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I selectively save. If I know I am going to use something again, I keep it. If not, I toss it. However, in the last couple years I've been a lot more careful with stuff because I know our budgets will be cut. At the end of the year I used to give leftover art supplies, etc. to the kids, but not this year.
Border line collector or as my wife refers to my 1200 sq ft compilation--YARD SALE MATERIAL..
To be honest it has been reduced. At one time it occupied nearly 2000 sq ft and included overheads, several steel cabinets, textbooks from K-12 and nearly every kind of workbook imaginable.
Since we left the north country, I must admit it is nice to have reduced the load.
Cannot believe I am going to do yet another reduction--of my own freewill....
I've only been teaching 5 years but my "collection" is huge. As a 3rd grade Special Ed teacher I needed things for all different levels-books, workbooks, manipulatives, craft projects. I just started teaching reg. ed. 5th grade and I don't want to give up my other stuff in case I go back to a lower grade. I invested a lot of time and money into my "collection." So as others mentioned, I recommend keeping a well organized file of originals and then keep whatever has real value. I have packed, moved, and unpacked every year. This year I will need to find a more permanent space in my garage for all the 3rd grade stuff I wont need next year...but may come in handy at some other time.
About some things, yes. Other things, no. And probably the opposite of what would actually be helpful. I tend to throw out paper masters because I figure it'll be easier and quicker to just make a new one next year than to locate the old one, and I don't file very well - either in a filing cabinet or on my computer.
But I tend to hoard books, manipulatives, boxed activities and things like that because I'm always sure I'll think about it someday and say "I wish I still had my...". Which is the bulkier stuff. But man, I wish I had my blown emu egg back. I left it at another school I worked at instead of keeping it. And that's the kind of thing that makes me reconsider throwing away anything like that!
I must admit I am the proverbial pack rat when it comes to materials I might use at some later time. I used to think "why am I keeping this, I'll just end up throwing it away." Well, let me tell everyone, with the budget cuts and poor economy I have had little if any monies coming in to purchase supplies for my science classes this year and I have used that stuff I thought I should have thrown out.
This year we were allowed only a certain number of copies per month. I copied classroom sets of the needed documents and yes, I have saved them to use again next year. While I do save everything possible on a thumb drive, if I copied it, this year I saved it!
this year I am proud to be a pack rat. My students had hands on materials because of my clutter habit.
To a point, yes. I teach pull-out ESL across 9 grade levels. I try to only keep things I think I'll use again, and I'm only keeping it if I can keep in in an organized way. If I cannot find what I have, then there's no point in having that much stuff.
With the end of my first year teaching upon me, I find myself unwilling to throw a lot out. I keep thinking, "hmm, I bet I can use this for something..." It's impractical since I have to pack up my entire classroom at the end of each school year and bring it all back the week before school. Does anyone else do this?
I am building a storage shed to store all of my teaching supplies which are now in my garage and house. I am in a cycle of losing units and having to switch schools so I hate to load up my classroom when I may get transferred next year!
With budgets for materials being cut yearly (this is historic) teachers save things out of necessity. Yes theories change but in many cases information really doesn't. Two plus two is still four (at least in Base 10) and the Titanic always sinks.
I think being a pack rat goes with the territory of teaching.
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If I know I am going to use something again, I keep it. If not, I toss it. However, in the last couple years I've been a lot more careful with stuff because I know our budgets will be cut. At the end of the year I used to give leftover art supplies, etc. to the kids, but not this year.
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