First year teacher checking in and I'm curious as to what you keep/have on your desk? Do you have a file organizer on it? Teacher/office supply organizer? Family pictures? A plant? Lamp? What are your must-haves and why
I have been told by several people that I have the cleanest or most organized desk they have ever seen. The neat-freak in me is very proud of that. I have on my desk: 1. wooden apple calendar thing-- small and has two blocks to change the date for each day. Given to me by a student. 2. small organizer behind the apple that holds post it notes, pens/scissors/sharpies/highlighters, and paper clips. 3. class binder (holds a variety of class paperwork including lesson plans) That's it! I refuse to let paper (or anything else) accumulate on my desk. I do have a bookshelf in my "teacher corner" that has a photo and a couple of decorative items. I'm not at all about the clutter, though.
I also have very little on my desk. Computer Phone Apple Post-It Dispenser Container for pens (At my previous school I kept my document camera on my desk as well.)
I don't like clutter, so I don't keep much on my desk. small desk calendar clear cover that I can put papers under small collage frame with friend/family pictures photo of my dog small vase of water marbles with peace lily small organizer 2.5 gallon aquarium of guppies call bell Easy Button pencil cup I did have a large clear organizer on my desk, but I moved it behind my desk today. I didn't like it on my desk. It took up too much room. This is my desk area from when I got my room ready last week. I've since moved the fridge out, so the clear organizer on the desk moved to the fridge space. I also have a four-drawer organizer and two storage crates under my desk, too. I have short legs, so I had a lot of extra space under there!
Pads, bookmarks, pass slips in a wooden organizer; small plastic 3-drawer organizer for odds and ends, lamp for the odd times that my kids are watching a video so I can still see to work at my desk, a couple of cups of pens and markers, and usually a pile of papers!
I hide most office supplies inside of my desk. On my desk I have: -Computer -Printer -Small flower pot that contains pens, pencils, highlighters -A basket for miscellaneous items: All of the "stuff" that piles up throughout the day ends up here (things I need to file, notes from parents, etc.). I found that I can't take care of everything right when it pops up, so my basket at least helps me keep my desk looking tidy. -Clipboard: I keep my schedule/lesson plans on a clipboard that sits on my desk. I am lost without it!
On my desk: desk calendar pen/pencil holder stapler tape paper clips post-it notes hall pass pads wire basket w/corrected papers ready to return I also have a short filing cabinet right next to my desk where I keep a vertical file holder. There's a counter right by my desk, too, where I have my computer and another small work space.
I got rid of the desk, yet, sadly, didn't solve much. I struggle with papers and stacks of things I "will" need. My horseshoe guided lesson table was a natural hot spot for stuff to accumulate because I'd hook my computer to the SMARTboard and kind of settle in there for the morning. Next year I. Will. Do. Differently. I will have a much more orderly room because I now finally have a good handle on what I want to use and what is just great but not going to be my thing. During my first four years, I collected things that would be awesome if only I used them. Now I'm getting ruthless and simple with my organization. If I can't label it, it goes!
Might as well add what is usually on that horseshoe table. Sticky notes, piles named, "Awesome Idea, Please Try Me Sometime," "Grade Me!!?," and "I'm REQUIRED Paperwork, Scofflaw. Don't Dis Me Any Longer," plus assorted notes and baubles kids show me during the day. A paper cup full of sharpies and whatnot I found there during my last clean up. My doc cam. My microphone. Books I want to read. Guided Reading books. Coffee cups. Ugh.
Let's see... Large desk calendar Laptop/charger (gets taken home) Phone Binder with my schedule, rosters and syllabi Cup with pens/pencils/highlighters Conductor copy of libretto and score for whatever show we're working on Sketch book for scene blocking I used to have a stack of books I use for my classes before I decided to dump that on the table all of the theatre teachers share.
I teach high school, and in a big school at that. Once the period ends, a different teacher has the room; it's practically unheard of to be the only teacher in a room all day. So anything on the desk has to be with that understanding; you have to leave room for the next teacher. When I had my own homeroom, I kept a vertical file with a folder for each class (and invited other teachers in the room to include theirs as well) and one for homeroom. It was a great place to keep extra worksheets, tests/quizzes that were going back, or handouts for kids who had been absent. I also kept basic office supplies out-- stapler, pail full of pens/pencils (many picked up off the floor at the end of the day) and that sort of stuff. Also, in my school it's pretty much general knowledge that office supplies are in the top drawer on the right, so that's where I kept paperclips, scissors, and that sort of stuff. Inside the podium I kept a copy of each textbook I was teaching from. I still do that-- every room I teach in has a geometry book somewhere.
hmm.. on my actual desk I usually have: my computer tape dispenser stapler post-its files for current units of study go in my desk, or else they would stack up. I have a spare table next to my desk that has my phone and a lamp on it.
