other teacher" comes in.  I know she loves having a clear place to work--especially when working with kids who have difficulty organizing themselves and their work area.

I still have decluttering to do in the background, which always becomes much more obvious in these pictures.  We love our twinkling lights, but I need to change the path to the plug as it really does look messy.  I'm so surprised that the fire marshal didn't comment on their presence as they carefully restrict everything we put on our walls and ceilings.  I'm just going to delight (heehee) in having them until they say that I can't!

After I cleaned up, I treated myself to a new chair.  It's made of "bungee cords" and it comes from the Container Store.  It's magenta and it matches my room.  And it rolls.  That chair makes me happy!

Week # 5 Challenge: Storage Containers

If there is anything I own that helps me organize myself, it is storage containers.  I change my system far too often, and the pile of containers grows accordingly.  Once I have my classroom reorganized, I am going to offer up my containers to any of my colleagues  who would like to do a little organizing in their classrooms too!

Because I teach all of the subjects in my classroom, I have a LOT of instructional materials.  I like to have props, teacher materials, craft ideas, and student books for each unit, so some collections are extensive.  I have been trying harder to keep things organized.

I have started organizing my social studies lessons by unit.  This has lead to color-coding the boxes. The Early People label is "earth-colored" (like the cave walls)  The Mesopotamia sticker is green (you know, fertile crescent and irrigation and agriculture!). The Egypt boxes (of which there are several) have a bright gold label (King Tut and all!).  This way I can look for the right box and find it--even when I can't find my glasses!

What a JOYous day it was when I discovered that Office Depot carried the same storage boxes in COLORS! WooHoo! As I go through the piles, I am organizing my materials in color-coded boxes.  Math materials are in blue boxes, science materials are in yellow boxes, literacy materials in purple boxes, social studies in clear boxes (with colored labels!).  And I love DJ Inkers fonts and clip art!

During this process, I also re-organized the writing center in the classroom.  I like materials to be accessible to the students. This stack of drawers in the classroom contains everything we use in a day.  (The students have materials on their desks too, but that's a topic for another post)

The top drawers contain lined paper, unlined paper, yellow draft paper, colored paper, word study paper, envelopes, index cards, paper clips, staples, and other fasteners.  The big bottom drawers hold dividers (cardboard and "holders") for test-taking.

There are systems for using, taking and returning the materials here.  A few guidelines at the beginning of the year, and this station stays organized all year long.

And, because my middle name is OCD, the labels are edged in purple, magenta, blue, and green--just like the rest of my classroom.

Week # 6 Challenge: Upcycled Storage Containers   

After 30 years, I have a lot of stuff!  And I actually use a lot of it; I use different items depending on my mood, my focus, or what is being touted by the district any given year.

I can't always find what I need, however, and that leads to a lot of anxiety.  I was intrigued by the week 6 Challenge, because Jodi asked us to upcycle a container.  I generally like plastic bags and clear boxes for small items because I like to see what's inside.  If it something used by kids, I use a lot of baggies because they're easily replaceable and they can fit inside the storage boxes in which I keep class sets.

I always up for something new, so I decided to join in the fun with Crystal Light containers.  I have several different kids of dice that I use for math tasks and other activities.  Here in their new upcycled home are the colored dot dice that are so near and dear to my heart.

I still have a gazillion things to do to bring my classroom up to clutter-free standards.  But baby steps here and there will get the job done.

This is another reason that I adore blogging:  There are so many helpful ideas, so many creative mentors to inspire you, so many sweet friends to encourage you, and so many things to do to make the classroom more effective and supportive of student learning.

Oddly, typing this post has motivated me to redesign my math lesson for Monday.  And now I know just where to find the materials I need...

Clutter-Free Classroom Project: Week 3

It’s Week Three in the Clutter-Free Classroom Project!  Part of the prompt said, “Let us see those trash bags bursting at the seams, the recycling bins filled to the brim, and the boxes of treasures waiting to be welcomed into the lives of other teachers…” and I was beginning to panic.  Then I looked at the title of the assignment and took a deep breath.  If you look closely at the graphic, printed under “The Clutter-Free Classroom Project,” you can read the challenge: “Week 3: START to Purge the Clutter.”  Okay, I’ll admit: I added the capital letters to the word, START.  But I sure felt a lot better after I did!  (I’m sure Jodi doesn’t want us hyperventilating—or giving up!)

