The minute I heard about Netflix’s Tidying Up, I knew I had to watch. Nobody loves to tidy up more than I do.

And the more I watched. The more I understood.

“Her effortless tidying and careful, considerate regard for her home inspired Marie to cherish what you own and to live with intention and care.”

And this led to my effortless tidying and careful, considerate regard for my classroom which inspired me to cherish what I have and teach with intention and care.

The KonMari Method™️.

“Designed to help you never revert to clutter again, Marie’s teachings are centered by the Method’s one-of-a-kind selection criterion — if something brings you joy, keep it!”

The LevAli Method

Designed to help you never revert to a cluttered classroom again. Alison’s learnings are centered by the Method’s one-of-a-kind selection criterion — if something brings you joy, keep it!

Image Source: People.com

Marie Kondo has six simple rules. 

I follow four of them.

  1. Commit yourself to tidying up.
  2. Imagine your ideal classroom.*
  3. Finish discarding first. Before getting rid of items, sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose.
  4. Ask yourself if it sparks joy.

Commit yourself to tidying up.

Every afternoon, I commit myself to tidying up. Stack chairs. Wipe down tables. Move a stapler because I needed it this afternoon and it was too far away. Looking through the bin of picture books students read during Guided Reading. Making sure they are sitting upright. Moving titles around to give other books a chance to be discovered. Rearranging math bins. Putting some away. Bringing out new ones. Replenishing the paper pile. Sharpening pencils.

Imagine your ideal classroom.

When people walk in my room, they should feel a love of learning. They should see books. See paper. See pencils, crayons and markers. See space. The walls should talk to them. Everything should have a place and a purpose. The tables and the carpet should be welcoming. Simple. Easy to find materials. Easy to scoot chairs around. My ideal classroom should say, This not Alison’s room but a room she shares with her students.

Finish discarding first. Before getting rid of items, sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose.

Thank you Pinkalicious. I know my daughter loved reading you over and over again when she was little. I just didn’t have a place for you anymore on my bookshelf. But I found you a wonderful new home where you will be loved.

Thank you Apple Unit. I remember when I taught in the nineties and everything followed a theme. Apples are delicious and we had fun, but apples don’t grow in Florida and I have new ideas.

Thank you ABC Wall Strip. I just stopped thinking that my students were looking up that high to see you. I tried hanging you near the floor for a few years, but I decided to just go with individual ABC cards. Thank you for your time. A student was so excited to take you home.

Ask yourself if it sparks joy.

Teacher spelled out on a Scrabble tile rack. Sparks joy. My bucket of colorful Sharpies. Definitely sparks joy. My copy of John Spiers’ Peep! strategically placed on my Guided Everything Table. Incredible joy. I don’t imagine being able to reshelf it for a long time, even after I am done reading it aloud.

My photos of Charlie and Hannah. The deepest joy. My music box of a bunny rabbit teacher sitting at a desk. Given to me by my Aunt Lainie. Joy. My Special Lady bookmark. The one I had once given to my grandma. The one that is sitting inside Peep! Joy.

“Japanese author Marie Kondo has made a career out of urging people to get rid of clutter in their homes. But when the author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing recently suggested that books can be clutter, literary lovers were having none of it.”

So instead, I didn’t take all her advice about books; instead, I took her advice about piles.

“Get all your belongings in a single category (eg clothing) across your entire home, and put them in one pile in the same room.”

At least twice a year, I pull every book off my classroom shelves and place them in a pile on the floor. I go through them. I pull books I want to teach from. I pull books I want to give away. I pull and I stop and I read and I shelve and I display and I bin.

Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash

Thank you Marie Kondo.

*lifestyle