Classroom Organization can greatly be enhanced when routine Decluttering’s are scheduled.

What exactly is Decluttering?

Let’s use the classroom as our example.

Decluttering is the process of going through ALL the classroom items and determining what’s important and what’s no longer important. It’s easy to say that you’re sure everything belongs and that you need to keep things “just in case.” However, when we store too much that is no longer useful — it blocks our ability to find what we need, when we need it, this is called Clutter. 

If you want to jump deeper into the process of Decluttering we wrote Decluttering: A Transformation that will Change Your Life.

6 Tips for Decluttering Your Classroom

• Schedule Time — Look at your calendar and block off time to complete the Decluttering process. Blocking time and protecting it from interruption will actually save you hours throughout the year. We suggest always adding 2 hours more than your time estimation, just to be safe.
• Postive Mindset — Get ready mentally before the Decluttering process happens. Remind yourself of the end goal that you’re working towards which is less stress, easy access to things when you need them, simplification for your students, and letting go things that are standing in your way of success.
• Enlist Help — To maximize your time and effort, it is essential to get help for this process. Can you buddy up with another teacher? Is there a teaching assistant who would be keen to be involved? Or maybe a good friend or hired help would be the best way to go.
• Off-loading Unwanted Items — It’s much easier to let go of items that you no longer need, when you’re already certain there’s a new place for them. Nothing belongs in the landfill unless it’s non-recyclable, damaged, or soiled beyond repair. Think of charities, local donation centres, families in need, or privately selling items.
• Use a Work Station — Don’t spend time bending below the waist or sitting on the ground. Set yourself up for success with a proper work station for sorting and organizing. We recommend a folding table with several bins for recycling, garbage, and donation. It’s also helpful to have on hand a permanent marker, masking tape, scissors, and baggies.
• Have FUN! — Make sure you have snacks or a good meal on hand for when you need to take an energy break. Stretch and move around if you’ve been stuck sorting through paper for a while. Also, put on some motivating music, no lyrics is better for less distractions, to keep you feeling energized.

Sharing What You Know

We know many teachers who dedicate a good portion of their lives to providing safe, fun, and educational spaces for their students. We dedicate this blog to them. We hope it inspires them to reach out when they need a helping hand and to have permission to let go of items they no longer need!

Please share a tip that could benefit a teacher below.