Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/166026
FEATURE 1 42 Educator 09 Sep 2013 v3.6 int.indd 42 The first step is Sorting. "You have to know what you have, so you can make decisions about what to keep and what to let go," says Duggan. Drawers are emptied, and desk and counter space is cleared, with items placed on tables, separated into categories such as office supplies (pens, paperclips, etc.), teaching materials, student supplies, personal items, CTA materials, professional development handouts, and miscellaneous. There is a "giveaway" table. All of the items had been mixed together in drawers and cupboards. Dillon is delighted to find a screwdriver that's been missing for years. "I thought I had loaned it to a teacher who forgot to give it back, and I've been looking at my colleagues thinking, 'Are you the one?' Now I feel bad." Some items are immediately tossed, such as phone books from 2007, calendars from 2009, floppy disks and candy that has melted and re-solidified. Buried deep is a booklet titled "Seven Habits Organizer." "There's years of denial in this mess," says Dillon. "Years." S E P T E M B E R 2013 9/3/13 2:26 PM