Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/381166
Tammy says: Rosser had a lot going on in his life. Besides the crazy pace of teaching, he and his wife recently had their second child. His first job was to create a workspace that was used just for work. As with most folks, he needed to carve out time to do an initial cleaning of non-teaching items that had crept into the work area. Then we talked about ways to better organize his space. Things that he used most often needed to be close by. I shared suggestions on types of containers that would best suit his needs. Scheduling a time to stay on top of things was necessary so things did not get out of control again. Taking 10 minutes a week to put things away keeps you from needing three hours to put things away four months later. Rosser says: I learned to let go of unnecessary stuff that will add to the clutter and eat up functional space in my home office area. I now have a special container where I easily toss stuff that doesn't belong to the office space for reorganization at a later time, and I have a regular time once a week, if not every day, to keep my office area clean and organized. It is a must to invest in a shelf and containers — that will transform limited space into functional space. My family and I would like to say "Thank you very much" ("Maraming salamat" in Filipino) for this opportunity, for the time and the support. Your help did not stop here in my home office space. Your help extended to our whole house and to our home. "Please pick my husband," wrote Ver Marie Myr of her spouse ROSSER PANGGAT, Monterey Bay Teachers Association. "He is a dedicated high school health educator and Regional Occupational Program instructor. He is a really good teacher at heart. He says teaching touches people's lives, and teaching is his calling. There is just one thing that holds him back from being a great teacher, and that is the clutter." Tammy says: When I saw her photos, it seemed to me Mercedes had things in decent order, but, like the others, papers kept her busy. For clubs she runs, I suggested she keep two files (and only two). One is for current information — calendars of upcoming events, current member list, information and contacts for current/upcoming projects. All other information gets placed in an "archival" file for that club. This is where you keep ideas for future projects or even past events. All of those reference materials that you do not need on a daily basis, but may need to refer to once in a while. Of course, all files should be gone through once a year to make sure the information is still relevant. Mercedes says: First, thank you for the opportunity to meet Tammy Duggan. Although I do not think my room looks clutter-free, I am clutter-free and happy. It makes me smile because I know where my materials are for all my projects, and they are easy to find. I learned that once everything has its place, it's easy to keep the clutter away. I may have a to-do pile, but I don't have to think about it right now because it's where it's supposed to be — on my clutter-free desk in the to-do tray. Tidying up my desk takes less than five minutes once or twice a week. And thank you for so much for the $25 gift card. "I need help. I have moved five times," wrote MERCEDES JACKSON, Moreno Valley Educators Association. "Each time I move, I get more lost in my stuff. I taught seventh and eighth history, was a team and grade-level lead, and currently teach eighth-grade U.S. history." CTA & You 53 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 2