On my desk I have: a photo pad that I use to put notes and papers under a pen/paper clip/scissor organizer my laptop the class marble jar stapler and tape dispenser I have a very organized desk. This coming year, they are replacing the wooden desks with a computer style desk with no drawers.
I just went in this morning and right now student desks are upside down on it and everything is shoved up against the wall. Guess I won't be working in my room this week! Normally, I have my lesson plan binder, my laptop, pen/pencil organizer, and a plant.
Same here! My classroom is really small, so the desk just became a bulky obstacle. We have carts for our projectors and laptops, and that is a close to a "desk" as I get.
I try to keep as little on my desk as possible because I like to be able to spread stuff out when I am working on it. My computer is about the only thing that stays on top of the desk permanently. Tape, staper, pens, etc. are kept in the desk drawers. Now, I usually have stuff on my desk that I'm working on, so it is almost never cleared off and still manages to get messy! :lol:
Alice, Do you at least get an office space? I can't imagine carrying all of my materials with me all day! All teachers in my building have our own classrooms. I can only think of a few situations in the past when we have had teachers on carts. When my school moved into its new building, the idea was for it to operate like your school, with classrooms to be used like they are on a college campus. Every department had an office, with cubicles for each teacher. It never worked out, and before long all of our office space was taken over by central office departments. Having my classroom and the cubicle made me feel less organized, anyway, since I could have my materials in any two places at a given time.
Everything and anything! Ugghh!!! My desk is a dumping ground. I teach from a table in front of the room with my laptop and Avervision so anything that I can't deal with immediately gets thrown on the desk. That's a goal of mine this year... reorganize desk (and drawers) and DECLUTTER everything.
Too much!!! :lol: We just had "winter break" so I cleaned a little. I have-- -all the text books I use stacked up (9 total) -a broken clock -a hat some kid left in my room -a rock some kid gave me -a cup full of pencils, pens, etc -a candle some kid gave me -a little box of something that I was supposed to do, but never did -a big blue folder that I'm sure something important is in -a stack of folders where I keep worksheets for each class -a stack of notebooks where I write down what I did in each class so I won't forget the next time I have them -my water bottle -my laptop Don't judge If I had written this before winter break it would have taken me 10 minutes to even figure out everything I have on here
My desk is very small. But I like it that way, less space to get cluttered. I have my monster desktop computer, a cup of pens and pencils, tape dispenser, stapler, getting attention bell, phone and a picture of me and hubby. During the day I also set my esson plans and notebook on it, but those go home with me everyday.
I have: ~A magazine holder with class lists, a sub folder, lockdown packet, etc... in it. ~A plastic organizer for school supplies ~A cute little decoration that a student made me my first year ~A digital timer ~A box of stickers During the school year, I add stacks of papers to it :crosseyed
My school is just like yours. Almost every teacher except a few who have worked in the school for a very long time have their own classrooms, and they even have to share their room for a period or two. So there aren't many items on the desks in the classrooms. However, each department has a department center with desks for all the teachers. I love it because it's right next to all the classrooms that I teach in so floating isn't difficult at all. I worked in a different school for a few years where I did have my own classroom so I was a little bit worried about the change, but it worked well. My desk is honestly pretty cluttered. I have my laptop, resource books, stickers, lesson plans, the textbooks for all my classes, and way too many piles of papers which are mostly student works. For myself, I keep cough drops, granola bars, tea bags and things like that. I also keep a few decorative items that students gave me as gifts.
Too much stuff! Like others have said it becomes a dumping ground. I have a desktop calendar, laptop, cell phone, coffee mug, water bottle, lesson plans & the copies for the day. Last year I had one of these things that held file folders. Not sure if I'm going to put that on this year.
It's a good thing I cleaned it off after school got out!! I normally have: ~a magazine holder that has: sub folder, documentation notebook, and the folder of the day of the week that has everything I'll need for that day. ~my laptop (during the school year, it goes home with me) ~a plastic organizer for pens, pencils, etc ~a lamp (that does not have a lightbulb in there!) ~planning book ~desk calendar
This year I cleaned everything off my desk. All the things that would have gone on it are now in it, or behind it in drawers. The only thing I will have on it is my laptop.
