| As a teacher, do you ever have the feeling that | | | | - snacks |
| you can't possibly squeeze one more item into | | | | - stamps |
| your cram-packed day? Or, have you ever spent | | | | - stapler |
| time (that you didn't have) looking for a file or a | | | | - Standards |
| piece of paper or a pile of handouts or an agenda | | | | - stickers |
| that you needed to take to a meeting (or heaven | | | | - sticky notes |
| forbid, even some report cards that needed to | | | | - sweater |
| be handed out!)? At the end of a long day, have | | | | - tape dispenser |
| you ever felt frustrated by what you didn't get | | | | - teachers' editions |
| done? It's possible that you are experiencing what | | | | - telephone |
| Ralph Keyes calls 'timelock,' which is "the condition | | | | - timer |
| that occurs when claims on our time have grown | | | | - treats for students |
| so demanding that we feel it's impossible to wring | | | | - water glass, cup, or bottle |
| one more second out of a crowded calendar" | | | | - your own book to use during Sustained Silent |
| (Timelock, p. 5). | | | | Reading |
| If you know this feeling, then one place where | | | | Now, if you need to do so, look up the word |
| you can start to gain some control is at your | | | | 'desk' in a dictionary. You are going to find |
| desk. Sit down at your desk, with this article | | | | definitions similar to the following:desk: (n) 1. a |
| printed out and in hand. Now, read through the list | | | | frame or table equipped with drawers, |
| and check off all of the items in the list below | | | | compartments, etc., and a flat or sloping top for |
| that are on -- or in -- your desk. (You should do | | | | writing, drawing, or reading. Webster's Deluxe |
| this while you are seated at your desk, not from | | | | Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd ed.desk: 1. an article of |
| memory). Then, when you have checked off the | | | | furniture for a library, study, church, school, or |
| appropriate items, continue the list with the items | | | | office, the essential feature of which is a table, |
| I have not included. I've left space there for you | | | | board, or the like, intended to serve as a rest for |
| to write in those additional items that you find. | | | | a book, manuscript, writing paper, etc., while |
| - bandaids | | | | reading or writing, for which purpose the surface |
| - books to read aloud to students | | | | usually presents a suitable slope. Oxford English |
| - calculator | | | | Dictionary |
| - calendar | | | | You may think that you did not need to read a |
| - candy | | | | definition of a desk--because you already know |
| - clock | | | | what a desk is. But, I put these definitions in here |
| - coffee (or tea) cup | | | | for a reason: You will note that nowhere in the |
| - colored pencils | | | | definitions does it state that desks are for storing, |
| - computer, monitor, and keyboard | | | | stacking, piling, landing, etc. DESKS ARE PLACES |
| - crackers | | | | FOR WORKING! A desk is not a shelf. A desk is |
| - extension cord | | | | not a permanent repository. A desk is not a |
| - extra shoes | | | | cupboard. |
| - files | | | | What would you call yours, at this time? Look |
| - flowers | | | | back at the list that I asked you to check off. Put |
| - fruit | | | | a U next to any of the items that are |
| - gifts from children | | | | Unnecessary for you to do your work. Put an N |
| - gum | | | | next to the ones that are Necessary for you to |
| - handouts for the day | | | | do your work. |
| - handouts for the week | | | | Grab all of those items that you determined are |
| - hole punch | | | | Unnecessary and apply one of the three T's: |
| - in and/or out box or tray | | | | - Toss them, |
| - information for a substitute | | | | - Take them where they need to be, or |
| - ink pad | | | | - Transfer them to their rightful owner. |
| - items that have been taken away from | | | | Next, take those items that you deemed to be |
| students (for disciplinary reasons) | | | | Necessary and apply one of the three P's: |
| - Kleenex | | | | - Plan for what goes where (which means |
| - knick-knacks | | | | everything needs to be out of and off of your |
| - lessons plans | | | | desk before you being re-placing items), |
| - lotion | | | | - Place them within easy reach based on the |
| - markers | | | | frequency with which you use them, |
| - medicines (your own or others') | | | | - Pare down the numbers (e.g., 2 food bars in |
| - notebooks | | | | your desk is fine; a box of 12 is not), |
| - panti-hose | | | | If you begin to take stock (using the list in this |
| - papers to grade | | | | article) and then eliminate (or move to the |
| - pencils and pens | | | | appropriate spot in your office or classroom) all of |
| - pencil jar | | | | those items that don't help you do your work, |
| - pictures of family or friends | | | | then your desk will be able to be described using |
| - roll book | | | | one of the definitions. Remember, your desk is |
| - rewards | | | | meant to be place to work. You need that and |
| - scratch paper | | | | your students need you to have such a place. |
| - shoes | | | | |