clearing out educational clutter

should it stay or should it go? that is the question.

as i start the task of cleaning out my closet, it’s quite rewarding.

there is a thrilling charge of adrenaline that floods my neurological system as i begin the arduous process of tossing out or donating items that no longer serve me well. a great way to burn a few calories + get that heart rate up, too.

i’m casually flinging aside shoes with no mate, handbags that are still new with tags, jeans that have not seen the light of day in years, and faded concert t-shirts that date back to the 80s.

unfortunately, all of them are about to experience the ‘give-away’ pile demise.

on the other hand, however, there is a strong hesitation as i intentionally pause over each item before the final decision is made. it’s often an agonizing + emotional choice as i contemplate whether or not i will ever actually use the item in question.

some possessions bring up sentimental value that is indescribable.

the ‘keep’ pile remains rather smallish + there is something deep inside of me that has a difficult time paring down my belongings like a minimalist.

i try to give my best ‘marie kondo’ impression + personally thank each piece for treating me well before i let it go.

and so, the mental tug-o-war continues.

for hours. sometimes days. i wrestle with the options.

as a seasoned educator, i’ve come to sense a small, yet significant parallel between cleaning out my closet + clearing out the clutter in my classroom.

at the end of this school year, i did a deep dive into the overfilled cabinets, storage cubbies, and untouched crates with instructional supplies.

in a hurried frenzy, i ditched loads of books, decor, charts, and dusty stacks of photocopies in hopes that there would be no hesitation of attachment.

it had the same effect as the closet clean-out.

exhilaration.

the more i filled the garbage can, the more successful it felt. it was liberating. the heavy burden lifted + freedom from clutter commenced.

but.

there’s always a ‘but’.

there were treasured memories tied into the educational belongings that i’d just abandoned. my heart sinks a bit, knowing that there was effort + love poured into everything that i had acquired over the past twenty years.

reminiscing over the hand-made anchor charts + various resources that served as visual guides for my students brought back the joy of carefully crafting things for them with great passion.

the stacks of outdated readers, teacher textbooks, and decor that were no longer relevant reminded me of the many years before #edtech tools came on the scene.

everything had been meticulously designated for my students to enjoy while learning.

as I wrapped up clearing out the clutter in my classroom, it became clear that this practice is so much more than the downsizing + reorganizing of books, curriculum, posters, and enrichments.

what remains in the ‘keep’ pile is fundamentally important to the setting, yet not life-changing. what has survived the process symbolizes a sheltering, nurturing classroom environment that feels safe.

a culture that we create together as a class that breeds empathy, compassion, kindness, and inclusivity.

when we get rid of the clutter, it gives clarity that the tangible things are simply not that necessary.

we use them, yes.

but it is the HOW and WHY of our journey with students that will propel us forward as we take risks, increase wonder, and strengthen curiosity.

so that anxiety about letting go of material things?

that love/hate relationship with the chore of cleaning the closet?

embrace it.

go ahead and move on, allowing all of the valuable emotions that come with the undertaking.

try asking yourself, “how likely is it that i will absolutely need this in order to teach my students well?”

the ‘i’m going to keep it, just in case’ mentality won’t provide satisfaction or stability for long.

use this as a time to reduce your distractions.

clean it up.

go digital. use google drive, dropbox, and sync it all to the cloud.

watch the paper clutter disappear. you can even keep some of those ‘just in case’ files that way.

you’re welcome.

as we are about to embark on a new year in education with our incredibly capable students, let’s think about what we should keep + what we could release and relinquish.

old habits, static thinking, accumulating more things, and outdated instructional methods can be laid to rest.

consider clearing out the educational clutter in order to make room for new innovations, approaches, and mindsets that will provide clarity to transform learning.

trust the ability to think on your feet, improvise, and invent.

it’s not the ownership of THINGS that make you an amazing educator, it’s you.

all YOU.