Plus I should be cleaning somewhere in my house or garage and instead I am typing a blog post about cleaning while avoiding cleaning.
I have seen this meme or post several times on social media...which one do think my world looks more like?
My clean up didn't start at school but at home. During the first two weeks of COVID shut down, I started to clean my basement. It is far from perfect...but I have taken multiple trips to the consignment store that never stopped taking donations! I organized all of my children's school papers into a box/container for each child. The crazy thing was that most of the area that I tackled was in paper boxes (not good for long term storage). I moved things to edges of the basements not the direct middle! This was good for two reasons...first we got flooded in that exact spot a few weeks later. In three years in the house, we had NO floods. I am so thankful that I did this or I would have lost LOTS of special items from baptismal certificates to school memories to probably more. Second reason, is that I could put up a table for home learning as the time grew longer. My 2nd grader really used this space during the month of May. It was not as well used and collected junk, but he could work away from toddlers playing or you tube videos. I am not DONE but thankful for baby steps. Hence the reason for no pictures. I am not 100% happy with the result yet!
Plus I am working on Bold School for my book club at work. So it is just book club fun! I am getting so many ideas for my first few lessons in school. I love pre-thinking, talking with peers, and moving forward during this crazy time in education and our world!
I have seen this meme or post several times on social media...which one do think my world looks more like?
I am definitely teacher A...I have added containers and curtains and labels, etc... It doesn't help. Well, a new floor, no major library projects, and a Teacher B in the other half of my room (the library and STEAM lab are two rooms divided by a wall). It was a stark contrast between our two spaces. Most of mine was contained or "hidden". So once the library was in order, my co-teacher (type B above) helped me dive in to complete a transformation!
This summer was time to eliminate card board boxes from many STEM kits and robotics that were falling apart. Now these items are in nice neat totes. The totes were thanks to our mobile science grant. Matching containers to store all of materials and know where they are in a moments notice - AWESOME. Plus we unboxed and re-homed all of the new items bought with the grant including farm to table materials, new robotics, and more! It was a big task. To do this, we eliminated many library items stored in the STEAM area like OLD magazines, 3 old encyclopedia sets, yellowed magazine covers, and more! I needed the shelves for STEAM items not holding onto items.
In addition, I save every scrap of paper, pipe cleaners, straws, q-tips, and more that the students want to throw away. Time to start new next year. I love recycled and upcycled projects but some pieces are just past their useful life. I did save my cardboard tubes (can't pitch everything). Paper - oy vey - why do I even take papers and handouts at conventions or off site meetings? Why do I not throw away junk mail?
My other offense is taking EVERYTHING that another teacher cannot use. When I started STEAM three years ago, I collected old math manipulatives, old learning centers, and more! Most of these are not what I needed. I have expanded my options. I used many of the items, but some are just taking up space.
Well - here are some pictures of the process. More to follow! After pictures, this week when I am in the building.
In addition, I save every scrap of paper, pipe cleaners, straws, q-tips, and more that the students want to throw away. Time to start new next year. I love recycled and upcycled projects but some pieces are just past their useful life. I did save my cardboard tubes (can't pitch everything). Paper - oy vey - why do I even take papers and handouts at conventions or off site meetings? Why do I not throw away junk mail?
My other offense is taking EVERYTHING that another teacher cannot use. When I started STEAM three years ago, I collected old math manipulatives, old learning centers, and more! Most of these are not what I needed. I have expanded my options. I used many of the items, but some are just taking up space.
Well - here are some pictures of the process. More to follow! After pictures, this week when I am in the building.
DISCARDS from the library and STEAM
One weird closet - cleaned up
They have a door but stretch to the sides from the opening and are about two feet deep.
They have a door but stretch to the sides from the opening and are about two feet deep.
The other closet was gutted and we are just starting to re-load it.
One mid-project picture of the STEAM step area
My clean up didn't start at school but at home. During the first two weeks of COVID shut down, I started to clean my basement. It is far from perfect...but I have taken multiple trips to the consignment store that never stopped taking donations! I organized all of my children's school papers into a box/container for each child. The crazy thing was that most of the area that I tackled was in paper boxes (not good for long term storage). I moved things to edges of the basements not the direct middle! This was good for two reasons...first we got flooded in that exact spot a few weeks later. In three years in the house, we had NO floods. I am so thankful that I did this or I would have lost LOTS of special items from baptismal certificates to school memories to probably more. Second reason, is that I could put up a table for home learning as the time grew longer. My 2nd grader really used this space during the month of May. It was not as well used and collected junk, but he could work away from toddlers playing or you tube videos. I am not DONE but thankful for baby steps. Hence the reason for no pictures. I am not 100% happy with the result yet!
Technology is also in need of some housekeeping and updating...
Mine wasn't desktop icons, but EMAIL to start! My personal email account is one that I just do not use much anymore. It is tough to access this webmail and I really began to rely on work email address more over the past year. Well - I missed an email buried in 33,000 emails in this account that meant my son missed his preschool graduation. 😢
They did deliver his goodies, but I still felt bad. (Note to self and others- check which email account you have mindlessly filled in a form and know which one to check regularly!)
A big mistake means time to take action. I have deleted over 33,000 emails. I have saved less than 200. A few might have been deleted that I wanted but how would I have ever found them. UNSUBSCRIBE and DELETE have been my favorite choices. Over the past month...I have tackled about 1000 a day! Yes...there are not extra zeros. I am starting on my work email next. Then maybe my third cluttered junk account.
They did deliver his goodies, but I still felt bad. (Note to self and others- check which email account you have mindlessly filled in a form and know which one to check regularly!)
A big mistake means time to take action. I have deleted over 33,000 emails. I have saved less than 200. A few might have been deleted that I wanted but how would I have ever found them. UNSUBSCRIBE and DELETE have been my favorite choices. Over the past month...I have tackled about 1000 a day! Yes...there are not extra zeros. I am starting on my work email next. Then maybe my third cluttered junk account.
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| Lucas' pre-k graduation picture from home |
So I am not Marie Kondo level or an expert. But I know that it feels good to complete a task!
SUMMER READING UPDATE:
Ben and Bella are trying to keep up with their library book club, but it means lots of focus and reading 2-3 chapters a day. They are not self disciplined and we fell behind. The book is getting much better, but I had to step in to help out with some reading.
Ben and Bella are trying to keep up with their library book club, but it means lots of focus and reading 2-3 chapters a day. They are not self disciplined and we fell behind. The book is getting much better, but I had to step in to help out with some reading.
