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S8: E163 Back to School Organization: Classroom Edition

Afternoon Ti Podcast

Season 8

Episode 163

Summer Health Series

Back to School Organization: Classroom Edition



**Click here for your Classroom Organization Freebie.**

In episode 162 I shared back to school organization ideas for your home with a focus on the items you might need - school supplies, backpacks, meals for lunches, and routines like getting back to a school sleep schedule and adjusting to more things being on your calendar.  In today’s episode we’re talking about organization in the classroom and how you can prepare your space for the new school year.  It’s very likely that things will look different this year compared to last year and that will influence not only what you’ll be able to do, but the materials you use and the way you’ll want to set up your classroom.  Last year I was based out of a science classroom, but traveling on a cart from room to room.  I’m thrilled that I’ll actually be back in my classroom again this year and working through some ideas for how I want to rearrange things, how I want to decorate, and how I want to figure out what I have, what I’d like to have, and where to begin.  The first step in organizing my classroom will be taking inventory.


Classroom Organization

  1. Take inventory - what is broken and can’t be fixed?  What is broken and can be repaired?  What do you have that you want more of?  What instruments need tuning?  Start with what you already have.  Make the most out of what is already there.


  2. Buy what fits.  In her book The Lazy Genius Way, Kendra Adachi shares that we should buy things that we can envision fitting in the space we have.  Not just things we love or that go with our color scheme, but that already have a place in our rooms so that we can use it immediately after buying and put it where it will belong.  I did this two years ago with grey and wicker baskets for the front of my room.  I knew the sizes of the shelves and purposely bought grey and wicker to go with my room theme.  Still makes me happy seeing them on the shelves and fitting so perfectly.  What items need storage?  What shape is that storage area?  Select items that fit your space.


  3. Desk - this area has several areas of organization and function.  Drawers. Counter. Computers and cords. I have yet to figure out a way to keep the space clean of papers or books while also available for my keyboard, processing, and creativity and my desk drawers are not the picture of perfection.  What does work for me:  fresh start every year.  Getting rid of all pens that are out of ink.  Throwing away anything that is broken or that never found a home from last year (like the random piece of wood that’s in a triangle shape and about 1” big and you never figured out what it belonged to).  Beginning with narrowing down to fewer supplies of items in your drawers. Paperclips are great, but I don’t need 1000 of them; rubber bands are also helpful, but the round rubbery shape works best for me as one big ball instead of tons of them randomly drooping over one another in a section of the desk drawer.  Select your favorite pens.  Your favorite scissors.  Your favorite desk items.  Let the rest go.  


  4. Decide on the order of the spaces that you’ll organize.

            Look at the space that brings you frustration because you can’t find things, it’s overly cluttered, 

            or holds random items.  This is likely a good place to begin. The first thing I tackle is my desk.  

            The second area I’ll be going after this year is a wall of shelving that is fantastic for holding lots 

            of items and books.  This is a blessing and a curse because it can hold lots of things and is 

            overrun with items.  The third area I’ll tackle are these large cabinets that hold random 

            instruments, tools, and decorations.  


  1. Organize the time you’ll spend at school prepping your room.

    You’ve ordered your spaces.  Choose a day to go up to school and then choose how much time you want to spend that day on that specific area.  No need to do every space at one time.


    Decor

            Decide what you want to change about your decor.  Choose a theme.  Add to your current 

            theme.  This is not my forte and I don’t have much to say about this because I rely on others to 

            help me.  Tons of great ideas on Pinterest, ask a colleague for help, or if you’re amazing at 

            decorating and putting designs together, go for it!  Also mentioned - essential oils diffuser for 

            helping the room smell good!


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