Cleaning rooms

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Cleaning rooms
By One note of caution....

It sounds like you are a wonderful caring teacher and I want to commend you for wanting to make a smooth ending for these youngsters. You've made it plain that teachers can make a difference in children's lives--even if
they have them for a short time period.
In regards to your comments about the cleaning--I'm sure that it is frustrating to come into such an unorganized room and I can understand you're wanting to clean it up. However, I really think you should be boxing up things you want to throw away and give the regular classroom teacher a chance to look through them. And I would hesitate to do

too much rearranging--even when you know it's a much better plan--since you will be there such a short length of time.

I'm speaking from experience here. I will be the first to admit that I'm not the most organized person in the world. I came back to my classroom after a year's leave of absence and spent most of the following year looking for things. Since I knew I would be returning, I had left most of my personal items there for my replacement to use.

The other teacher (who was very organized)had entirely rearranged the cupboards and was very excited about the changes she had made. She showed me all the things she had done. (I know she was certain I would think they were a big improvement!) Things did look more organized. Many of her ideas were great and I even utilized them in my next school.

Yet her rearranging things was a problem for me almost the entire year. I got tired of having to go to her and ask where things were. (She ended up staying at our school and teaching.)
My things may not have been perfectly organized--but at least I knew where to find things when I wanted them.

Since she had my class for an entire year I feel she had the right to arrange things in the way that she could teach best. Even if it was hard for me to come back and find things in a different spot, she needed to do what worked for her. I had only the highest respect for her as a professional and a colleague. (Even though I did get frustrated many times that following year.)

I do feel that since you are not going to be there that long, you might want to consider how your "organizing" is going to impact the next teacher. There is such a thing as an "organized mess" and many teachers who have less than tidy rooms do know just where to find the materials they need.

Just a thought...