Organizing Your Life

In 2008 I’ve spoken with several teachers who have all said they have to tear down their classrooms at the end of school.  Because this seems to be a national disaster in the making I’ve decided to talk about how Teachers can get back into the groove for the new year that happens within the next three weeks here in North Carolina.

One teacher I spoke with just yesterday, Saturday, recognizes this can be a problem.  Every year she has to pack the classroom up because maintenance crews come in to paint and clean the room.  The problem comes in that the tear down is so haphazard, and so she knows she doesn’t know where anything is for when she goes back in next week to set her classroom back up.  Another teacher, way across the country, Washington state, has told me the same thing.  They tear down the classroom every summer, only to have to rebuild it, restructure how things are placed, etc every autumn.

I truly feel for teachers because it is a thankless job to teach America’s young.  Many of whom are not ideal students.  So, I’ve promised to help the teachers who call on me at a reduced rate.

Today’s tips are specifically for teachers.  So if you’re not a teacher, you can continue to read and try to apply these tips to your situation.

Tip 1

When it is time to set up your room, throw away anything that is not helpful to your situation.  Old papers that no one needs is a good place to start.  Hopefully you did this at the end of the year, but if you didn’t then start now!

Tip 2

If the hamster or other “rodent’ you kept in your classroom last year died in the cage and it is a recurring factor, throw out the cage!  Who knows what germs may be laying dormant in there for the next animal.

Tip 3

I know you probably have a ton of reading books or school books in your classroom.  At least the younger grades have books for the children to borrow and read.  Have a system that they can check the books out and take home with them.  You will know who took them home and the kids will feel responsible for checking them out.  Your own little library cost you money, be strict about return policies.

The second thing is to set up your library in your room so you have a shelf or bookcase specifically for reading books.  They need a specific place to live.  Yes, I said, live. 
You see, the biggest portion of disorganization is that people do not know where things belong.  So you end up saying, ‘I’ll just put this here until I can find a place for it.’

The problem with this is that those things start to pile up.  When they pile up no one even looks at them anymore.  So the minute things (no matter what it is) come into the home, the office or the classroom you need to decide where you want that “thing” to live and then forever more remember to put it back there when you use it.

Tip 4

Children need to learn to put things back.  At the end of each teaching session, when you transition between lessons, have the children straighten their area.  It takes very few seconds for the children to do this and gives their minds a chance to transition as well.  Just remember to build this into your day and your days will start to run alot smoother. 

I recognize that teachers all have different styles of teaching and thus another teacher may not have this skill to help children learn how to switch gears in a classroom, but as I know with an adult son who had a learning disability that he worked through with his high school teachers’ help being able to transition from one class to another, one subject to another leads to a more organized ability to handle stress.  And stress reduction on your part helps a child to learn how also.

Tip 5

When you are getting ready for the new year be ready to face challenges.  The challenge of adding new students that make the setup of the desks a challenge.  The challenge of a new principal who might make it hard to teach the way you teach.  Be ready for change.  If you are stressed out, your class will be stressed out.  Take a deep breath, count to ten + and try to enjoy the new school year.

Tip 6

Storage!  Storage in a classroom is always at a premium.  If you know you have room for storage boxes always have them be clear boxes.  Label the outside of the boxes even though you should be able to see inside them.

Inventory the boxes and create an Excel sheet on your computer and print out the index of the boxes/contents.  Remember the point is not that you want to hide things.  The point is to be able to find them when you need them and have them put away when you don’t.

This is important.  You’ll thank me later I’m sure. 

Well those are just a few tips.  I hope they help the teachers I have in mind to have a better organized work space this year.

For now, have a great day! 

Denise

Tags: teachers, organized classrooms, organizing kids at school

I know I’ve talked about setting goals before, but I have to tell you about this so you’ll understand why it is so important to know what you want to achieve and how to get there.
In May of this year I told you about my meeting with Jon McCulloch, the best marketing guru out there.  I believe I told you all about his insistence that I was an expert in my field.  And then he said I should write a book.

Well, the goal, at that moment, was to get something down on paper.  I hardly ever have writer’s block.  I’ve been writing for years in one capacity or another.  I know I can write across genres because I’ve done it.  I’m a published poetess with Editor Choice awards.  I’ve written biographical articles for my Alma Mater, articles for a city newsletter on saving money, and numerous “unpublished” novels.

So why would I have to be told to write a book on Organizing?  Well, the truth is I didn’t have to be told to do it.  It was there in the back of my mind to do.  It just wasn’t getting done.

Goals!  As you can surmise, it wasn’t the fact that I couldn’t write that was preventing me from doing the job.  Yep!  You guessed it.  Well I hope you did.

Goals need to be written down.  They have a 99% greater chance of being achieved if they are written down.  Whether on paper or in stone, the physical act of taking a thought and turning it into something completely concrete is the first action needed to achieve the goal itself!

Once you have the goal in a visible format you’re almost ready to go!

READY!

What do you do every time you get ready to go on a trip?

You prepare, right?

SET!

It is no different when it comes to goals.  You could have all the most magnificent goals in the world written down and you could still not be achieving them.

Why?

Did you ever read an instruction sheet on how to put together a toy you bought for a child?

The bottom line is, that everything in this world requires more than one step.  The steps that you take to achieve what ever it is that you have told yourself you want.  Otherwise known as your GOAL!

GO!

Written down goals need written down step by step guides.  This will be the only way you achieve the whole goal.  Following step-by-step procedures for any major goal you have.  Just think, if you write down your goals and you find yourself not achieving those goals, sit down with pen and paper and map out the ideas behind the goals.  Show yourself a logical, (or illogical for some) way of reaching your goal.

Step-by-step tasks that help you reach your goals could be considered your instruction sheet.

Updates on the book, by the way.  Chapter Five is under construction!  It actually is in revisions.  Some of you may have read my disgusted blog on the mechanic shop I took my car to when I had a flat tire recently.  Well, it almost went into the book.  I’ve written a better, more concentric view from a small business owner’s perspective to replace it.  Hmmm, I wonder if I should!

Let me know what you think. 

For now, I’m working on my print newsletter.  Soon to be out with my monthly teleconference call on different organizing methods!    Watch for more information!

warmly,

Denise

Tags: settinggoals, achieving hearts desire,