 

I guess I am just a “baby steps” person. In my heart, I want to be a “giant steps” person, but I find it is pretty easy to get discouraged when I think like that.  When I originally checked, no one had posted any pictures, and I didn't want to be first.* That made me nervous all over again because some lucky declutterer might have filled a dumpster and I had just gotten started.  But then some real nice people posted and I felt better.  Again.

*(By the way, it seems like I only enjoy being first when I can beat Hadar, Farley, or Reagan to posting first on Teeny Tiny Teacher’s site—and those gals must be fast typists because I rarely win!) (And, meandering FURTHER off topic, which I am justifying by using yet another set of parentheses, did you know that Farley and Reagan met up with several other BlogFriends on Friday, and  I am so, So, very SO, THO jealous!!! I AM expecting pictures!)

Back to decluttering…

A million years ago, in January, I posted some pictures of some huge piles of school stuff in my house.  I took several boxes out of my classroom because my room was looking so cluttered and I no longer knew what was in the boxes!  (Note to self:  Bringing unidentified school stuff home is usually a bad idea!).  Once I photographed the piles, I felt even worse… but not as bad as I did when I decided to spread all of that wonderfulness {heaping sarcasm} all over my house.

Which is why I mentioned those baby steps…

I had to start somewhere.  So I began with the pile in my house.  (Here I need to clarify:  It’s the pile that was photographed.  Please do not infer that other piles--of school stuff and home stuff--cannot be found elsewhere!)

I started the clean-up with seventeen boxes—seventeen boxes filled with a peculiar combination of items.  First, I put away the Christmas presents, which, in some cases, meant I ATE my way through the Christmas presents!  Then there seemed to be a clothing section, so the scarf, mittens, and socks from the Washington trip (and a collection of hangers) were put in their rightful spaces.  I never found the cupcake that went missing, but a few pieces of chocolate resurfaced (not hard to figure out where those went) along with two Starbucks cards that went directly into my purse.  There were also several things that went back to the classroom (they already had homes there).  And some bills were paid, important papers were filed, and a recipe for an Indian dish that was in the math practice book (No, I don’t know why) was instead relocated to the front of a cookbook.

What became obvious as I dug deeper was that several of the boxes were filled with books—mixed in with other debris.  So, I pulled all the books together in boxes and labeled them, “Books.” (Crafty, aren’t I?)  These books need to be labeled and leveled to be put into my classroom library, but it was clear that they were books and not cupcakes, so that put my mind at ease.

That left three boxes to be sorted.  I turned on some less-than-educational TV and got through the first box.  Two boxes remain.  If you can’t read the label, it says, “Items to be sorted (Gee I wish I knew where this stuff went!)”  I did give the piles a quick perusal to determine that there was nothing critical, time-sensitive, or living.  The recycling bin shows the evidence, but I’ll leave the “trash” to your imagination.  

I have a lot more to do.  But I have made a START.  After all, that’s what the graphic said.  And typing this post has given me motivation to look in the second box.  There may be more Starbucks cards to uncover or another piece of chocolate.  I just hope I don’t come across that missing cupcake.

Now, click on  the Cluuter-Free picture up above or here and read some more decluttering tales.

AND check back here at Finding Joy in 6th Grade on Sunday, January 22nd, because I have interviewed Maria Dismondy, author of the new children's book, Pink Tiara Cookies for Three and I just KNOW you are going to love her.  You may be the one who takes home a copy of her book (and a tiara cookie cutter too!)

What?
Can't wait until Sunday?
Want a chance for a copy of Maria's book right NOW?
Here's an idea... Click below to go to The Corner on Character.  She's GIVING AWAY a copy of the book AND a pink tiara cookie cutter!!  And then stay awhile and read some of Barbara's other posts!  She is amazing!

Oh, and one last (I did say LAST) thing...
Tara at 4th Grade Frolics is just two blinks away from reaching 800 followers.  EIGHT HUNDRED.  That's really a lot.  And she has a great blog!  Right now she's at 798.  But since 800 feels like a LOT more than 798, you could jump over, become a follower, and give her that 800  It could be you who brings JOY to sweet Tara's day.  Wouldn't that feel nice?  So, just do it!  Click below. Be the one...

