Spruce up your classroom for the next semester
We are halfway through the year! While it is a busy time for grading and planning, it is also a time for “starting fresh” with the new semester. The chance to implement those ideas you were thinking about at the beginning of the year, but never got around to. Or…the time of year to take a step back for a minute and change some things that just aren’t working!
One thing that often causes stress for teachers is organizing their room and coming up with systems to manage all that happens on a day-to-day basis. From making sure you have all the supplies you need, managing paperwork and still trying to find time to plan engaging lessons…it can really wear you down. That is why I wanted to put together a reference for all my teacher friends to help you transition to the next semester with a little pep in your step. We can’t control most of what walks into our rooms or what happens outside our walls, but we can control the space our students come into and how they feel when they are there. Here are some tips on how to create a calm space in your classroom! If you are limited on time, just choose ONE area to conquer as you start the new semester.
Paperwork Systems
As much as we have transitioned to digital in the teaching realm, there is still A LOT of paper that comes in and out of our rooms. As a teacher, you need to have systems in place for paperwork “going out” and paperwork “coming in”. You also need tools to help those systems be easy to use for you and your students. Here are some ideas….
Outgoing Paperwork:
Having ONE location to store all of your worksheet copies is a must. Choose one of these tools to create a system for housing all the paperwork you need to hand out to students. I also recommend having a space in your room for students to keep their paperwork for your class (if it is not homework). This will cut down on the number of “reprints” you need to do for students who have misplaced things.
Incoming Paperwork:
If you give them paper….then paper is what you will get in return! It is important for you to have a clearly marked place for students to turn work into you. I recommend using some of the items below, with CLEAR labels, to help!
Paperwork to keep:
This includes things you want to save from students, but also all the paperwork you get from your school that you should hold onto (for at least the year). I’m talking about the field trip forms, sub plans, school schedules, evaluation materials, etc.
Clean Desk
While everyone’s tolerance for clutter varies from person to person, there are many benefits to having a clean desk as a teacher. Not only do you save time being able to find what you need, when you need it, but our desk space can also impact your overall mood, focus, and stress levels. Studies have shown that “scientists…have used fMRI and other approaches to show that our brains like order, and that constant visual reminders of disorganization drain our cognitive resources and reduce our ability to focus. They also found that when participants cleared clutter from their work environment, they were better able to focus and process information, and their productivity increased.” (HBR article). Check out my last blog post for specifics on how to get a clean desk and what supplies or tools can help you accomplish this task!
Organized cupboards and shelves
One thing I have learned in my two decades of teaching is that teachers hold onto A LOT of stuff, for good reason, but I guarantee there are some things in your room that need to GO! Maybe you just want to start by decluttering some spaces to create more breathing room in your classes. We pack a lot of bodies into our rooms, so it is important to maximize the space that is used for all the other things you need in your room. Pick a particular area of your room, or a particular category of “Stuff” in your room and walk through this process:
Sort- put like things with like things. It is important to see all of your items grouped together by category. How many staplers do you really have in your room? Do you need all 8 of them? Once you can see all your flare pens and post-it notes together, you can determine if you need to buy more or get rid of some. Which leads to step 2…
Purge- get rid of things that are broken, missing pieces, or things that you just don’t need to use anymore (I’m looking at you overhead projector sheets). Make a pile of things to donate (read…leave in the staff workroom for others to take) or things to trash/recycle. Once you really know how much you’re working with, you can make decisions on where to put things. Bringing us to the next step…
Reorganize- rethink your space and decide where things should go in your room. Two things to consider in this step, where do you actually use “the thing” and what space in your room can hold ALL of that thing? Don’t put all your old PD books on a shelf that is not big enough and in a prime location! You don’t need to access that kind of stuff on a daily basis. It would be more important to put things students use daily in the prime locations in your room.
Contain- only after all of these steps should you consider buying any kind of organizing bin or system. I know it is tempting to buy that cute paper tray with a matching pen holder…but you should wait to see what you REALLY need before you spend your money on organizing items. Only buy items once you have a chance to measure the spaces that need some extra organizing help.
To make this process a bit more streamlined, I have also made a handy “Semester Spruce Checklist” for you to download and use to help you get that fresh start you deserve!
Happy Sprucing!
