Organizing My Teacher's Desk

I always know where everything is on my desk even if I don't know where my desk is under all the stacks. This year, though, it's going to be different.

Although my latest article, Classroom Organization, is all about getting organized in the classroom, I failed to mention the area of my classroom that is the least organized-my desk! Every year I promise to keep it neat and clean and free from clutter; yet, every year I still end up with "stacks" by the end of September and they simply get rearranged, replaced, and relocated until June. After really thinking about why my desk is destined for disarray each year, I decided it's because I have continually tried to organize and arrange my desk according to what I think it should look like and how I want it to appear. Obviously, that approach hasn't worked.

So, this year will be different. I am organizing my desk this year so that it works for me and in a way that will actually allow me to keep it clutter-free and somewhat functional! For one thing, I'm not buying the big desk calendar that many other teachers seem to have placed smack-dab in the middle of their desks with important meetings, reminders, and dates noted. I have bought a desk calendar every year, and I think I stop recording important items after our first two in-service days every August. If my husband is lucky, his birthday gets a bid on it, too. But other than that, it's just a waste of money and space-for me that is. Instead, I'm going to use the calendar that I bought from an animal rescue organization which hangs on my wall and I look at every morning. It's off of my desk, it's nothing new I need to buy, and it's as user-friendly as can be.

The calendar is just the start. I'm getting rid of the paper trays, stacked 5 high, and using a swiveling-office-supply-and- file-holder-thing instead (I think they created something like it on The Apprentice many seasons ago). My phone and computer are going in one corner and my lessons for the day in another. The list goes on, but you get the picture. I'm changing it up to meet my needs and make it easy for me to go to my desk, find something on it quickly, and heck, maybe even do work at it.

I have complete confidence that the way in which I organize my desk this year will be the best way yet--not that there won't be any stacks but hopefully not as many. And if it doesn't turn out to be as great as I thought, there's always that table in the front of my room where I can sit and get away from that messy, teacher's desk.