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Organizing! It’s not really my strong suite…you know all those Type A SLPs that have everything in order? Yeah, I’m not one of those. I do my best, but usually just get overwhelmed…I don’t find it fun to organize my stuff. I had a system that worked for me for a few years, but since then it has stopped working and I needed something new. So I spent a ridiculous amount hours reorganizing my speech life and I happy to say…I did it! Check it out…
My friend Gabrielle over at Teaching Special Thinkers had these awesome monthly bin labels, which worked perfect with the file boxes I already had. I converted from seasonal boxes to monthly with those. Then I added some smaller boxes with general themes that I use throughout the year that don’t necessarily align to a monthly theme. I found both of these boxes at Walmart for not too big price tags, but you can also get them on Amazon. Let’s peek inside…
Inside my monthly boxes, I have everything that is seasonal…crafts, TPT products, worksheets, etc. in hanging file folders. I hope to organize these further as I get to each month, but who knows #typeBforever
The smaller boxes have bags of whatever belongs. I’m a big fan of Ziploc. Or whatever store brand happens to be available that day.
Of course not everything I have belongs in any other of those boxes, I have some general activities that I need quick access to, so I got three rolling carts and printed (on brightly colored paper) categories of materials. This mostly TPT products or other random things.
Whew! Not bad, if I do say so myself! I’m pretty excited to have everything organized and ready for a new year. I feel like I know more about what I have with this system too.
Be on the lookout, next on the blog will be my theme therapy calendar for the year and an updated SLP planner! I know several of you are anxious for it and I promise I’m working hard for you 🙂
What do you do to help yourself get prepped for the next year?
![Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/db/72/cf/db72cf1f6f5da00cb2a13a90872871ea.jpg)
![Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/ae/c5/56/aec55688010e2d3489baf744dde59582.jpg)
![Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/18/b9/e8/18b9e80227dfe1789e20a21629254f79.jpg)
![Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/4d/34/85/4d3485a753178d000223a89b09162317.jpg)
![Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/da/7b/c1/da7bc16b9530451d989a578236bc2bff.jpg)
![Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/e0/21/a4/e021a465474b16201d23d0a77857935b.jpg)
![Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/fa/94/be/fa94be15b6f184b64e2e408bc762a7e8.jpg)
So inspirational! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, Jenn!! You rock the organizing thing! I hate to say but I am the abstract random SLP!! Boy do they rant on me about my room at work. I must say I am very proud of myself for having an old library work room with so many book shelves and closed cabinets. I will also pat myself on the back for keeping my books on those shelves for 4 years now!! I am one to lay them anywhere but I do an intentional picking up and put away of them at the change of holiday or end of theme or month. This is huge for me bc I had shelves in the past that didn’t always get used for books but for papers. I have manuals, super duper or linguisystems or other books on these, games stacked up high, reading picture books, and a few card parking garages for card decks. It seems that I’m doing well with that on my own. I’d love to try to copy your style with this. I tried to make folders that were giant pockets but keeping folders put away and organized is not a strong suit of mine. I even took time to write on the folders what there were in the folders, but with 2 inch folders for each theme it seems that I ran out of space quickly. Well, the thing is, I remembered that tpt keeps a log of what you buy so you can go back to the website to download them and reprint, so I felt that was more reasonable than keeping all my copies. Congratulations on finding your workable system my friend!! Happy summer!! 🙂
Thanks Becky!!! It’s hard to keep stuff organized…a list would be a great addition! Happy summer to you!
This looks great! I do something similar, but I have a lateral file cabinet and 2 small file cabinets that I keep my monthly stuff in. There are a few ‘overflow’ boxes that I had for my summer themes when I did ESY–dinosaurs, camping, beach, beach, farm, and of course my favorite–PIRATES! Also use the pirates in September for International Talk Like a Pirate Day, but I don’t work ESY anymore (yay for me–summers off!).
I keep all my pirates stuff in September too! I want to expand current themes to dinosaurs and farms too, those are good ones!
This looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing🙏🏽
You’re welcome!
Fantastic job Jenn!! I appreciate you sharing all of your ideas and hard work. I wish that I had the space to keep all of the boxes and rolling charts but perhaps I can try to modify somehow to fit my space. Thanks again for sharing! I’m looking forward to your themed therapy calendar. It was extremely helpful this past school year!!
Have an awesome summer and keep blogging! You’re awesome!
You’re so kind! Thank you! I’m sure you can find something that will fit your space, you just have to look for it…I know I’m super lucky to have the space that I have.
Thank you so much for your hard work and sharing!
Thanks so much for this great idea! I always love to see what you will come up with next. Love, love, love your ideas!!
Looks great! What I have trouble with all of the “cards” that come with so many TPT products. They cause the bags to be bulky, so they are hard to store. Do you keep the cards separate from the bagged materials, or with them?
I keep them rubber-banded in the big bags if they come with a large set, or in a smaller bag if it’s less
I use clear hanging off the door shoe organizers for all of the cards that I come with my units. If I can’t hang the organizer over a door, I put command hooks on the wall near my centers, julie
I have a large enough room thaqt I have done basically the same idea in file cabinet. One drawer for each season.Another file cabinet is used for categories. it saves so much time during the year.
Frances
This is awesome!!! Is it polite to say that I am soooo jealous!! I think I might try this over the summer.
Looking good Jenn! I hope you had a great summer!
I am so happy that I am not the only type B SLP! I am currently in the process of reorganizing all of my speech materials in the same way. I actually started before reading this post. It’s nice to see someone who thinks the same way I do! Everything looks great! I can’t wait to read your finished calendar!
These are great ideas! Thanks so much!
Where do we get the theme labels for each topic for the smaller boxes?
Great ideas! What size are the smaller boxes that the general themes are in?
I don’t know the exact dimensions, but they are much smaller and only a few inches tall.
Great idea!! Where did you get the labels for the animal, space, etc small boxes? I already got my monthly bins labels. Just have to get the bins!! I was hoping to get this done before school started but we start Monday so I have waited until the last minute. 🙂 Thanks for all your wonderful ideas!!
Thanks Jennifer! I made the others, I will see if I can find them and upload them for you!
Thanks so much for this post, Jenn! I would also be very interested in the labels for the small boxes. I think this organizational idea will be a game changer for me this school year!