It may look like a mess, but...

If you know me, to say that I lack organizational skills that most teachers have is an understatement.  My friend, Kim Adsit, always says she's Type A and I'm Type Z!  Proof of that can be found in a corner of my classroom dedicated to my "stuff".   As hard as it is to believe when you look at it, I do know where everything is in that corner and how to quickly find anything I may be looking for.  One of the reasons behind the mess is that I'm never back there.  I'm always out with my kids around the room or working in small groups at my table.  Due to my lack of organizational skills, I like to think I'm a little more accepting of having messes in my classroom like the one pictured here.

To an outsider, this probably looks like a huge mess of things that just weren't put away.  It is, in fact, quite the opposite.  These are what my whole group lessons look like most of the time.  I make it a point to keep my kids as involved as possible.  They are rarely just sitting and listening to me talk, unless it's during a story or quick instructions for an activity.  Where you see a mess, I see a group of kiddos that were so into our Math lesson that I made it work until the very last minute before lunch!  We were learning about counting on, ten frames, base ten, and so much more!  The kids were learning how to use different strategies to solve a story problem.  They were then using those strategies to discuss the problem with a partner and come up with their own answers.  The best part?  The number of problem solving strategies being used extended the teaching beyond what I had done.  The kids were now teaching each other without me ever telling them to!  They were all so involved and engaged that I couldn't bring myself to stop the lesson any earlier!

Remember that your time with these kiddos is extremely valuable.  We only have so many hours in the day to spend with them and we need to make every second count.  If your room ever looks like this because you were caught in a teachable moment, then OWN it!  Believe in your reasons for teaching the way you do, and if you have a mess like this every now and then, use it as proof that what you are doing is working!  Happy teaching! -Adam