Transformation

UPDATE: The last several months went by QUICKLY! I am officially the mother of a high school graduate! And my younger son is a new driver! Summer is here and I am catching my breath! I am going to do the CFC Challenge 'my way' so watch the upcoming posts and enjoy as you sit in the sun :O)


Original post: Over the last weeks, I have given a lot of thought to change. There are things that we can control and things we can't. I want to spend my energy on the things I CAN control. The Clutter-Free Classroom's New Year Project has me thinking, why is it so hard to get a handle on the contents of my classroom? I am in full control of the arrangement, contents and state of affairs. I don't share it with another teacher, it's not used as an Early Childhood space or After-School Enrichment classroom. It is my haven. So why is it so hard to establish routines? Could it be because the other 15 occupants (5 year olds mind you) don't share my vision? And how can I change that? Could it be because I am a busy teacher, wife, mom, bookkeeper and project-oriented individual? More to come on that, maybe even a new blog!

So with that I am accepting the challenge of the Clutter-Free Classroom. Even though sharing the 'BEFORE' photos of our classroom wasn't one of the requirements, I am going to take a deep breath and post them here. I am a procrastinator and a perfectionist - and keep in mind that the Holiday Break was my time to 'catch-up' and I did spend about 3 hours in my classroom space, before my son broke his arm, my father-in-law was admitted to the hospital and other family members were involved in a serious car accident. Oh my! Needless to say, my classroom is still a "cluttered" slate, ready for the TRANSFORMATION that 2012 will bring. I snuck in to grab manuals so I could make plans for substitute teachers and snapped the photos, I only had about 5 minutes, or trust me I would have scurried about cleaning/stashing for company, but instead you are getting a glimpse at the post-holiday reality.

Here's a peek - no judging please!

Happy teaching!
Patsi K in Mn