Embracing the Chaos - Managing Stuff and Things

Executive Functioning....it's a thing

The struggle to keep organized both with time and physical space is often a huge issue for those of us who are Neurodiverse. Apparently I am both the most organized person they have ever met, and the biggest hot mess at the same time.

For years I just called it creative clutter...and to be fair I don't always see the mess. I know where things are for the most part..I am a pile person, queen of the doom bin, and collector of gadgets and shiny things...so my classroom can easily get out of control.

There are tones of great organizational systems out there...the trick is to find your style.

Today I will share with you some things that keep me from looking like the driver of the struggle bus.

Checklists

Yes...checklists.. I have them everywhere...even in my car. I don't trust myself to remember anything since my brain is often already onto the next topic while I am still getting ready for the class that's about to enter my room.

The whiteboard is key because there are tasks I want to become routine - and they may change throughout the year.

Handouts and Stuff for Kids Who are Away

Paper - why is there so much paper

When students are away I put their handouts in the folder on the board...they know to check there when they return.

I may not always get sheets into the correct folder...but I put their name on it so they can find it.

I do this when I do attendance, while the kids are doing their one minute warm up.

Adding it to my attendance routine was the key to success

Clipboards and Binders

I am a clipboard lover...I hang them on the board at the front of the room. They have a home and to support myself I have enlisted my students...one of my student jobs is "Clipboard Tracker".

Keeping Track of Student Sheet Music and Handouts

My students constantly lose music and handouts..which with budget cuts has become an issue. My solution was to move from band folders to band binders.

Keeping track of sheet music has been made easier by creating giant binders for each grade.

I divide them up by instrumentation and place one copy of every handout there.

When a student has lost a piece it is there responsibility to take the binder to the office and politely ask the secretary to make them a copy.

They are expected to then return the binder as they found it to the shelf

Pro tip

draw a line in YELLOW highlighter across the page. As long as you remember to copy in black and white..the line doesn't copy and you can see at a glance if a kiddo just scooped a handout from the binder instead of taking it to the office to get a copy.

Individual Binders instead of Folders

Out of the band student fee we purchased matching black binders, and subject dividers for each student.

I keep a master copy of the binder at the front so students can see what they should have and where it should be in their binders.

Pro Tip

Have a title page with the important info..like instrument serial number and assigned storage place...for when they lose their trombone.

The Beauty of a Smalll Workstation

This is my first year trialing a mini work station. I found a cute 1940s teacher's desk from Ontario over the summer and chalk painted it to make me happy.

Yes, it's cluttered most of the time...BUT the clutter gets out of control WAY FASTER...which is actually good because it forces me to deal with it.

I am finding that I toss less things into my doom bin.

Keeping Things in View

Pictured here - my in progress set up for percussion

Mallets and aux percussion don't get misplaced or broken as often when they are stored in plain view.

I can also see at a glance if things are put away before I dismiss percussionists.

When set up, I take a photo and post it next to the wall so that students can see what it should look like before they leave

Enlist Students to Help

I am open an honest about my diagnosis and some of my student jobs reflect that.

For elementary music I have the clipboard tracker, and music librairian as well as lead custodian

For band, the attendance helper, stand and chair crew, and paper patrol...as well as their favorite...instrument parking enforcement officer.

and I tell the kids it's ok to politely remind me to update jobs if I forget

Managing Instrument Storage

Assigned instrument storage is important

I have them record their assigned space in their black binders
I include their assigned storage space on their luggage tag...which makes it easy to find where the instrument should be

Things to Hand out and Extras

It is the Section Leader's responsibility to hand out music etc.

To make this easier I sort the handouts into folders. The section leader simply grabs the file and hands things out....any handouts for students who are away are placed in the "While you were away" file

Each band has it's own drawer, where the section leader should return the folder

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