Re-evaluate Your Organizing Systems

Do you ever go through periods in your work life when things are so incredibly busy, you can’t even seem to take a breath?  Work events are stressful, the pace is quick and harried, and there is seemingly never enough time in a given day to catch up.  As a teacher (like most all teachers), I feel I’ve been “through the paces” with this whirlwind kind of a feeling ever since the beginning of the school year.  Setting up the classroom, preparing lesson plans, copying unit pages, getting to know my new batch of students, assessing, collecting data, grading (and grading and grading), as well as holding parent conferences…It’s often a time of intense, focused energy.

But the other day, I took a small breath, if only for a moment.  Don’t get me wrong–school life is still very busy, and there are multiple things to plan for and consider each and every day.  I have many on-going assessments to evaluate for instruction, units to plan for, things to grade yet, and grade cards to think about in just a few weeks as well.  But, I could almost identify the brief moment of calm at the end of the day recently.  And I thought to myself, “It’s a good time to re-evaluate…” What does this mean?  I felt compelled to ask myself various questions that would help me to determine how things were going with my instruction, and to figure out what I felt needed to change, if only slightly, to ensure that I am providing the best possible educational opportunities for my students.

Though I am still in the process of this re-evaluation exercise, I think it’s a great idea to also take time to re-evaluate our systems for staying organized in our lives.

Ask yourself these questions in reflecting on and re-evaluating your own organizing practices.

• Are the organizing systems you have implemented for your home, office, or classroom providing a true sense of efficiency for you?  Do they save you time? Do you feel happy with these systems?
• Do any of your organizing systems seem like too much work?  Think about simplifying. Often changing or “tweaking” one or two small things can make a big difference.  Or, perhaps the systems you’ve implemented just aren’t your style, even though others may use these systems successfully.  It’s okay (and important) to find your own unique personal preferences.  As I state in my book, Organized Teacher, Happy Classroom, ”Consider your own personality, style, and personal preferences…No organizing style is superior to another.  If your organizing style works for you, it is a successful style (p. 13).

• Have you gotten bored with an organizing system or method you are using?  Is there something a bit more appealing that you could implement in order to contain your papers, supplies, or materials?  Research your favorite stores or online resources.  You may find something creative that you had not considered before that can help you rejuvenate your organizing efforts.
• Ask yourself the age-old organizing questions in regard to your spaces:  ”What is working for you?” and “What is NOT working for you?”

Taking the time to re-evaluate areas of our lives will help us to move forward in becoming even more organized.  Re-evaluation is often something we simply overlook due to time constraints and daily interruptions.  But taking the time to actively reflect about what is or is not effective can help us move soundly toward our goals, whether they are personal, social, spiritual, or work-related.

May we all allow ourselves the gift of this practice in our lives.