Staying organized as an educator is one of the most important things you can do each day. It sets a foundation for the essentials, models positive organization techniques for your students, and allows teachers to find essential materials when you are not in the classroom. In lieu of National Clean Off Your Desk Day, here are a few tips and tricks to help you make organization a habit.

Build your Foundation

When it comes to your desk, have out only the essentials. A teacher’s desk is a great model for students too! Therefore, in order to model organization for your students, keep the foundational items simple. All you need is a stapler, tape, pen and pencil holder, highlighter, post-it holder, and a file or folder organizer. Each of these items are essential and successful for all educators. 

Reposition the Cute

What items are on your desk are teacher themed or homemade teacher gifts from former students? Although sentimental and cute, these items are not essential to the success of staying organized. Show your students that you appreciate the gifts by displaying these items in a different location of the classroom. If it is from a student from a previous year, you can find a new home for the item(s) by asking a colleague if they can use it, or by donating the item to the main office or PTA for organization.

Keep Items Contained

Another way to stay organized and free from clutter is to use specific containers and organizers for specific papers, items, or important material. Using containers will help your desk and classroom stay organized. Find an organizer that suits your needs and fits the essentials on your desk. Check out stores like HomeGoods, HomeSense or Amazon.com for inexpensive organizers that fit every teacher’s budget.

Everything has a Home

Now it’s time to label the essentials on your desk! Use colorful tape or specific labels to mark each item and where it lives on your desk. This is important to you because it will help keep the habit of organization alive, as well as, aiding students and substitutes in knowing where they can quickly find a stapler, pen, or post it if you are absent or not near your desk. It may surprise you how quickly items can become disorganized without the appropriate labels.

Paper Clutter, No Way

As a former classroom teacher, I understand first hand how paper clutter can be a huge burden. Teachers have papers to grade, papers to hand out, and papers to be filed on a daily basis. Therefore, paper clutter seems to be inevitable for educators, but paper clutter can become systematic! As stated in #RGS TeachersLounge, “change that system around and have clearly labeled paper baskets located on a separate desk or on the shelf behind the teacher’s desk. “To Be Graded”, “To Be Returned”, “To Be Filed”, and “Mail” are four good starting points. The baskets allow you to organize the paper clutter in a way that is not overwhelming. Once a day, dedicate 10 minutes to filing, sorting your mail and either packing up the papers that need to be graded at home or grading them on the spot. Have a classroom helper assigned to the task of passing back papers that need to be returned. By getting the paper clutter off of the desk, it will make it that much easier to keep it clean.” See below for a simple example of a paper file system to use in your classroom: Desk Organizer with Four Sliding Trays or 5 Pocket Mesh Wall Organizer 

Clean it Up

In order for a new habit to become a life-long habit, one must practice the habit daily. In order to keep your desk area organized, take 5 to 10 minutes at the end of your work day to organize all items on your simplified desk, and check that papers are neatly filed in the correct place. Each day you walk out of your classroom, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and joy for creating a purposeful habit. 

Reward Yourself for Diligence

Give yourself a weekly reward for each day you leave your classroom with an organized desk. You could treat yourself to a coffee or tea, a sweet treat for your ride home, or a new book you have been waiting to listen to on audible. Giving yourself a simple reward for creating a habit that reduces stress and anxiety is a great way to develop a positive habit. Remember some days will be more hectic than others, and it’s okay for your desk to be chaotic at times. We are human. When this happens, and you can’t find the time to organize, walk away and come back to it the next morning. This will give you the time you need to recharge and rethink a new organizational strategy.