Preparing my classroom Step 3

Deep cleaning - for my classroom - is organizing. (At home I consider it deep cleaning when I clean all of those things that I never clean: baseboards, dusting walls, etc.) Oh, how I hate this step. I hate this step because it seems like everything gets worse before it gets better. I think that this is true with any organizational job because you have to dig everything out, organize it, sort through it, and then put it all back from wherever it came from.

At the end of the year I just stuff everything back into the cabinets any way it will fit. During the summer while I get my room ready for the next school year, I go through everything and reorganize it for the new year.

I have already reorganized my teacher shelf. This is the shelf where I keep all of my TE's, resource books, etc. By doing this I was able to throw away enough old, outdated stuff to clean off one bookshelf completely. This allowed me to have another book shelf for my library.

I still need to go through my filing cabinet. I am slowly trying to move all of my files into binders instead of file folders. However, this will take up more shelf space.

Other places I still need to clean/organize:
1. Under the sink - This is a catch all for plastic tubs that I don't have a use for at the current time.
2. Listening Center - This is a small job.
3. Math Manipulatives shelves - This won't take long because, for the most part, all of the manipulatives have their own containers. I just need to clean out extra stuff that finds its way to these shelves during the year.
4. Reading Manipulative shelf - Hopefully this won't take too long. I am trying to consolidate some of the items so they don't take up so much room.
5. Classroom library - I'm not even going to write about this one right now! (More about it later.)
6. Writing Center/Student supplies area - This won't take too long. I do want to repaint the shelf that I use for this. I need to see if my mom has time to help me with this task. She is the handy person in our family.

Next to last step . . . decorating the room.

To be continued . . .