Whether it’s family photos stored away in the cupboard or toys from our childhood stuffed in the attic, we all have a tendency to hold on to the things that we might not really need.

For teachers, though, this hoarding often comes in the shape a mass of folders and binders all dating back to the first years of teaching. From old lesson plans to pupil feedback sheets and endless resources, teachers often keep it all. 

But why are teachers so compelled to hold on to the pieces from their first teaching years? Is it to reminisce on their time as an NQT? Or to look back and see the ways they have grown as an educator? It might even be because they have the perfect resource for a very particular class, and sod’s law says that, as soon as they throw it away, it’ll be needed for next week’s lesson? 

Whatever the reason, teachers aren’t alone in this hoarding behaviour as Victoria Hewett, an author and geography teacher found out on Twitter... 

The Tes newsroom did our best to whittle the responses down to our favourite ones. 

If you want to see the rest of the replies, then make sure to find Victoria Hewett on Twitter for the full thread.