Week #2 - a plan....

So the week 2 challenge over at The Clutter Free Classroom was to share your plan. Which is why I didn't really share. I can't think of a plan.

And now a week later I'm looking at the questions:

What do you plan to do with your "stuff" that you no longer want?
I know I will have lots of papers that will be recycled, some stuff will head to a landfill, but most of it will be donated: to Goodwill, the teacher's room with a 'free' sign, and to my husband's cousin who is just graduating and looking for a job. So if she can use it I will be happy to donate it.

What are your rules for purging?
This is where my plan just falls apart. For many reasons, the first of which is genetic. I think hoarding is in my genes. Second, in college my education professors made us memorize the phrase "free is for me." I haven't forgotten it. But the biggest thing is my first teaching position was in a Catholic school. I was there for four years and I learned there is a use for everything and nothing gets thrown away. My paychecks were put in one of those envelopes that comes with a credit card offer. NOTHING went to waste. But in that school I had the luxury of a large closet to store many of those things. Now I've been in public school for 4 years teaching first grade like I did in the Catholic school. So I know I can use the rule that if I haven't used it in 1 (or 2?) years it should go. But sometimes I come across those things, and think maybe I haven't used them because I forgot I had them. In coming to this school I also replaced my own retiring first grade teacher. She left everything, and was an amazing teacher so I'm afraid to get rid of things she left behind! But I'm trying to commit to this purge so here are a few rules:

1. If I can borrow it from someone else, I will eliminate it.
2. Will I ever use it? If I haven't and don't even know what it is, then it is out.
3. If it is outdated (like addition bingo that I may have used in 1987) and I can recreate it on the computer or smartboard, then I'm tossing it.
4. Go through areas twice. If I don't toss things the first time, I know with a second purge (or once I get on a roll with this) I can eliminate more of the clutter.
5. Is it something I even need to teach? Check the standards!

What have you gathered to make your decluttering task easier?
I picked up one copy paper box from the copy room to transport items to donate to the teacher's room. I hope to do just a few minutes a day so I don't want to bog myself down with any more boxes in the room. Even for the purpose of donating, recycling and trash!

Now I just need to stop picking up things that other people put out for "free" when they declutter....