Spring Cleaning for Teachers

Spring is in the air. For students, the smell of spring and summer break is near and for teachers, this is a time to clean and gather energies for the last three months of the school year.

Once teachers clean, organize and get rid of unwanted books, papers and organize and refill again, there is room to assess and consider new materials and lessons.

Where to Start?

It is a good idea to start with the filing cabinet. What material is outdated and no longer in use? Are there multiple copies that are piling up? It is a good idea to keep just one master copy on file and always to save a copy on computer. Some software packages offer deals for teachers for the spring.

It is also a good idea to begin with a filing system that allows one to file according to grades and subjects. What is questionable in terms of categorizing can be put away for later use.

Old pictures and news paper clipping tend to yellow and turn brittle. Laminate colorful pictures and recycle the rest. Libraries are a great place to give unwanted textbooks and old readers that students no longer need.

Spring Cleaning Teachers Forum

For teachers in a staff teaching the same grade(s), a communal file or folder can be helpful. Are there goals and materials that have yet to be taught? Now is a good time to rethink the rest of the school year as a staff, planting the seeds for the final semester.

Follow through with New Year's Goals

Now is the time to reassess the goals that were made in January. What still needs to be done? Is there a still a need to build a resource center for teachers, expand a computer project or a tutorial program? Now is the time to reassess those options. What resources will be needed to carry out these projects?

Time for Goals - Over to you

What goals do you envision for the rest of the school year? What do you want to teach? Work out a list with the top five priority goals. Some goals are easier to work through than others so consider this goal planner to help you through. Here is a plethora of graded activities on teaching the themes of spring.

Your own personal Goals

Where are You in terms of teacher growth? What do you envision in your own personal development as a teacher? What steps do you need to take in order to reach them? Do you need more guidance in lesson planning, classroom management, or other teacher resources? Now is the perfect time to reevaluate your own goals in conjunction with those of your students.