Are you bogged down with too much "Teacher Stuff"? Teachers are often collectors of items that are "too good to throw away." So don't! Summer is the perfect time to have a Teacher Yard Sale!
This is the perfect way to reduce your classroom clutter (or your collection of school items at home!)... plus you can earn a little summer spending money too! You can free yourself of "teacher stuff" in 3 easy steps: Sort It Out, Organize, and Advertise!
Start by sorting out your teaching treasures and really take a good, hard look at everything you are storing in your classroom. Have you used it in the past year? Is it for a different grade level or curriculum area than you currently teach? Was it passed down from the prior resident of your classroom or a colleague?
As you are sorting, you'll see 3 main categories emerge... items to Keep, items for the Trash, and items to Sell! The Trash pile is easy (you know what to do!), and the Keep items are simply going back into your amazing, less-cluttered space. Take the Sell items and move onto step 2!
Next, you'll want to organize the Sell items into categories. People will want to buy more items at your Teacher Yard Sale if they are organized! For example, children's books, teacher resource books, craft items, games and puzzles, stuffed animals and puppets, bulletin board items, storage containers, etc. Use copy boxes, storage containers, or even tote bags. All this organization will allow your items to be better displayed and, hopefully, entice someone to buy them!
Once you're all sorted out and organized... it's time to Advertise! Pick a date and make some signs to encourage buyers to check it out. By putting "Teacher Yard Sale" on your signs you also help fellow educators know that you may have the special items they are looking for. I found a Lion's Club sponsored Flea Market site near me that was perfect for my sale. Check your area! I also advertised on my local Craig's List site to help get the word out.
I rented some tables from the Flea Market site, but any tables will do--whether you're hosting your sale at a site with others or having it at home in your front yard. Honestly, many things were just in boxes or storage tubs on the ground or laying on a blanket. I grabbed a box with a lid for my change box and added about $50 in $1s and $5s. I decided not to label individual items with prices to save time. But, I did add some signs for different categories (ex.Children's Books $1 or 10 for $8).
It was fun meeting so many brand new teachers at my Teacher Yard Sale. It felt good knowing that my "extras" were helping a teacher in the beginning of her career. I also met plenty of teachers who were looking for bargains to stock their own classrooms for the coming year. It's truly a win, win! By having a Teacher Yard Sale, you're eliminating clutter from your own learning space... but you're also helping a fellow teacher create her classroom environment.
Let me know if you decide to give it a try!
Oh girl...you are speaking to ME!!! I have an entire room full of my teacher treasures that I am just not ready to part with. Perhaps...baby steps are needed. Is there an intervention for this??? LOL! Great post!
ReplyDeleteCarla
I would love to go to a teacher yard sale. Think I probably should dig out the last of the middle school stuff in storage and give or sell it myself since I am firmly entrenched in PreK at this point.
ReplyDeleteI wish that teachers in my area did these more often getting supplies from teachers here is like pulling teeth
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