On the front left corner of my desk I have a small basket for kids to turn papers in to. Behind that is a container of pens and a small bell (the kind you ring for service in a store). I have an organizer on the right side of my desk that has all my needed workbooks and textbooks for teaching. In that organizer I also have some markers, mechanical pencils, and paper clips. Ther's also a little basket full of stickers to give as rewards. Besides my lesson plan binder, that's it! I have a large, L-shaped desk- the right wing holds my document camera and computer. I like for my desk to be pretty clear. I feel like clutter clutters up my mind, too!
I have a very small wooden teacher desk. In the past, I have done without, but decided to use it last year to hold my district-issued "teacher" laptop that runs the Smartboard. To the left of that is my ELMO (document camera). I have a cup full of dry-erase markers (the desk sits against the wall with my dry erase board) and the materials for whole-group instruction for the day. My horseshoe (kidney) teacher table is another matter. Under one side is a three-drawer Sterilite unit that holds materials for small group instruction. Next to it is another Sterilite unit with "office supply" materials (pencils, pens, markers, paper clips, staples, stapler, packing tape, regular tape, liquid paper, command strips, bandaids, postcards that say "A note from Mrs. Whatley," sticky notes, etc. On top of that are my two electric pencil sharpeners (one is only for "regular" pencils, the other does well with the large (primary) pencils, but horribly for regular pencils) that only I use. On the right hand corner of my table are the materials I need for that day, tic-tacs (treats for small group instruction), stickers or stamps, sharpened pencils, extra erasers, etc. Then I have my personal laptop, which is on my personal computer cart. I use that for teacher correspondence, grading, etc. My teacher laptop/smartboard is almost constantly in use, so I need both. In the past I have had a school phone, but they are really crappy & don't work half the time, so I'm considering just using my cell phone this year (it's what I ended up using most of the time last year).
1. a computer 2. A large desk top calendar to keep track of meetings and due dates. 3. A stapler 4. A tape dispenser 5. Post-it notes-used to make notes for what needs to be copied, etc.
I couldn't get rid of my desk completely, so it is pushed up against the wall behind my small group table and used for storage. On it I have a crate with hanging file folders (To DO ASAP, To Keep, To File, etc.--I find that having that out helps get papers in the correct place right away), a tub with the picture books I'm using that week, magazine holders for copies for each day, my teacher's editions, stapler and hole punch, and Kleenex/hand sanitizer/lotion that are not for student use. On my small group table, I have my laptop and wireless mouse, a small organizer for pens, paper clips, etc., and a basket for students to put notes/money/permission slips in the morning.
I have a big old 3' x 5' desk. As of right now, I have the following on it: - Desktop PC - with keyboard and mouse - so it takes up a lot of the desktop - 2 cups with pencils/pens - tape dispenser - stapler - stamper to stamp late work with the rec'd date - post-it notes - I have a glass desk topper under which I have photos of former students (they gave them to me), my grandkids, DH's Goldwing motorcycle on which we have many pleasant rides, etc. Once school starts I'll have my plan book, and various amounts of paper on it. I usually clear my desk every evening. I hate starting the day with a messy desk.
Last year my desk had: -laptop -basket for notes - two stand up organizers that held my gradebook, lesson plan book, and planner calendar -a basket for remotes (Promethean, air conditioner) - cup for pencils, pens, highlighters, etc. This year I have a new desk in a new classroom. There is a lot more space for stuff so I am planning on only having my computer, a desk calendar, and a cup for pens, pencils, etc. on my desk top. We'll see how long that lasts. I'm usually good about keeping stuff cleared off the top of the desk. The drawers are a whole other story, hahaha.
Nice, EiffelTower! I wish I could have "regular" bookcases in my classroom. I have these stupid built-in shelves - only two shelves, that line one entire wall. They are just above my knee height, and are below my BBs. The top shelf of the largest section (there are three sections, divided by columns) is tilted away from the board, so nothing will sit on it! Nothing much really fits on these shelves, and nothing can go on the top shelf, or it will block the BB. Ugh
pwhatley: When it comes to built-in furniture, doesn't it make you wonder WHY rooms are designed the way they are? It just never seems to make sense or be very functional.
I don't have a desk. But there is a table that our printer is mounted to where I keep my stuff. It has my pens and pencils. (I have light blue pencils that the kids aren't allowed to use.) It has sharpies, post-its, blank notes for when I need to write to parents, a calculator, stapler, the prep schedule, paper clips, tape, etc. Of course on any given days all of those things end up all over the room lol. If I'm sitting to take attendance or collect permission slips or for whatever reason it's usually at our small group table, which is central in the room. The table is short and I couldn't sit at it comfortably, plus if I did my back would be facing the class. Sometimes it gets messy with papers, but I keep my paper organizer and paper trays elsewhere, and that helps me when I want to clean it up fast.
