5/5/09

My World

This is a big part of 'My World', my office at work where I am an Elementary School Secretary. This is my first full-time job in the USA, having only worked sporadically out of choice beforehand. But after 3 years retirement, I was ready for work again last year and am now about to complete a year in the American workforce.

Most of my working life has been spent in administration at all levels and as a result I am an organisation and tidy desk fanatic. The irony is I am not that way at home, which I swear is because I associate it with 'work', the hubster ain't impressed though! So this is not a staged photo, my work area stays this way most of the time. I am also the reception for the school and I am very aware of the first impression my desk creates.

That funny looking stool is my chair, I had one of these in England too and it really helps keep your back aligned as you work. The set of colourful drawers were something I requested and each one is assigned to a different teacher. I use them for allocating notes and things that need to go home with the students. The pictures on the wall are mine, one is a Monet like garden print and the one in front of me is a Mediterranean looking harbour.

This desktop organiser is something I requested when I started and it is the heart of my desk. As you can see I have everything I need right at my fingertips, to deal with most questions or situations. The other reason I wanted it, is the other members of the faculty know they can also easily find what they need when I am away from my desk. It holds all our rosters, sports schedules, calendars, menu, accounts and what to do in an emergency situation - I'd be lost without it.

And finally this is the view from my seat, out across the car park so I can see people coming and going. I have a piccie of the Hubster & I, my essential water bottle and one of my photographs I love on my desk. The second most important thing in my office is hanging on the wall on the right side of the door. That's my antibacterial handwash dispenser, an absolute essential working in a school and I use it many times a day!

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my office, now you know where I am all day!

To join in the fun go to My World Tuesday

39 comments:

Nancy said...

Thanks for a tour of your work world. You are very tidy - I'm afraid when I worked, my desk didn't look anything like that. But I can see if you are the first person someone sees when they walk in that it could be important to make a good first impression. It still has a personal touch though. Thanks.

Martha Z said...

No way i'll ever be that organized. I admire you.

Sylvia K said...

I'm afraid I'll have to join Martha, I'll never be that organized and I, too, admire you! Looks like a great place to work! Have a great week!

Anonymous said...

I am messy both at home and work. But that's okay, because my boss' office is much messier than mine.

theUngourmet said...

I used to use a chair like that when I was a manicurist way back in the 80's! I loved how comfortable it was!

Have a lovely week!

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

They must be very happy to have a well organised and tidy secretary. The main thing is that you really enjoy your work and it looks just like it. It was great to see your workplace.

chrome3d said...

Organized and with colours too! I have a chair like that too but I use it only sometimes.

Jane Hards Photography said...

This is the first image I've seen on yours that relates to the UK-admin. You must be a local star and an organised one too.

CJ said...

Wow you are so organized!Reminds me of Monica in F.R.I.E.N.D.S in a nice way of course :)
Nice of you to share your world with us

Rinkly Rimes said...

What an organised lady! I feel as though I've actually visited you.

Indrani said...

Very organized and colorful. It must have been a pleasure working there.

Midlife, menopause, mistakes and random stuff... said...

What a fantastic blog you have going here!!!
My darling Prince is from South London and we still have one daughter living there and one in Barry, Wales.
An elementary school secretary you say??? Girl, I'd have to have a shot ot tequila before work to deal with all those kiddos all day, lol.
By the way.......my home office looks no where near that neat and organized. I'm hopeless at all of that and it kind of looks like a tornado blew through here :)
If you have a minute to waste, please visit me and my blog and do say hello.
Take good care and.......

Steady On
Reggie Girl

LadyFi said...

My gosh - you are very very organized!

My desk is the opposite of yours...

Flea said...

Very cool! no part of my world is that organized, sadly. Glad to see you make life work so well. :)

Unknown said...

Amazing! You are organized SO well..maybe you should post some tips to help people like me. :)

Inday said...

What a beautiful world you live. I'd love to have that kind of office too, if I'd stay in my job back home. Bit you have too much organizing to do at school, you can't be bother doing any further at home. lol.

Stella Jones said...

