Organizing my Teacher Desk

So I’ve written a little about this before in my new teacher series, “I Just Got a Teaching Job- Now What?!” but my desk is an area that can always use some improvement. As I’ve said before, I HAVE to keep my teacher desk- and mine’s huge.

So, this summer, here’s what my right desk drawer looked like:

I forgot to get a complete before picture, but be assured it didn’t look like that anymore.

Here it was after I cleared out the back. Clearly, the front is craaazy. The culprit? Too much tape. I decided to repurpose this art box and fit most of the tape inside.

I may be a magnetic tape hoarder.

Special computer paper (thank you, Dollar Tree!) is now underneath my index cards. The ones in boxes are needed for when I post vocabulary words. And tape is better contained.

This is how the front looks for now, but I think it’s too crowded… I am loving using the old index card boxes as dividers, though, and I think some of the other things just need a little divider in the back to be their new home!

Later I moved the hand sanitizer because there’s a better spot in the other drawer.

Needs a little work, but it’s better!

The left desk drawer was even crazier, but here’s how it ended up.

I love using these little baskets as dividers to hold my stamps and Post-Its, but I think most of the stamps are headed for the teacher’s lounge soon. I just don’t use them enough. I think putting my stickers in it might make more sense, if I just cut them down to fit.

Under the black thing on the left, there’s a little teacher emergency bag. I took pictures so I can post about the contents soon.

The right side definitely looks kind of crazy, but it actually holds 3 separate packets.

On the left, supplies and certificates for when my kids reach Sparkling. The top right, reading rewards. The bottom right, birthday certificates and stickers, all ready to go and filled out in order. It might not look super neat, but it makes it really easy to grab-and-go!

I still need to take care of the middle drawer (which totally still looks like it did this summer… riiiight…)

and one of the file drawers, and the top- but honestly, the filing involved is going to take me hours. This week, I just did not have the time. I am doing better at keeping the top of my desk cleaner, though!

I might go in on Monday and work on it… or I might enjoy a day at home, lounging and grading. We’ll see :) So glad we have a make-up snow day!

What I’m loving about the CFC Challenge is that it gives me something to think about each week. Yeah, my desk isn’t all the way organized yet- but I had a very busy week, and I can bet that without this challenge I wouldn’t have even touched all that mess. Progress still counts, and posting about it helps keep me accountable.

I can’t wait to see some of your successes!