An Important Tip - Inventory Your Stuff

Something I picked up today at my new teacher orientation that I just had to share with you all.  After nine years of teaching you would think I would already know this!  So if you are like me and this has completely gone past you, it's not too late!

My mentor teacher - who is amazing and love working with her - told us that we should keep an inventory of our own personal teaching stuff!  You know how we spend a good chunk of our year end tallying and filling out inventory forms for our school - why aren't we keeping track of our own stuff!  If there is ever - and I hope this NEVER happens to anyone - a fire, flood, leak, etc. there is no way to know what or how much needs to be replaced if you don't have a record of it. 

I know what you are all thinking, at least those of you who have taught a while........this will take FOREVER!  So I am going to make it a monthly goal to get one "subject" inventoried.  Here's what I came up with:

1.  Professional Books
2.  Classroom Library - this one is a biggie!
3.  Bulletin Board Sets
4.  Big Books
5.  Games/Puzzles
6.  Manipulative's

As teachers we spend so much of our own money - the little that we make :( - buying things for our classroom or spend all of our hard earned bonus points from book orders :)  Let's protect our investment shall we?  Happy Inventorying! - yes I made that word up!