Even though my next book is sitting on my nightstand, I am still inspired by the book I recently read, The Happiness Project. One of the suggestions that the author Gretchen Rubin makes is to clear physical and emotional clutter. She suggests that when your home (and life) is organized, it can bring a sense of calm and peace to an otherwise hectic and stressful life.
This is especially true for me. I like my house to be clean and organized. I like when everything has a place and objects are put away. I love the look and feel of a clean kitchen! So if this is appealing in my personal life, then why do I let my classroom (and especially my desk!) be a camping spot for paper, books, odds & ends and piles??
On Friday I was feeling especially frustrated by the clutter that had accumulated in my classroom. Since the beginning of the school year piles had begun to form--slowly at first, unnoticeable. But as the months went by and I made the choice to not spend weekends at school, the small, unnoticeable piles had grown to monstrous proportions. In fact, how many times this year had I proclaimed to a co-worker, "Has anyone seen my desk?"
So, in a fit of desperation, I went against my own rules and spent Saturday morning in my classroom. (I made it a special treat though--Einstein's bagel, coffee, and my favorite podcasts!) I got there nice and early. No one was there which was good because I didn't want any distractions. I started in on my desk area and meticulously worked my way around the room. I cleaned, rearranged furniture, moved my carpet area and got rid of extra desks that we weren't using...I even found and recycled papers that were from students from THREE years ago!
After four hours of non-stop, hard work, I turned around and saw the most lovely sight: a clean and organized classroom! It was wonderful! I left school that afternoon feeling light as a feather. All the stress of having piles of clutter was gone. There was no longer that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I had something to do. It even changed the whole rest of my weekend. I still had planning to do, but it didn't seem like such a chore knowing that I was going back to a clean classroom on Monday.
In closing, did clearing my clutter make me happy? YES!! Yes it did! I am very happy to have a clean classroom! My outer order has produced an inner calm! Now, the real challenge will be keeping it that way.
What do you think about clearing clutter? Does it make you happy? If you have a great organization story, share it here!
This is especially true for me. I like my house to be clean and organized. I like when everything has a place and objects are put away. I love the look and feel of a clean kitchen! So if this is appealing in my personal life, then why do I let my classroom (and especially my desk!) be a camping spot for paper, books, odds & ends and piles??
On Friday I was feeling especially frustrated by the clutter that had accumulated in my classroom. Since the beginning of the school year piles had begun to form--slowly at first, unnoticeable. But as the months went by and I made the choice to not spend weekends at school, the small, unnoticeable piles had grown to monstrous proportions. In fact, how many times this year had I proclaimed to a co-worker, "Has anyone seen my desk?"
So, in a fit of desperation, I went against my own rules and spent Saturday morning in my classroom. (I made it a special treat though--Einstein's bagel, coffee, and my favorite podcasts!) I got there nice and early. No one was there which was good because I didn't want any distractions. I started in on my desk area and meticulously worked my way around the room. I cleaned, rearranged furniture, moved my carpet area and got rid of extra desks that we weren't using...I even found and recycled papers that were from students from THREE years ago!
After four hours of non-stop, hard work, I turned around and saw the most lovely sight: a clean and organized classroom! It was wonderful! I left school that afternoon feeling light as a feather. All the stress of having piles of clutter was gone. There was no longer that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I had something to do. It even changed the whole rest of my weekend. I still had planning to do, but it didn't seem like such a chore knowing that I was going back to a clean classroom on Monday.
In closing, did clearing my clutter make me happy? YES!! Yes it did! I am very happy to have a clean classroom! My outer order has produced an inner calm! Now, the real challenge will be keeping it that way.
What do you think about clearing clutter? Does it make you happy? If you have a great organization story, share it here!
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