I was a school secretary for 13 years in England, so I know more or less what your job is. I enjoyed looking at your office pictures. I miss my job very much, especially the children, who never grew older than 7, when they moved on to the Junior School.
Blessings with your work, Star

Daryl said...

Love the organizational tools .. and I am a slob at home whilst being a bear about how my desk/workspace must be clutter free at the office.. as I am typing this I am also moving some of this mornings ticklers aside .. they are done and need to be filed .. off I go to file them!

Jo, a retired teacher said...

Enjoy yourself. In the schools I have worked in, the secretary was vitally important. Smart teachers got to know the secretary and the custodian first--they were more essential to a smooth routine than the principal.

Most of the schools in Utah have a much bigger, more open area for the secretaries, and sometimes it is full of people. I would be interested in knowing how that works in OK.

Iota said...

I'm so surprised by the lack of security in schools here. In Britain, you can't just walk in. Not these days. Over here, where frankly the dangers are higher, anyone can walk in any time. I've always wondered if school secretaries feel vulnerable.

You're SO tidy!

Linda Jennings said...

I enjoyed the tour of your work space! Unfortunately, I find as I age, I am becoming less organized! Your photos have inspired me to clean up my desk a bit!

Jill of All Trades said...

Hey, I have that colorful plastic tower thingy in My room too. Too bad it's kind of empty yet.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

I'm impressed. I need someone to organize me!

Hey, and its a parking lot! ;)

Esther said...

Wow, that's some serious organization! I haven't hit the full time American work force yet. I've had my green card 9 months now so I should really think about taking the plunge. Thanks for the inspiration.

Pam said...

Would you come organize my desk for me? Actually my desktop isn't too bad usually, but don't open the drawer .... hahahaha. Glad you enjoyed your first year there!

m said...

Anti-bacterial soap--yes, an absolute must!! LOL.

I could soooo do with some of your orgnanisational skills at some point. I am horrible at that sort of thing.

BTW, love to come here and see where you are at with your tea i think I might actually have you beat there. Wish i had counted from beginning.

Unknown said...

Yogi - LMAO yep one day I told all the students to go the car park and the teachers told me there were blank faces all round!

Jammmie - yes I haven't checked back to see who's on target to win my competition for the closest guess by year end.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

You have created an organized, colorful, and kid friendly space, my hat's off to you.
Takes a special person to work with children all day long, your their substitute mum/ problem solver/ mentor/ go-toer/ nurse, hmmm you deserve a raise :)
Lovely post Sarah !

Elizabeth Bradley said...

WoW! Neat as a pin. I used to be that organized, once upon a time.

Sherri said...

Sarah, I love your office! It is wonderful! I just moved into a bigger outside office today at my work. I'm going to take pictures tomorrow and post them on my blog. Thanks for the tour! It is always nice to see where people work, live, etc.

Peggy said...

I loved seeing a part of your world, thank you! Also, I HAVE to get one of those file things next to your desk,,,looks perfect for my unorganized self!

Erin said...

indeed you are very organized at your work station. and, it makes life so much easier when you can put your hands on something doesn't it?

thanks for the tour...enjoyed it very much

Dee/reddirtramblings said...

If you saw how messy my desk is right now, you would laugh. Of course, no one sees mine except the fam. Congrats on your year of work at the school.~~Dee

Snippety Gibbet said...

I'm quite impressed. I have never had a desk look like that for more than five minutes at a time. It just isn't in me.

Pat said...

I am so impressed with your workplace organization. Before I retired, I was a high school math teacher and my desk and work area were usually quite cluttered, even though I feel better when things are neat and organized. I get overwhelmed into a state of inertia.

Kay said...

I LOVE this, Sarah! As a former teacher you brought back some very lovely memories for me. I love how organized you are. I had to be when I taught school.

Anonymous said...

I like the 1980s desk. If you hadn't said you work in a school I would have assumed you worked for the same boss as me!
Very tidy office... I like that.

Expat mum said...

I must do one of these. It is in such contrast to yours that you might feel tempted, while you're in Chicago, to come to my house and straighten me out!!!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic! Very organized and tidy, love it! It was good to see your workplace. Keep it the way it is...Rodolfo