Show Me Your Clutter!

Week#1 Clutter Free Classroom Challenge

Well, this week's challenge scares me to death!

The challenge is to share photos of some clutter spots in our classrooms. I made it into my room last night to gather a few things to work on at home this weekend. So I snapped a few photos with my iPad (please excuse the low quality!) 

These are the key areas I want to work on during this challenge. I didn't take pictures of the areas that are already organized and working well (which I was pleased to notice were more than I thought!) as these are supposed to prompt me to get my butt in gear!

These shelves are near my Guided Reading table. I am quite pleased with my baskets. This was a summer project and has worked quite well. EXCEPT my extras, and books, etc, seem to end up on the top. I have a nicely organized bucket with supplies in it, but there never seems to be enough space to store my books and pieces. I have 4 reading groups (in two grade levels). This MUST be dealt with!)

Another success area, our mailboxes. These bins work really well. The students drop off their GO Books (communications folders) in the morning and they are checked by myself or my EA and moved to the "To Go Home" bin. All finished work is put in the "To Mrs M" basket, which has helped me not to lose piles of papers this year, BUT it always seems to be overflowing. So this is one area I want to work on!

This beautiful monstrosity is a random set of built in cupboards near the fire exit in my room. Don't get me wrong, I love the storage space, but this shelf gathers clutter like a magnet! Things get sat there and are never heard from again!

My "Art Supply" drawer, begun by the teacher in the room before me. Great supplies, but I don't even know what is in there and it looks super messy!

So there you have it. My dirty laundry flapping in the wind. Maybe my self esteem would have been bolstered if I had posted the "good" pictures of my room too, but change is never easy. I feel like I am halfway there!I have a lot of the systems in place, I just need to USE them!

Thanks for peeking and supporting me in this endeavor! I look forward to the next few weeks!

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