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Friday, January 6, 2012

Show Us Your Clutter {The Ugly Before Pictures}

As I have previously mentioned I'm participating in the Clutter-Free Classroom Project. I'm showing you my before pictures of my clutter that I really need to organize!


This little corner drives me kinda crazy you'll see why in the next picture. By the way my anchor chart happen to fall as I was taking the picture and since my camera was going to die I didn't bother taking another. 


So I bought this cart to actually organize my math games and now it is one big ole' mess! I have failed to put away the math games in their labeled drawer and I also have too many math games now to all fit. Eeek! This may be the worst of it but there is still some ugly left to show. 


My listening center needs to be reorganized. Right now my headphones just hand and get tangled. My books/tape/CD's are mostly organized and put in ziploc bags.


This area looks cluttered. The cubbies which is mostly my crap looks bad and my desk is hidden behind this mess. 

This is my desk area very crowded.  I wish I could move my desk but I'm not allowed to because all the extension cords for the phone, computer, printer are there and they don't want to have to move them. I asked at the beginning of the year. :( So I could either have it like I do or push it up against the wall which would cover part of the bullitin board and white board. Seriously who designs classroom?! Certainly not teachers...

These bins Monday-Friday bins were intending to keep me more organized with paper work and materials needed for class and they did last year. I don't know why I'm not really keeping up with it this year but this needs to be organized. The bottom shelves are filled with word work centers for each week, theme, and season. They are organized but stuff gets crammed beside it which makes this area messy. If you are wondering about the beak and snood it was for a Thanksgiving play I was in and I have yet to put it away...it's about time.

There is usually my students work hanging in this area but since I took these pictures the first day back there is not anything up. The cubbies are my main issue. My students have not kept them very clean. But this was an easy fix and we cleaned them up today!
This is my word work cart which can get slightly messy on top. I would like to keep it a little more organized. 

This is where I place my word work that my students must do for the day. They always have a must do and if they finish then they may pick another activity. They are labeled Monday-Friday so the kids know where to find their games. Sometimes when I'm busy I just stick things in the other folders on the top that I don't use as much. I would like to de clutter the folders on the top to keep this organized. 

My large closet is a giant mess. This is kinda embarrassing. When I open it things might fall out...not a good sign. I have so many text books I don't know what to do with them all. They won't all fit my students cubbies or desks. Then I have holiday stuff, games, and random other items. Okay this might be worse than my math centers. Yikes! I look like a hoarder! 


Most of the cabinets are clean and have labeled bins in them. I worked hard to organize this summer but some of it has not kept as organized as I intended it to. I also don't like putting things on top of the cabinets but I don't feel like I have enough room. My guided reading table always has the latest project on it and as you can see I was busy tearing out Envision math pages. 


This is under my guided reading table and is everything I need for guided reading and conferences. I was kinda cringing during my classroom photo shoot and wanted to show you I can stay organized! 


This is another shot to prove I'm not a complete mess. My library is organized and stays that way because I have a class librarian that puts books away. I also am getting a whole library of new non-fiction books in a few weeks from my Donors Choose. I think I'll fit them to the left of these bookshelves but I don't even have shelves so I really don't know where they will go. I will need help when they come in to figure out where they can go.

Thank you so much for looking at my giant mess. Now that I have uploaded the pictures I realize this de-cluttering process really needs to begin. I'm going to try to keep up with each challenge every week. Hopefully these pictures will hold me accountable! 


17 comments:

  1. Thanks for linking up! I love your banner with the book covers! Have a great weekend. :) ❤Jodi from...
    ★★The Clutter-Free Classroom★★
    Helping Teachers Get Organized

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  2. Every teacher could be on Hoarders in my opinion. My big closet looks like that too!
    Good luck organizing your classroom!

    EmilyK

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  3. Hi, I saw your comment on my post about the Teacher's Desk. I had the same options because all of my ActivBoard/computer equipment had to be wired RIGHT THERE, so I just shoved it against the wall which means that most of my bulletin board is covered. You are right when you said Who designs classrooms, certainly not teachers! My ActivBoard {lucky to have it, I know, but...} it is SO off-center that my entire classroom and seating arrangement has to be shoved into one tiny area against a wall. Silly designers :)

    Jamie at 2nd Grade Stuff

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  4. I was shaking my head agreeing with many of your pictures and comments! I also bought the SAME cart for math games and NEVER put them in there. I now have them labeled for each day of the week for my copies, yet...haven't kept up putting them in there! I wish I would of taken before pictures tonight, I forgot all about this linky party and stayed until almost 7 tonight reorganizing things. Dang! I'll take pictures of the next round of "to organize!" Keep slowly working away:) I don't think it ever ends or ever stays super neat/organized because we never get a free moment to put things back neatly!
    The Bubbly Blonde

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  5. Teaching first grade is hectic and the piles seem to appear out of nowhere! I too have attempted the Monday - Friday bins...they just took up space and became collectors of the piles I didn't want to see but would 'deal with later'. I can't wait to see how you incorporate your non-fiction books!

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  6. Just looks like you need a bit of reorganizing, but not bad.

    Ms. M
    Ms.M's Blog
    A Teacher's Plan

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  7. My room looks similar. I thought I was organized but when I really looked at it I was frustrated. And I was separating envision math before taking my pictures too. We only got 2 sets of envision stuff and I get 8 student pages from the other 2 teachers. It's such a pain and I can't keep up with it.
    http://mskerriandherkrazykindergarten.blogspot.com/

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  8. Thanks for all the encouragement ladies!

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  9. I cannot wait to check back and see the after pictures! I am jealous of the size of your classroom. Our rooms are teeny tiny!

    I agree about the people who design classrooms don't get input from teachers!

    Heather
    Heather's Heart

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  10. Hey Jess! I already know you're not a mess because I've seen your beautiful classroom photos! Your library is awesome!! It is SO hard to not get cluttered up, isn't it? Your room isn't even close to bad!

    Closets are so tricky for me...stuff fell out of mine when I opened it to take my photo. You will do great with your room, I can't wait to see more!

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  11. I don't think it is such a mess. It is just so hard to keep organized with four or five different things going on who has time to put things where they are suppose to go. My room looks similar to yours with super messy areas, closets that were once organized but no longer, and drawers that were meant to keep me organized but are stuff with other stuff instead.
    I am jealous of your classroom library. That looks fantastic!! And totally agree about designing classrooms. I have a whole row of cupboards in front of my smartboard and whiteboard that my students have to crawl up on just to reach the boards to do anything.

    Apples and Papers

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  12. I can't wait to comeback and check out your results :) My room looks similar and you've motivated me to head into my room on Monday and join the challenge :) Love the blog design too!

    Lisa :) (new follower)
    http://madeintheshadeinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/

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  13. I loved looking at your pictures! I can't wait to see the finished product. Do you have a button?? I wanted to add it to my blog, but I couldn't find one.

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  14. Kelley I wish I had a button! I don't know how to make one though! Any help would be welcomed!

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  15. I am such a piler too...it moves from one place to the next, never to see the light of day until a workday or a day when we have PTA. Hopefully this challenge will help! It's been a long time since I made my button but I remember using these:

    Button

    Button with Grab Box

    I didn't use this one, but it looks really good and helpful:

    Good Tutorial

    Hopefully that helps!

    Bonnie
    Living a Wonderful Life

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  16. I gave you an award over at my blog Teaching With Style. Go check it out! :)
    Nicole

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  17. I am a piler also!!!! I hate when I go to pile something and then the pile falls all over the place. I guess that is a sign that I need to stop doing that!!! Haha!

    Marvelous Multiagers!

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