Your teacher desk is the most essential yet the most underrated part of your everyday life. Think about it. You start your day at your workplace, you work there throughout the day, and finally, you end your day there too. But do you really pay attention to how it looks? If your answer is no, you’ve got some serious organizing to do.
Today you will find some straightforward but practical organization tips for your teacher desk. However, make sure this organization is long-lasting. Make it a habit and once you set up your workspace, make sure you maintain it that way.
The Psychology Behind A Clean Teacher Desk
If you think the cleanliness of your teacher desk only has visual importance, you’re mistaken. A large body of research supports the claim that a messy and unorganized workspace can affect you psychologically. If you continuously get an unorganized visual stimulus every day, it will eventually reduce your focusing abilities, depress your mood, and drain your cognitive resources. Moreover, a clustered environment also triggers avoidance and coping strategies. Thus, if you think you are procrastinating more than usual, a messy desk might be the reason.
Several studies also support this fact by showing positive results when the workspace is clean. Studies conclude that once you have a clear desk to work on, your productivity increases dramatically. Surprisingly enough, people who have cleaner, organized desks also have better social relationships in their workplace. Their mood stays uplifted, and they become a positive person overall.
Organize Your Desk Based On Your Personal Needs
The first step to organize your teacher desk is to identify your needs. Think about what you are trying to accomplish.
- Start by making a plan.
- Separate your desk into four different boxes. You can do this on a piece of paper or in your head.
- Now brainstorm several activities that you do at your workspace every day. These activities can include attending phone calls, grading papers, computer work, etc.
- Assign these activities to the different boxes you made.
- Arrange supplies accordingly. Place your computer in its corresponding box. Make sure that you can use it easily. Similarly, put your phone in a particular box as well, ensuring that you can reach it quickly and easily without a hassle. Place your stationery, files, and other supplies accordingly.
- Move things around until everything looks good.
Best Teacher Desk Organization Tips
Cleaning a teacher desk for the first time can be a little tricky. So, to make the organization easier for you, here are some useful tips for cleaning your desk in no time.
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Declutter
Before you start rearranging things, it is best to declutter the workspace first. Remove all unnecessary items from the area. Put unwanted papers in the shredder and throw unusable stationary into the waste bin. Let go of anything that you don’t use or need anymore. Now, start organizing with a clean canvas, using only the things that you need.
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Place Everything Based On How Often You Need It
If you’re confused about where to put what, try placing everything according to how frequently you use it every day. Contrary to what a lot of you might think, you don’t need everything on your teacher desk all the time. For example, you don’t need access to all the files all the time. However, your phone, computer, and essential stationery should always be within your reach. This way, you won’t have to get up or move around too much every time you need something.
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Avoid Paper Clutter
Paper clutter is the fastest way to make your desk messy. Avoid it at all costs! Immediately discard papers that you don’t need and make sure you assemble the rest neatly. Use files and folders, use paperclips, and put the papers somewhere in an organized way. Not only will this help avoid the clutter and mess on the table, but it will also be easier for you to find specific documents when you need them.
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Labels And Organizers
Just like papers, other things like stationery on your desk can also sometimes create clutter. Use organizers and label them. Again, this will help reduce the mess and help you find things when you need them. It will be especially helpful in an emergency.
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Clean Everything At The End Of The Day
Once you’ve organized your work desk, it is time to maintain it. The best way to make sure that your table stays mess-free is to clean it every day when you are leaving. This way, it will look clean and inviting when you come again in the morning. Plus, you will have one less task on your to-do list the next day.
Organize Your Life Too!
If you’ve organized your teacher desk, think about organizing your work life too. If you sit at your desk, slamming the keyboard keys with frustration, consider using a hack for your typing. Using tools like KeyboardingOnline software enhances your typing skills and speed and improves your accuracy. This way, you are much less frustrated sitting at your workplace and can keep your surroundings positive and organized.