Organization Week Day 1: Classroom!

Welcome to Organization Week!  I have a little confession to make.  I love office supplies.  And school supplies.  And pretty baskets and bins.  Hi, my name is Lauren, and I have a post-it note addiction.  lol.  I'm excited about this week because I can share with you my love for all things paper and baskets and labels.

Day 1.  Classroom Organization!

I use the term "classroom" loosely.  I know that some therapists do not have their own classrooms all to themselves.  I actually share mine with another therapist.  Some of you may even work out of a storage closet, basement, or a random place in the school sectioned off by partitions.  Heck, your office may only consist of a giant super duper bag and a rolling cart.

No matter where you find yourself next school year, I hope a few of these organizational tips might help you.
This post may contain amazon affiliate links.

#1 Utilize your wall and door space.

If your space is small, you need every inch you can get.  Make good use of your wall and door space with over the door organizers, hanging files, or cork boards.

How pretty is this one?

Over the Door Storage Pockets  

Or use one of these to store arts and craft supplies, card decks, tongue depressors, and more!

42-Pocket Over-the-Door Organizer

Love this for important reminders, plus you can use the dry erase part for therapy!

Magnetic Dry Erase/Cork Combo Board

#2 Plastic drawers and cutesie bins are your friends.

"A place for everything and everything in it's place."  As annoying as that mantra has always sounded to me, it is unfortunately true if you ever want to find anything.  Drawers, pockets, and bins are a big help when you have lots of little supplies, like I do.

I got this tall plastic drawer storage from Walmart to hold my arts and crafts.

I put lots of the supplies I use frequently in this Thirty-one pocket bucket and keep it on my table. :)

I love this rolling cart (excuse the messy top drawer from being sloshed around on top of my cubbies).  I keep all of my working materials in this cart next to my kidney table. The supplies and themed materials for the week are kept in the drawer and files for me to just grab and go.  This way I don't have to hunt for them or get them out each day.

I got this one a few years ago, but here is one that is similar: Safco Onyx Mesh File Cart .  Or make your own teacher toolbox, like this one.  Just revamp it for an SLP.

#3 Label it...but make it pretty.

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times.  Labels are essential to staying organized.  Drawers and pockets may hold your supplies, but labels will help you keep putting it back there and keep stray objects from finding their way inside.

Find these free labels HERE!

Going the extra mile to make the labels pretty and uniform will give your speech room that "put together" look.

These cute chalkboard labels are included in my new Back to School Classroom Starter Kit.

You can even use labels to help "conceal" some of your clutter, kind of like Charity from The Organized Classroom Blog does HERE.

#4 Sort materials into ziplock bags and crates.

How do you store your TPT materials?  I know some that use binders or boxes (great ideas!).  I like to use ziplock bags and file crates.  I put all of the materials for a packet inside the ziplock then arrange them by theme or disorder.

I like this system because I can quickly glance and grab what I need without digging too much.  TPT materials aren't the only thing you could do this with.  You could also sort card decks, worksheets, or other therapy materials in crates and baggies.  :)

#5 Get creative.

Sometimes you have to use a little imagination and get creative with your organizing, especially if you're on a tight budget.  For example, you might place command hooks on the side of your shelf or the inside of your cabinet to hang scissors or supplies.  OR use the back of your teacher desk like a board.  Hang things you need on it or make it functional for you in some way.

Stand back and assess your space.  What can you make functional?  How can you make it work for you?

You can also get some great ideas from Pinterest.  You can follow my speech room organization board for some ideas.  This buzzfeed article has lots of cute ideas for teachers that you may be able to make work for you.
 

Image from BuzzFeed 

The important thing is to find what works for you and stick with it.  Make it pretty.  You have to be there for most of your day most of your week, so you want to be able to enjoy your space.  :)

Check out my blog post from last year for a few other essential items you might need for your room.

Be sure to check back tomorrow to find out how I handle paperwork!

How do you keep your speech room organized?  I'd love to hear your ideas!!

Is It That Time Already?!

So I go back to school August 4.  Yes, the 4th.  As in 3 weeks away.  This means I'm in and out of my classroom getting things ready for the next couple of weeks.  (Gotta get it done before I go on vacay!)  It always takes me a few days to get things arranged.  Plus, I'm doing a little decoration overhaul.  (stay tuned for that!)

This is what I'm dealing with.  During the summer the custodians mop and wax the floors, which means they move my entire room.  EVERYTHING goes off the floor and on a shelf, including my computers, printers, supplies, etc.

Yes, those are my printers on top of my cubbies.  Lol.  This is where project organize comes in.  My classroom needs it's structure back!

I'm so thankful for a lot of space to work with.  It's a nice size area to share between 2 therapists.  

Next week I'll show you how I get this space back into shape a little.  Or at least some of the ways I like/plan to organize it.  I'll even share some ways I deal with paperwork and collect data.  Check back Monday-Friday with lots of fun ideas and tips that hopefully you can take back to your classrooms as well!  

Here's the schedule!

Hope you stop by!

Thrifty Finds and a Sale!

Linking up with Speech Room News today to show my thrifty finds!  I have to admit my local thrift store was a little underwhelming this time.  It really took some digging to even be able to come up with the things that I did purchase!  

Here were my fabulous items that I scored!