Clutter-Free Classroom Project, Week 1

I'm joining up with Jodi and Friends at CFC for the Clutter-Free Classroom Project!  You can read all about the project by clicking the link at the side of my blog.  To see what's happening during Week One of the project, click on the link at the bottom of the page.

I was nervous about taking pictures of my classroom for this project--and even more nervous about posting them for all the world (okay, maybe 14 random BlogFriends) to see. I guess it is a bit like some 12-Step Program... it's a good start to admit that there is a problem!


I took a few pictures to make myself feel like I really try to be organized.  Look how neatly they put away their textbooks!   Gosh, that may be where the organization begins and ends...

Some of the pictures I took made my classroom look better than it does in reality, but the truth is the pockets and piles of clutter make the whole space look disorganized. My classroom is an odd mix of hyper-organized areas and extraordinarily cluttered spaces. (Sometimes I wonder if I just wanted to have all points on the spectrum covered!)

With 34 kids and 36 desks desks (double tables), the classroom is very small. There is very little floor space, and I need to "walk like an Egyptian" to navigate through the few spaces in between the chairs. Since I was focusing on individual areas, I didn't get any photos that would give a good sense of the "whole classroom."  But I did get a good sense of the task that lies ahead.

I don't have a desk--just a little area with some items that look just... haphazard.  I need to get rid of some things... although most of these things are those little treasures that kids give to their teachers.  I need to figure out how to keep the sweet thoughts, but put the items elsewhere (Uh Oh.  Where IS elsewhere?)

There is an area behind the Promethean Board.  I "store" my ELD group materials here because we work on the carpet in this area.  This is just so... not okay!

I keep my materials for Centers in these crates (although much of it was in my car for reorganizing when I took this photo).  Still, there are things that should have been put way long ago!

 

Here is the area where students turn in their work.  They actually take responsibility for most of the turning in, checking in, and organizing. While the necessary materials are here, a little organization would go a long way!

Here is the game cupboard after the kids "put away" the games.  It's not awful, but it's not good either. I am considering designing a "blueprint" to show where the games go so that all of the boxes will fit on the shelves--and you can still close the cupboard doors!

Here is the clutter magnet!  There are so few "open spaces" in the classroom, this desk is often piled high.  It's right next to the door, so things are often dropped off here when entering the room.  I also tend to pile things here to take home, to take to the office, to take to other teachers, or to give to kids or parents.  This area needs a clean-up.  More importantly, this area needs a SYSTEM.

So... here's the real truth.  The desk in the picture above looks a bit disorganized now, but it looked a lot worse two weeks ago!

Before I left for Winter Break, I brought home everything that was left out (along with all of the other delights that seem to accumulate when gift-giving and cookie-baking has occurred).  I hate returning to a "messy room," so, somehow in my mixed-up noggin, I decided I would bring it home and "sort"though it. BIG MISTAKE! It seems as if half of my classroom is currently in my house!  There were seventeen boxes when I started...

Gradually, I began to sort through the piles... and this pile has been scaled down a bit.

BUT NOW THERE ARE MORE PILES

ALL OVER MY HOUSE!

This is my motivation for joining up with the CFCP.  I really do not want to appear on the next episode of Hoarders.  But it is increasingly hard to navigate through the house when you have to step over the paper cutter, tiptoe through the markers, clips, and math manipulatives, and then hop right-left-right to avoid knocking over the piles of 16 Beverly Cleary and12 Wimpy Kid books.  (Not to mention the 88 never-read books in the closed--SEALED--box that is used as a base to hold a larger pile of things!)

It's too hard to work in a 1000 square foot "apartment," when I share it with the hubs--and my teaching life.

I have a hundred professional books in the room where we have our desks, and there is a tonnage of other materials in my garage. But school materials in my bedroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen need to be sorted out and sent back to school.

ENOUGH! 

I'm ready, Jodi. 

It's time for a change.

Click on the  image below to see what other teachers are doing.

Or, maybe you'd like to do a little decluttering of your own...