Need to tackle some clutter in the classroom or office?
Keeping up with classroom organization is part of classroom management. Often we ignore a cluttered space because we do not feel we have time or energy to tackle a whole project. Part of my master strategy in Clean the Chaos: At Home involves sweeping out a space, sorting, and storing the items in a tidier or more useful way. This same strategy is useful in the office or classroom organization; bringing order to some chaos. Here are 4 classroom organization tips to help you tackle clutter in the classroom today. First, choose a drawer, cabinet, or corner and begin to clean the chaos in the classroom.
Start small with classroom organization
Ten minutes gives just enough time to empty a drawer, wipe it out, sort/toss/recycle/relocate/store the items back into the drawer in a more useful and neater way. Once you do a drawer or two, your motivation will build and you will find more pockets of time to continue the project. And the more you clean the chaos, the more useful the space becomes.
Keep reading for ways to maintain your space once you have cleaned the clutter. This will also help you improve your focus on the academic parts of your job.
Make the best use of the space
Think about the spaces in your classroom or office. Consider how they are being used. Think about better uses of the space or the materials stored there. Sweep and sort. Style the area according to your definition of calm and functional. Make a list of needed items and rehome things that belong elsewhere. Make a cup of coffee and enjoy the space… before the students arrive! (Want to calm that chaos too? Read https://tailorjoy.com/4-classroom-management-tips/)
Enlist help
Maybe organization is not your strength. Consider asking your students for suggestions on how to store materials or organize books. Young or old, you may be pleasantly surprised at their suggestions. You might even divide and tackle some quick projects together without cutting into academic time. Sometimes a project like this brings out leadership, critical and creative thinking skills, and teamwork in a class.
Maintain the space
After a cleaning or reorganizing session, the 2 minute tidy is often all that’s needed to maintain order. I’m a big fan of classroom jobs in lower grades and then classroom etiquette for older students. If the space feels useful to them, they are more likely to want to help maintain it.
Here are suggestions for maintaining your space when you have just a few minutes to spare for classroom organization before the staff meeting or carpool duty. You will be happy you used your time well to calm the chaos: in the classroom.
2 Minute Tidy: straighten the chairs, pick up extra trash, return items to their spaces
5 Minute Freshen: straighten a bookshelf, dust the furniture, clean the whiteboard, inventory a desk or closet
10 Minute Tackle: empty and organize a drawer/cupboard/corner, prep materials for the next day, declutter email or digital folders
Table Talk: What area of the classroom is the most cluttered? What maintenance tip above will you try today?
Ready to tackle cleaning the chaos at home? I’ve got a year long course for that and some helpful blog posts. January is a great time to start this project! Read the posts below for more suggestions and organization tips for home, office, or classroom. Even though I maintain my space regularly, I find that I am ready to do a complete room-by-room decluttering every few years as my space and style needs change. Join me this year in my clean the chaos course.
https://tailorjoy.com/clean-the-chaos/
https://tailorjoy.com/10-tasks-to-clean-your-digital-spaces/
https://tailorjoy.com/free-home-maintenance-checklist/
https://tailorjoy.com/style-your-storage-spaces/
Want proof that decluttering helps teachers and students focus more? Read this article.