1.  Operation!  It's even the new version and it was only $2.  Great reinforcement for my kids.  Maybe I'll even stick tiny foam shapes in there with their artic words on them!  :)

2.  A magic hat set.  Also for $2.  I figured this would be fun to use by placing objects in the hat or under the cups for describing, identifying, artic, etc.  Cute!

3.  Lots of cheapo kids books!  Any SLP can always use more books, right?  It's what we do best!  I love them and am always on the lookout for good ones that are short enough for a therapy session yet appropriate for my kids.

These were some of my favorite finds.  I've also found some pretty decent pretend play toys in the past and books of course.  Since I'm not at work these days, I can't post pics of those.  ;)

Be sure and head over to Speech Room News to check out all of the other amazing finds!

Oh, and I'm participating in the SLP 4th of July Sale!  Be sure and visit my TPT store to get a head start on those things you'll need for next year!

2014-2015 Speech Therapy Planner Review

How do you like to keep track of your paperwork and keep your speechie self organized?  Do you use a computer-based calendar?  A fancy expensive planner?  A TPT product?  Your phone?  Post-it notes scattered all over your desk?  I think I've probably used all of the above in the past.  For some reason I keep going back to good old paper.  I just love pretty printables and designs and washi tape.

Now I do use my outlook calendar for appointment reminders, but for the million other things I have to organize and keep track of I'm just loving my planner!  A couple of you have asked how I set mine up and use it....so get excited because I made a little video to review it!  I wanted to go ahead and show it to you now before I started filling it out with a bunch of confidential info.  ;)  You can view it near the bottom of this post.

I've also added 2014-2015 calendar add-ons for those of you who don't want to sit and hand write in all of the months.  There are even a few additional covers included as well!  The calendar and covers match the rest of my newly updated planner and are available in both colors and black-and-white.

Here is a little preview of what's inside the TPT full planner packet!

All of these pages are available in both color and black-and-white as well!  Check out my full review from my video here:

Enter the contest on the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win both the Speech Therapy Planner and the 2014-15 Calendar Add-Ons!  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To-Do List Stickers!! {FREEBIE}

As SLPs I think it's safe to say that we are all familiar with the list.  We make list of kids, a list of reasons why, a list of supplies, or especially a to-do list.  Though actually doing the things on the list isn't always the most fun part of my day, it definitely helps if the list is bright and cutesie!

Maybe something like this??  ;)  I made these adorable list stickers that can be printed onto label paper or sticker paper and stuck right onto your planner or binder pages.  Here's what mine looks like on my planner:

You could also print them on regular paper and cut them out.  Stick them wherever you'd like with washi tape or double sided tape.  They come in both color and black and white designs.  

Grab this freebie from my TPT store HERE.  What do you think?  I might just use these in my new Erin Condren planner that I just ordered as well!

Summer = Reading Books on My List

I heart reading...no really.  It's one of my absolute favorite things to do, especially now that we keep getting these summer rain showers almost every other day.  There's something about rain that makes me want to curl up with a good book and cup of coffee and climb into someone else's world for a bit.

I thought I'd share a little peek at what's on my Kindle just in case you're a fellow book-lover.  Be sure and check out last year's book list post as well to get even more ideas!  A couple of disclaimers:  These books are not all speech related - just a good mix of what I'm wanting to read.  Also this post contains Amazon-affiliate links for your convenience.

1.  Bridge to Haven ~ Francine Rivers

I have been waiting for this one!  It's Francine Rivers's new book and I just know it's gonna be amazing like all of her other ones.  It tells the story of a small town girl in the 50s who's trying to be a movie star.  Of course it will have an underlying spiritual element with grace and redemption at the forefront.  Yay!




2. The Selection ~ Kiera Cass

This book is supposed to be something like The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games but much less violent.  It's a futuristic setting where 35 girls compete for the heart of the prince.  Just a fun easy read.






3. The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism ~ Naoki Higashida

This is the first book in the SLP book club hosted by [simply speech.].  It gives a glimpse into the mind of a 13 year old boy with autism and how he struggles and responds in different situations.  Sounds fascinating!





4. Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem ~ Kevin DeYoung

This one's a Christian book that helps to find a balance in our crazy busy world.  He gives lots of biblical principals to help us find the root of our busy problems.






5.  I Am in Here: The Journey of a Child with Autism Who Cannot Speak but Finds Her Voice ~ Elizabeth Bonker

This is another book about a child with autism.  This little girl learns to communicate by letter board then by typing and eventually begins to write amazing poetry.  Sounds right up my alley!






6. Defending Jacob: A Novel ~ William Landay

This one was recommended to me last year.  It tells the story of an attorney who ends up having to defend his son in a murder investigation.  Sounds like a thriller for sure!






7. Out of My Mind ~ Sharon Draper

Here's another one that was recommended to my by a fellow speechie.  I think it's geared toward young adults, but it tells the story of a young girl who can't walk, talk, or write.  I'm excited to give it a read.






8. Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World ~ Bob Goff

This book tells Bob's story of impacting the world by a real, faith-based love.  It was recommended by a co-worker, so I was interested in checking it out.








I usually read at least 10 books, so I'll probably read the rest of the trilogy by Kiera Cass as well as whatever other books are in simply speech's reading club.

What books are on your list this summer??  I'd LOVE to hear from you!