Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/166026
F I have no room for anything. I don't know where anything is. I have no system whatsoever. I need help. STEVE DILLON Opposite and above: Steve Dillon was literally getting buried under years of paper and "stuff" because he's not quite sure how to organize it. "I put things into piles on my desk and they live there. When the piles get too high, I put things in boxes underneath the desks. I've got plenty of space, I'm just not using it very well." The good news: After six hours of intensive reorganizing and downsizing, everything has a place and you can actually see the top of his desk. His storage closet is packed with supplies — including a bucket of cow's eyeballs — and there's a skeleton, literally, in his closet. Dillon fears he could be featured on TV's "Hoarding: Buried Alive." How did it happen? Like many CTA members, Dillon accumulates paperwork from his principal, the district office and staff trainings. When teachers retire, he grabs supplies they leave behind. There are "unclaimed" items taken from students as well as student gifts. Being president of the Corning Elementary Teachers Association (Tehama County) and Shasta Cascade Service Center Council chair brings more paperwork. And with lessons to plan and a family at home, it's tough finding time to stay organized — even though Dillon sometimes spends hours trying to find things. PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT BUSCHMAN Educator 09 Sep 2013 v3.6 int.indd 41 It's a hazard of the profession, says Tammy Duggan, author of The Uncluttered Teacher. She calls Dillon's situation "typical." Teachers hold on to stuff, she says, because curriculum is constantly changing, and they think they may need it again one day. Duggan is a second-grade teacher at Sierra Avenue Elementary School in Thermalito, Butte County, and a Thermalito Teachers Association member. She also owns a personal organizing business. We asked her to give Dillon some help. Armed with garbage bags, storage bins from the Dollar Tree Store, and plenty of can-do spirit, Duggan marches into Dillon's classroom for a mini-makeover. "We'll start small," says Duggan. "Just getting started can be overwhelming, so starting small is key." On a scale of 1 to 10, she calls Dillon an 8 in terms of clutter. Uncluttering Steve Dillon "Are you ready to let go?" asks Duggan. "Yes," says Dillon, he's psychologically prepared to depart with items. But he's nervous at the prospect of a stranger helping him go through his belongings, which is normal, says Duggan. Being psychologically ready is a big step, she tells him, congratulating him on his willingness to change. She asks him what he would like to accomplish as his main objective. "I want to be more organized and have a system I can maintain," says Dillon, who wants to concentrate on his desk area. KEEP READING TO LEARN HOW TO DECLUTTER YOURSELF IN FOUR EASY STEPS. SEP TEMBER 201 3 www.cta.org 41 9/3/13 2:26 PM