Tidy Up Time

What do the words,  "Tidy Up" make you think of?

Asking your kiddos to clean up their room?

Put away their tools?

Straighten up the centers in your classroom?

Organize their tables?

Well tonight I am going to tell you about:

MY "Tidy Up Time" Experience!!!

Yes...ME...even teachers need some 

extra time to Tidy Up!

I have been teaching Kindergarten for 25 years! This being said... I L.O.V.E. making materials, collecting materials, saving materials, buying materials, inheriting materials and ok...I am saying it...HOARDING materials!

Now close your eyes and let me walk you into my Kindergarten Den at school. I am super fortunate to be teaching in a beautiful classroom with an incredible storage room that I share with my Terrific Kindergarten Teammate. Not only do I teach Full Day Kindergarten, I also present in the Paradise Valley School District, for the AZ K12 Center and Nationally with SDE!  So I am always pulling materials out of my den to use at conferences, share with friends, families and other teachers.  I naturally feel extremely happy when I can put my finger on something to embellish an activity with my kiddos or help a fellow teacher out with a tool they are looking for that they don't already have.  The BEST is when I see an idea & think...I know I have that in my den or I could make that with something in my den! 

Well...Wait for it...Wait for it... O.K. Open your eyes!!!

Did you just let out a scream?

Did your mouth fall open?

Are your eyes popping out of your head!

I know...I know...but I promise you it's all "organized chaos"!

I know what is in every bucket, every box, every corner, every nook and cranny! 

There are just a few PROBLEMS!!!

Problem #1: When I need to grab something it's like I am playing Tetris! (Insert smiley face)

Problem #2: I have collected so much S.T.U.F.F. that I could open up my own store!      (Some of you are thinking right now...is that really a problem?  LOL)

Problem #3: I have no more room for anything! 

Problem #4: I hurt my shoulder lifting a box up on a shelf that was filled to the top with, YES,  you guessed it...something GREAT! That I still need! That I can't get rid of!

Problem #5: da-da-da-da...Fire Marshal Phobia!

So while most of you were enjoying your summer vacation, getting a mani or pedi, shopping, sleeping in, getting your craft on, or traveling to a secluded island...I was at school participating in "Tidy Up Time!"

Thanks to my "Marvelous Mommy", she was right by my side the entire time helping me stay strong and encouraging me all the way through this "Tidy Up Time" process! It took us 1 week, 20 garbage bags & 5 trips to the school dumpster to get to this HALLELUJAH Moment! When we walked out of school on the last day we could actually see and feel the light at the end of the tunnel!!!! 

                                             Ta-Dah!!

                      

                                  How did we do?  

Do we deserve a pat on the back? 

A hip-hip-hooray? 

A gold star? 

Some Happy Chappy? 

Our favorite ice cream?
Should we Kiss Our Brain?

The most important part for me is that I am surrounded by my favorite teaching materials and I can't wait to do the Happy Dance each time I walk into my den to easily grab something from its clean special place! 

Leave a comment and let us know what you think of my "Tidy Up Time" Experience! (: