When it comes to my desk, I have a spot for everything. It’s also a good measure of how I’m doing. If my desk is a mess, I am a mess lol. So I really try to keep my desk space cleaned up, not only to remain organized, but also for my mental health. So here are my desk organization tips for teachers!
Pen Holder
One of the first and most important things to have in your desk is a place to hold your pens. I’m always writing passes, grading, writing notes, so having quick and easy access to pens is important!
I recommend one that has multiple sections, so you can divide up your pens – like I have my “good” pens and my “grading” pens.
Drawer Organizer
Another recommendation is having a drawer organizer or bins to help organize your drawers! My desk drawers quickly become catch-all throughout the year, so this is a great way to manage the mess and keep your desk organized!
Teacher Toolbox
One of my first projects I ever did for my classroom was create a teacher toolbox. After nearly 10 years of teaching, I still use it every day! It is a great way to organize your supplies!
There are lots of different ways to create a teacher toolbox, but I just grabbed a screw organizer and downloaded some free labels from Teachers Pay Teachers. Here is a teacher toolbox tutorial that gives a great overview on how to make your own 🙂
Coaster for Drinks
I never realized how much I needed a coaster on my desk until I got one in my Teacher Care Crate one month. But as someone that either has coffee or water on my desk, the coaster marks its spot perfect to keep my desk organized.
Checklist/Pad of Paper
Having a to-do list or just a small lined pad of paper makes for a great way to manage your tasks throughout the day and week. It’s a staple on my desk that not only helps me organize my desk, but also my time and brain!
Push Pins
I often find that there are things that I’m given to hold onto, especially at the beginning of the year. But instead of keeping them on my desk, I just pin them up on the wall near my desk. That way I can still look at them AND get them off my desk – win-win.
Clean Desk Fridays
On Fridays, through Teachergram, I’ve seen lots of #FeetUpFriday posts, which are great inspiration to clean up your desk on Fridays to have a nice clean desk at the start of the week. And if you can’t get it completely clean, at least organize it into piles of importance so you know what to tackle when you start the week. Just giving yourself a specific day and time to organize your desk each week will help you feel more on top of everything!
Having a Spot for Everything
As I mentioned a few times, having a spot for everything keeps my desk fairly organized. This means if I get something new, it goes to its designated area, not thrown into a random drawer or pile of stuff!
Hanging Folder
Something I really love having on top of my bookshelf, so basically my desk, is a small hanging folder organizer for things that I need to file away, but still have access too. The things that usually live here are papers for advisory students, extra copies or teacher models, 504s and IEPs, and helpful training documentation.
