Five Things to Purge From Your Classroom Before Summer Vacation
Like everything else in our career, your physical classroom resources deserve a regular and ruthless evaluation.
My first year teaching, I replaced a woman who retired after 30+ years in the classroom. She generously left me her lifetimes’ collection of teaching supplies. Her impressive compilation was housed in half-a-dozen metal file cabinets lining the back wall of the classroom; each drawer was bursting with some great resources… nestled among curling posters, ancient brochures, and decades-old mimeographed worksheets.
“If you’re in doubt about ditching a resource, ask your kids to vote, thumbs-up or thumbs-down (Roman emperor-style). If a soft-hearted student disagrees with the class verdict, maybe they can keep the item!”
It took me over two years to sort through the treasure trove. Every few months, I watched in satisfaction as the custodians lugged away yet another newly-emptied set of drawers, opening floor space and breathing room in my classroom. When the collection dwindled to two cabinets, I declared the project done. There were indeed many treasures… but it took some serious digging to find them.
While my own classroom resource library doesn’t require a file cabinet collection, I have managed to collect a fair amount of teaching paraphernalia. A half-day of Marie Kwondo at the end of the school year goes a long way toward keeping the clutter in check. Therefore, I humbly share with you:
Five things to purge from your classroom before you leave for summer break
#1 Books and teaching references you haven’t opened in 2 years.
Take a critical look at your bookshelf. If you haven’t thought about the resource in the past two school years, chances are you can say goodbye!
#2 Posters and classroom decorations you haven’t hung in 2 years
Updating your classroom decor helps your environment stay current. If you haven’t hung a poster in the past two school years, you don’t need it anymore.
#3 Old or dried out writing utensils
After final exams, when the kids are sitting around, I ask for volunteers to test my classroom markers, whiteboard markers, and pens. If they don’t write, they go straight into the trash.
#4 Physical handouts you could convert to digital
If you have a handout you love, scan it (or take a picture and have AI convert it to text). You’ll be able to find, print, and edit it more effectively in electronic format.
#5 Outdated or damaged student books, especially magazines and textbooks.
Needs change and so do student interests. In the case of your classroom library or student-facing resources, your collection should be fresh and engaging. Magazines from the plane, tourist brochures, and dog-eared children’s picture books are probably just clutter. If you’re in doubt about ditching a resource, ask your kids to vote - thumbs-up or thumbs-down (Roman emperor-style). If a soft-hearted student disagrees with the class verdict, maybe they can keep the book as a gift! (And check out these tips for building an irresistable classroom library!)
A good purge will help you leave for the summer with a song in your heart and a lighter classroom load. What would you add to this list? Happy organizing!
