3 Ways to Organize Now, for Next Year

I have found that it is much easier to start a NEW school year organized if I END the last year organized!
Here are three tips to help you get ready for next year, right now!

1. Plan out your projects for the year.
       I have a simple grid that I made once and just adapt each year. Its color-coded and allows me to see my entire year at a glance. Things certainly change and I rearrange/shuffle/insert/delete projects as I go, but this is a great road map to start the year with. The reason it seems to work is that I make this chart in the spring of the previous year. I can see what supplies I might need to order and it helps me see how the projects will flow from one to the next. And most of all, it makes me feel like I have most of my ducks in a row before the year even starts.

Example of Project Grid - a year at a glance

2. Organize your supply areas.
     I am blessed to have a large storage closet in my room, but come the end of the year, I just want to shove supplies in there, quickly slam the door and run out to greet summer vacation! But I know I will be so annoyed with myself in the Fall if I do that now. Go into your storage area, dedicate some time (30 minutes or so seems to put a nice size dent in such a big job) and just push through. When you find another chunk of time, clear out another section. It will be easier to come back to a clean, organized area next fall.

3. Make a Beginning-of-the-Year Checklist.
     There are so many things to do at the beginning of the school year and I don't know about you, but I'd rather walk around and socialize with all my coworkers and hear about their summers than stay on top of my to-do list. But all the fun stuff can still happen if you organize your to-do list ahead of time. Think of all the tasks you know you HAVE to do EVERY year: make seating charts, put up the calendar, type up class lists, decorate the bulletin boards, etc... Now, make a list of all of those things so that when you're done chitchatting and catching up, you've got a focused "plan of attack" for your art room. Here's an example of mine:
Beginning of the Year Checklist


Here's to hoping your school year has ended well and you're ready to rest and recharge so you're ready again next Fall.

~Amy