Pack it up and take it home

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Home : 2002 : February : 27

Pack it up and take it home
By Cindy

Ok I should be an expert in packing up your classroom. We were year round for the first 5 years I worked at my school. This meant packing and moving at least 3 times a year and I never seemed to begin a year in the same classroom
that I ended in. Then my packing problems were solved because part of our school burned down. The part where my class was. So I didn't have anything to pack. As you can see it still stings.
But anyway back to the question. I found that you have to plan ahead. Decide what you want to do the first day or week of school. Then think of what you will need to do these things. Try to

keep it simple. Think of what the students will need... pencils, crayons, journals. Think of what you will need... items for your desk, teacher's books you will use right away.I always made sure I had at least some free reading books for the students, but not the whole classroom library. Put these things in a box(or more likely boxes) that is labeled.These would be the things that would be best for you to store at home.Pack and label everything else in a system that works for you. Maybe all math materials together and so on or by where they go in the room.I liked to use the clear plastic storage boxes I found a Target so I could see in them. A lot of the materials got left in them until I needed it instead of taking it all out and putting it on a shelf and then putting it in a box again for the next move.

If you have your "first week" boxes at home they will be ready to go when you are. Chances are some things stored at school will get misplaced and may not find their way to you for days.

Is the school going to give you time to pack and unpack? We didn't always get this so I had to be ready to go. And my "first week" boxes helped. Then after school that first week I could spend sifting through everything else.

Be thankful you don't have to do this often because teachers have a lot of stuff! Good luck!