You Oughtta Know... Tips for Packing up and Shutting Down Your Classroom for the Summer

Well y'all it's just about time to call it quits for the 2014-2015 school year!!! WAAAAHOOOO!!!! We are on T minus 9 days and counting. I'm linking up with Mrs. McClain for her You Oughta Know linky to share some tips about packing up for the summer.

1. PURGE, PURGE, PURGE!!! As you are putting away things that you neglected to during the year... purge all the cabinets and files while you are in there. Rule of thumb: If you haven't used it in a year,  see if someone else can use it or get rid of it. DON'T SAVE THIS TASK FOR THE FALL... You WILL NOT have time and will start out in a mess. 

2. TAKE A PICTURE... IT'LL LAST LONGER. If you have to clear your floors, take pictures of where you have everything before you start moving it out. This way you will know right where it goes when you move it back in.

3. IF YOU LIKE IT THEN YOU SHOULDA PUT YOUR NAME ON IT. If you have to move things out into a central hallway, labeling all of your furniture with your name/room # would be a great idea. Sometimes things can get "misplaced!" 

4. MAKE YOUR SHOPPING LISTS. While you are moving things around take note of things you need for next year. Maybe you need supplies such as construction paper and paint. Maybe you need a new sheet to back your bulletin board. Make a shopping list and a list for your purchase ordering. 

5. PUT THE KIDS TO WORK. Have your students help in every way possible! They know where just about everything is and where everything goes by now. They can help sort books, paper, and thematic decorations. They can take their names off of cubbies, mailboxes, desks, etc. Give them some "Goo Gone" to get tape residue off. This is still their classroom, they have used it all year and now need to make it ready for the next group.

An InLinkz Link-up