on minimalism.

I’m no minimalist.  Somehow the salt and pepper shakers always shake their way back onto our kitchen countertop despite daily attempts to rid the counters of stuff.  Sippy cups, Dentyne-Ice, black Sharpies, whatever, they always creep their way back out of the drawers I stuff them in.  The heap of tangled I-something chargers are staring at me as I type.  Baby toys on my lap.  We have too much crap.  

Going to the extreme of living in a miniature house and standing on the toilet to use the shower is a bit out of my comfort zone, but the minimalistic approach to making life more meaningful resonates.  Who doesn’t want a more meaningful life? Less stuff equals more happiness, right? Or at least a clearer head.  

I’m a former proponent of the classroom environment checklist.  Data walls, “I can…” statements, Pinteresty anchor charts, peace corners, performance trackers and more.  When I transitioned from leadership back to the classroom, I realized that even in teaching, sometimes less is more.  Posting too much on the wall can overstimulate students and become a time suckage for teachers, especially if just to satisfy a checklist.  Visual clutter can distract from the authentic learning experience.  Posting student work to celebrate accomplishment is meaningful.  Selective anchor charts for student reference makes sense.  But all of the other stuff, c’mon.  Who is all of this hoopla for anyway?  The students?

Beyond classroom walls, there’s the paper pile-up factor.  I used to be a worksheet packet queen. Times have changed, though, and now, a self-proclaimed Google Classroom freak; I’m proud to have gone 95% paperless.  (This excludes my classroom library and novel studies, of course).  I know every school’s tech situation is different and paperless for student work isn’t always possible, but converting bulky teaching binders and filing cabinets to electronic files feels oh so good. And you can access your google drive from anywhere in the world!  

Apart from getting closer to paperless, why not try the 90/90 rule with your teacher materials? Coined by “The Minimalists,” Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus, the 90/90 minimalism rule basically states that if you look at an item and haven’t used it in the past 90 days, and you don’t plan on using it in the next 90 days, then you should get rid of it. Do you really need three staplers, including the one that jams the moment you slam it to the weathered cork board?

For me, the appeal of a minimalistic approach is the peace of mind it brings.  You know what you have, you know where it is and your focus is decluttered from things to make room for relationships and experiences.  I’m trying the 90/90 rule with my classroom first, then maybe I’ll be ready for the kitchen.  

Teaching requires focus and diligence.  Keeping a clear head on this journey allows us to get the tough job done and deliver our students the stuff that matters.  

And who wants to haul a ramshackle plastic crate on wheels full of teacher stuff to and from work each day?  Purge on, teachers:)