Decluttering and Sub plans

This is a dual purpose post. Who doesn't like a BOGO?!?

1) This week's Clutter Free Classroom Challenge is to START PURGING! 

So I hauled out my recycle bin and my garbage can and got to work. I started with the Shelf under my windows that holds my guided reading supplies, our various writing helps and the baskets that hold our folders. If you don't remember, this is the BEFORE photo

*shudder* Believe me, that is just a tiny portion of this shelf (about a third of the length). I filled my classroom recycle bin with leftover worksheets, double copies of blog freebies, old writing scrap paper, etc. Because I had already set up this beautiful space with my bins and baskets, everything that I moved already had a home, which was fantastic, since that saves me a step! 

Here is how it looks now!

AFTER PHOTO

The white bin is my guided reading supplies, which is a job for another day. (Mostly too many pens and markers) But the books are in the magazine holders, the baskets are neat and holding the proper notebooks, and there are no loose papers!

 Doesn't it look great?!?

I have a few basket labels to reattach (Double sided scotch tape did not last on plastic baskets. Who knew?) but all in all, a pretty decent start!

Now for #2

This may be my only chance to work on the challenge this week as I am having surgery to get my wisdom teeth extracted on Wednesday. The worst part isn't the pain and surgery itself, it's the fact that I have to miss school and plan for a sub! I think it's worse because I spent so many years as a a substitute teacher and I know what it's like coming into someone else's room, so I like to leave more details, more activities and everything labeled and ready!

So I am off Wednesday, Thursday is a PD day (conference for the other teachers while I lay on the couch eating ice cream), Friday I am supposed to go back to work, but I am planning for it just in case, and Monday I am away for a PD workshop of my own. SOOOOO that is three consecutive days to plan for!

Here is my very nice start!

I still have some plans to write out. I really want to have my kids follow routine and get curriculum covered while I am away, so I am writing out very detailed plans to ensure that happens. I am fortunate enough to have the same teacher each day, she has been in my room already this year AND she taught at our school for three years, leaving last year to stay home with her son. All this means less to get introduced. The kids are looking forward to a friendly face. I am looking forward to knowing that they will learn!

Well, I am off to rewrite write out the math plans. Our curriculum is super unclear so I do my own thing and it is just easier to start from scratch for a sub!

Here's to the rest of the week!