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Totally not calling myself out on the regular Amaz

Totally not calling myself out on the regular Amazon deliveries...but I think you may be interested in this self-imposed challenge I started.

When there's less stuff there's less to stress about, to clean up, and to just look at every day. There's also some crazy statistic that we only use 80% of the stuff in our home on a regular basis.

I found that out this summer and started a #minimalclassroom journey to reduce whatever school stress I could. (Bonus was the productivity and efficiency of having less, but we can talk more later)

It's been insanely easy to keep up with, so I have been inching my way towards a more minimalist home since ...then the holidays creep in and the threat of MORE stuff just stressed me out.

So, like most sane people do, I self-imposed a challenge (really hoping to curb my online shopping, but bigger things happened)

The rule is simple:
📦 Get a package delivered? The box needs to leave full of donations.

(It's also acceptable to fill it with random things that aren't donation-worthy but need to leave)

... That's it.

It's been about 4 months since I started this and amount of stuff I'm willing to part with is crazy🤯, also the number of deliveries was insane...

We make regular donations (and my perfectly good stuff can go bless someone else who needs it) and my stress level drops another notch knowing it's gone!

I could write a novel on all of the benefits, but if just like to know if you think you could do it?

Would you be willing to take on the challenge as we go into holiday season and online shopping?!

#decluttering #decluttertips #homeorganization #teachersathome #teacherlife #thucrew #holidayshopping #minimalistteacher #sneakyproductivity #simplifyyourlife

Teaching shouldn't be the reason I ruin my anniver

Teaching shouldn't be the reason I ruin my anniversary...

Today is 6 years with the most amazing person for me. He's been with me through so many highs and lows, supported all of my wild and crazy dreams, and is literally the kids favorite person (even over me, but that's ok because he's my favorite person too)

And tonight I was about to turn down an anniversary dinner...to catch up on grading and double check my lessons were set.

Not today.

Today I'm going to choose my family, my relationship, and my personal life over the imaginary fear that tomorrow will burst into flames if I don't spend my Sunday panicking.

And even if I hadn't spent all this time creating systems to put these #sundayscaries on the back burner, even if you don't unit plan, have a sub binder, or use some weird but simple systems to help your productivity and efficiency during the school day...well, you deserve to take your Sunday off too.

If you're not there, let's work on some simple tools together. Let's save the anniversaries, birthdays, and general weekend.

Let's save Sundays. Who's in?

#teacherlife #teachertired #iteachsecondary #iteachhighschool #iteachhs #secondaryteacher #secondaryscience #productiveteacher #letssavesundays #thucrew #scienceteacher #teachertips #efficientteacher

This might be a bit extra, but it'll also be a HUG

This might be a bit extra, but it'll also be a HUGE time saver!

I can't tell you how much precious time I lose between class periods writing passes for my students...but it's enough and it's just been drastically cut down.

These personalized @postit from @vistaprint (def not an ad, just an appreciated product) are my new time saving hack for hall passes!

Does it feel a bit "much" to have personal sticky notes? Yes. Do I care? Nope haha

(P.s. if you aren't doing sticky note hall passes they're the best way to keep students from losing them! Stick it on their binder or Chromebook and they'll remember to come make up that test or get help!)

What types of check boxes would you need on your post-its?!

#teachertip #teacherhack #teacherthings #teacherproductivity #productiveteacher #efficientteacher #teachertimesaver #hsteacher #highscoolteacher #scienceteacher #secondaryscience #thucrew

**FREE WAY TO FEEL MORE IN CONTROL (school and hom

**FREE WAY TO FEEL MORE IN CONTROL (school and home)**

Block schedules are my favorite productivity tool because they provide enough structure to get everything done but flexibility for whatever the day throws you!

I talked all about it in my stories but also sending out an email with 2 freebies and more details (click the link in bio to sign up for my email list on my website!)

First one is a general week block schedule, great for prioritizing the little things that get lost *ahem, laundry*.

The second is a mini block for those chunks of time during the school day when you need a little push to focus on finishing your daily projects so you can leave work to just your classroom (or take a big step that direction!)

**Both are going to be sent to my email list plus ANOTHER bonus coming next week 🤩)

Have you ever done a block schedule before?! Let me know!

#thucrew #teacherproductivity #secondaryteacher #highscoolteacher #teacherplanner #teacherlife #teachergram #teachersfollowteachers #productivityhabits #planitforward #scienceteacher

I didn't do today for them... I didn't dress as M

I didn't do today for them...

I didn't dress as Ms Frizzle for my students (most of them weren't sure who I was anyways 🤦🏼‍♀️)

I didn't wheel in 2 wagon loads of pumpkins and glow sticks for them.

I didn't hand out candy because they wanted me to.

I did today for myself.

I needed to feel the fun again. I needed to play around with glow sticks and hear some excitement when a pumpkin top popped.

I needed to have kids too excited to leave class because they were having so much fun.

I needed to see that we could have that LIFE in class again.

We don't get a lot of that right now. We don't have a lot of time or ability to just ENJOY the fun side of science. We don't have the same connections from before masks and screen overload... And it's been hard.

So, as I stand next to my pumpkin graveyard and see the emails flowing in from students who took videos or pictures, I get another jolt of energy.

Today wasn't related to content (well, I made it fit...loosely) but it may have just been the bright light I've been looking for in what felt like a long dark tunnel. I was tired of searching for it, so I made it myself.

And it feels good.

What's been a bright light for you so far?

#teachertired #scienceteacher #scienceteachersofinstagram #iteachscience #secondaryscience #productiveteacher #scienceteachersofig #iteachhs #iteachhighschool #highscoolteacher #hsteacher #thucrew #teachergram #iteachtoo #iteachsecondary #ITeachChemistry #ChemistryTeacher

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