Organization Project Wk 2: Ms. M's Rules for Decluttering

A couple of days ago Jodi asked us... 

"What is your plan for decluttering your classroom?"

My reaction was, WHAT? A Plan? You mean I have to come up with a plan? I thought I was going to do minimal thinking through this. So I did the only logical thing, I stalled, procrastinated, thought about skipping this prompt altogether, then felt guilty and decided I couldn't just give up that easy. I don't give up. 

Then inspiration hit. I read Liam's 10 Rules for Decluttering. So I am giving this a go, and copy this format, because that is WAY easier than thinking of my own. 

Hope you don't mind Liam.

It's Got to go if...

(1)

If it is a paper copy that I already have a master of or a digital file of.

While this will probably be the easiest, it can also be daunting. I am good at recycling paper. I love feeling that I am not wasteful. However, I am terrible at sticking to a filing system of my own. It may be an aversion I developed when I was a file clerk.

(2)

If I haven't used it in over a year.

Yes, it is true, I don't know if I will teach ELL for the next 20 years, nor do I know if I will teach K, 1st or 2nd, but I refuse to keep thinking of a million reasons to keep perfectly good items other teachers could be using, just because I think I might one day have a use for them.

(3)

If I can't find a way to incorporate it into my current curriculum and can't store it in a spaciously economical (does that make sense? I just made it up) way.

I have many, many, many activities I have collected through the years, and well I really don't get to half of them. Some are organized neatly in my seasonal binders and others just lay around doing nothing! If they don't fit in my binder or in my new system it has got to go.

(4)

This one is not about getting rid of but it is about organizing. I have to find a way to combat and organize my ever growing pile of wonderful blog resources.

You guys make such wonderful items, I can't help but downloading a ton of them. I just have to find an easy way of storing and getting to them.

I think that is all for now. If I think of any more I will come back and edit this post, but until then I would welcome any others you can think of after viewing my pictures.

Today Jodi asked... "What do I plan to do with all my clutter?"

Because most of it is paper I plan to recycle it all and save the Earth! What isn't I plan to donate to any fellow teachers, student teachers, substitute teachers that are interested in them at my school. I'll place them in the lounge in hopefully an attractive box with some fancy labels too. And if all else fails, I'll recycle them!