A Teacher's Clutter

Yes, I am a teacher. And yes, I have clutter--glorious paper clutter--everywhere. And I don't just mean on my desk. I mean around my desk, under my desk, beside my desk. If there's a locative preposition for it, I can put clutter there!  Here's a peek at just two shelves AFTER I cleared a few things.

And I'm trying to reform my cluttered ways, because they aren't limited to my desk. I now work full-time on-line, from my home office, so the clutter is housewide. But I am changing with the help of a very organized friend! She is a God-send, and I am blessed to have her help. She is helping me learn a whole new way of looking at my things. While I still have a million textbooks, I have managed to part with the ones that have nothing to do with my subject area!

My mom is a retired, cluttered teacher, and also a hoarder (of objects, "collectibles", not trash, but nonetheless a hoarder). I was getting that way fast just from being overwhelmed at the multi-tasking required to be a work-from-home mother and teacher. I HAVE to simplify to survive! And hopefully stop the clutter gene from taking over my children, too. My sister is a neatnik, so I have hope that my kids will be more like her and less like I have been (Remember, I am changing my ways!).