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!

Storage For My Sanity!

To say I am structured and love to be organized may be a little bit of an understatement for those who know and love me!  I say "love to be" because actually acheiving that is a whole other issue :)  I am starting at a new school so I am looking at this as my opportunity to have a clean slate and do it right the first time!  But you know how it is when you have to work with what you have and limited funds....so here's some things I have used and new ideas I am looking forward to using.

LOVE these stackable drawers!  Since I teach first grade the schools I have been at have tables and not desks for my kiddos.  What to do with their math books, journals, folders, etc?  This is the answer.  I get one set per table.  Each drawer is labeled - Folders, Language Arts, and Math.  Click here for the labels I use on the drawers. 

These baskets are at the Dollar Tree - one of may all time favorite places to shop for cheap storage.  I use these for putting my Word Work activities together.  Kids can pick up a basket and take them to their seat.   



Book boxes are a must for me with the Daily 5 and I have been looking for ideas on new storage boxes, labels and where to keep them.  I really like this idea of the plastic bins and the binders next to them. 



I saved the best for last!  I want to hire this teacher to come in my classroom and make it look just like hers....I want to be her!!!!!!!!  Click on the button above to see what I am talking about.  Happy Organizing!!