As the school year winds down, many of us are knee-deep in classroom cleanup—sorting, purging, and prepping for summer break. But before you toss that stack of leftover photocopies into the recycling bin, let me share one of my favorite end-of-year teacher tips that has saved me countless hours (and headaches):
Organize your leftover photocopies now—your future self will thank you. 🙌🏼
Better yet? Use this momentum to fully revamp your systems with the Get Organized course, a step-by-step program to help you walk into September calm, confident, and totally prepped.
Let’s be real: we all have them—those extra rhythm worksheets, drama handouts, or unfinished music theory pages that didn’t make it into student hands this year. But instead of scrapping them, give those pages a second life!
Here’s why it’s worth keeping and organizing your extras:
✅ Saves planning time next year
✅ Provides ready-to-go sub materials
✅ Helps with early finishers and unexpected schedule changes
✅ Reduces waste and supports eco-friendly habits
✅ Builds a sustainable library of go-to lessons
And if you’re loving this kind of intentional system building, you’ll definitely want to check out the Get Organized course—it expands this idea across your entire music program with time-tested workflows, templates, and real-life examples.
My end-of-year organization method is simple, effective, and flexible enough to work for any teacher—especially in the arts.
Need help setting up a system that works for you and sticks? The Get Organized course walks you through this process with printable planning sheets, video walkthroughs, and a tried-and-true file system that keeps your prep manageable (and your desk clear!).
Whether you’re a traveling music teacher or teaching multiple grade levels, this system is super flexible. You can organize by subject, theme, time of year—whatever works best for your flow.
💬 Pro Tip from the course: Add a sticky note to each folder with quick reminders like “copy 25 for October” or “use after winter concert week.” Future you will be so glad you did.
Still not convinced? Here’s how I reuse these organized copies all the time:
🕒 Early Finishers: Keep kids engaged with meaningful activities
🔄 Quick Reviews: Reuse successful lessons instead of reinventing the wheel
✂️ Centers & Choice Boards: Combine extras into easy rotation stations
We use a lot of paper as educators. Reusing extra pages instead of reprinting next year is not just convenient—it’s a sustainable choice that models responsibility for our students too. 🌱
And yes, the Get Organized course includes a whole section on creating sustainable, repeatable systems that save you time and reduce waste across your whole music program.
Take 30 minutes this week to sort your photocopies and label your files—you’ll be starting next year already ahead of the game.
Want to go even further and start next year feeling fully prepped and in control?
👉 Click here to join the Get Organized course and set up systems that will carry you through the school year with ease.
Trust me, your September self will absolutely thank you.
My name is Alessandra and I am a Kindergarten-Grade 8 Teacher of the Arts, specializing in music and dance education. Based in Toronto, Canada, I teach 800+ students a week and am a huge advocate for the arts. I graduated with a Bachelors of Music Therapy & Masters of Education, and I am passionate about fostering a quality music education program for every learner.
