How to move classrooms, like a boss!
No teacher volunteers to move classrooms. Let's be real, it's really a huge pain in the butt! However, eventually we all know that it could happen to us. Here are some helpful tips and tricks I've learned from the two times I have moved my classroom that will save your sanity and help you move like a boss!Make a map, make a plan!
The first thing you will need to do (after taking a deep breath) is to go scope out your new space. Take a look at the room you will be moving into and try and visualize where you will want to space things when it becomes your new spot. For example, I always look for the place I want my classroom library to be first. I let a few key areas ground me (front rug area, library, teacher space) and I go from there.
Once you have it visualized, make a map! Draw out a rough sketch of your room and use sticky notes to color code your sections.
(This is an example of my map I have made for my move this summer). Use sticky notes so you can easily move spots around to map out your perfect layout. This map is super important to your moving success! Once you make one it will be your packing guide.
Map final step ---> you will want to tape this map onto the door of the room you're moving in to.
Label all the things!
Now that you have you map, get labeling! Use your color coded sticky note map to color code and match your boxes. LABEL EVERYTHING using you code, your name, and the room you are moving to. This will make the moving process so much easier, trust me!
So, why do I bother using a crazy color coding system? Allow me to explain, when I pack my 8+ boxes of books for my classroom library I will label them with a yellow sticky note. This will remind me in the crazy moving chaos that all the yellow boxes are to be piled in the back left corner of my new room. Here's the beauty in all of this, every box is placed in the space it belongs in when you go to unpack. Nothing is lost or in a pile of who knows what that will undoubtedly just get shoved in the closet until the next time you move (been there!) Trust me when I say, label with colored stickys and save your sanity!
Start Slow and Purge as You Go:
The last time I moved, I did what we all know we shouldn't do and I waited until the last possible second to do it. This resulted in me throwing everything into unlabeled boxes and dumping it into my new room in a horrid heaping pile of chaos. This time, I started slowly. I've been picking away at small sections here and there and it already seems so much less overwhelming! I've also been using the 2 year rule. If I haven't used it in two years, I'm clearly not going to. For a school supply hoarder like myself this can be a tricky task, but it really does feel good to purge all the things you've just been holding on to with no clear plan to ever use. Stick to the theme of small steps and simplify and you'll do just fine!
I hope you found this helpful, and best of luck in your move!
