Introducing: THE CLUTTER-FREE CLASSROOM PROJECT

Most of us are passionate about what we do and are lucky enough to have been blessed with a career that is also a hobby. We don’t mind the hard work and are dedicated to our jobs. However, as teachers we face many challenges that are out of our control.

I started the Clutter-Free Classroom to help teachers be more effective with less stress and less mess. One of the greatest obstacles teachers have is the clock. There just aren't enough hours in the day. Therefore, it is important to be efficient and organized in order to make the most of the time we do have.

My goal is to assist you in creating a learning environment that is beautiful, well-planned, organized, and purposeful. I’ve composed and compiled a collection of tips, tricks, and ideas to help and inspire you on your path to a “Clutter-Free Classroom.” (with oodles and oodles of photos of course)

Since starting this blog and opening my store, I’ve been humbled by the response, support, and feedback. I receive so many emails from amazing teachers telling me how motivated they were by something they read in my Clutter-Free Classroom Guide or on this blog. They often share something they had done as a result of a picture or idea I had given them and the positive impact it had on them.

While it is awesome to receive these messages, I began thinking about how inspiring these teachers would be to other teachers who are in similar situations. The fast-growing community of teacher/bloggers has been an inspiration to me and I feel that my teaching has improved greatly as a result of the thoughts, pictures, and ideas that have been generously shared by so many of you on your blogs.

I want to continue with my goal of helping teachers become more organized and effective, while at the same time taking advantage of the benefits of learning and gaining motivation from each other.

I’m super excited about what I’ve come up with.

It is with great giddiness that I debut to you my plans for 2012.

SUNDAYS:

Each Sunday I’ll put up a blog entry specific to the Clutter-Free Project. Each Sunday post will pose a specific topic/challenge and FREEBIES to help in completing the task. We can talk in the comments about anything related to classroom organization and management that relate to that week's challenge. Organizing is not a means to an end. It’s an ongoing process that involves habits, routines, and maintenance.

FRIDAYS:

Each Friday I will host a Linky Party based on the Clutter-Free Project Challenge for that week. Those of you who have a blog can post about your efforts taking on the weekly focus tasks and share your experiences with others. If the weekly topic is something you already do or if you have additional tips to share, you can blog about it and link up as well. Doing so will automatically give you something to blog about each week and will drive tons of traffic to your site, but most importantly it will help other teachers in the process.

While I’m kicking it off at the start of the year, the intention is that teachers will join in at any time. I am hoping that each topic/linky will continue to grow and grow throughout the year as more teacher find it and add their thoughts and ideas. I want the project to be an ongoing resource and inspiration.

Feel free to visit previous posts and link up when you complete a project or have a related idea to share at any time during the year. I'll have a page dedicated to the project with all of the weekly challenges listed and the links needed. You don’t even need a blog to participate. Simply post your thoughts, ideas, questions, and words of advice to others in the comment section...you can even do so anonymously. Easy Peasy!

If you don't already subscribe to this blog, simply click on the little "follow button" in the top left corner of your screen. This will keep you current on all of the tips and ideas.

Click here to follow my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I'll be posting a lot of FREEBIES related to the project. Following my store will automatically notify you when they become available.

Spread the love. The more teachers who participate, the more we will all learn from each other.

• Blog about The Clutter-Free Classroom Project and link back to this page. Let other's know what it is all about and encourage them to participate as well.

• Please consider adding my button to your blog by copying and pasting the code listed in my sidebar to the right. This will let others know that you are "Creating a Clutter-Free Classroom." Being accountable will keep you motivated and inspired.

• Add the Clutter-Free Classroom to your blogroll.

• Encourage your colleagues to participate. Snag my Free Printable and post it in your teacher's room or copy room. Imagine an entire school of organized teachers! All that additional time on task will be so beneficial to the building as a whole.

If you've been thinking about starting a blog this might be a good time to start. You can use it to track your progress. It's super easy to do (although slightly addictive).

I'll be back tonight with the first challenge. In the meantime...

Questions for the Comments:

So what do you think...will you join me back here on Sundays for some organizational fun? Could you use a little motivation and inspiration? Do you have ideas to share that will help others? Are you already a classroom organizational guru and would like to be considered for a Feature Teacher guest spot?

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