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Setting up an organized classroom and preparing a wonderful learning environment is easy. But add a class full of kids, lessons filled with supplies and manipulative and lots of education activities and . . . classroom organization sometimes goes out the window. Here’s some of my favorite tips and tricks for year round classroom organization.
Classroom Organization – The Two P’s
Purpose
When setting up my classroom I try to be very intentional so that anything I put in my classroom has a PURPOSE. Even better – multiple purposes!
For example, this past summer I made these cute crate seats. Purpose: seating for my students AND storage. Bam! Dual purpose just like that. Add the fact that my students practiced reading number words and it becomes a 3-in-1. On the other hand, the big, bulky teacher desk that just took up space in the corner and held my purse all day had no other purpose. I didn’t sit at it during the day and after school I found myself sitting at my small group table to work. So I begged my administrator to take it out. For me, it did not have a purpose. Instead I have been able to use that space in a better way for my students.
Now please don’t send me emails about how much you love you desk and you can never get rid of it. I get it! I am by no means taking a #noteacherdesk stance. But what I am suggesting is that you look at everything in your classroom to make sure it has a #purpose for you and your students.
I think you get the idea of the first P – be purposeful in what you choose to put into your classroom and get rid of the rest. Clutter is the enemy of organization!
Place
The second P stands for Place. Everything has a purpose and everything has a PLACE! Everything needs to have a home, a designated place for its storage and or use. All those math manipulative need a place. The literacy centers need a place. The students’ supplies need a place. Your purse and lunch – they need a place too! Everything needs a place. By keeping a consistent home for everything it makes it easy to put things back and know where to find them later.
Don’t want to be responsible for that yourself? Label things and teach your students where things go. They want an organized classroom too and they are completely able to put things back in their designated place. I love these labels and use them for so many things in my classroom.
My Favorite Classroom Organization Tools
OK – so now you know my organization plan (remember the two P’s), here’s some of my favorite classroom tools that help me keep my classroom organized.
A Toolbox
I also use a toolbox to store some teacher office supply type of items. Remember that big bulky desk I got rid of??? Here’s my replacement for the drawer space. It holds everything from to thumb tacks to sticky notes. I’d be lost without it!
Easy Access Storage
It’s important to have some storage places in your classroom. I know that every classroom and school is different. Some have build in closets, shelves and storage galore, while others are just four bare walls. Like many teachers, I have chosen to bring in some of my own storage in order to make my classroom be more organized and run more efficiently.
I really love me some storage from the amazing Swedish store that is sweeping its way across America. These square shelves are pretty amazing. I use them for the centers that are in our current center rotation. They are easy to access and easy for the students to grab and go work. The students can also put the centers away without help. Bonus!!!
But IKEA isn’t the only place with durable yet inexpensive storage options. This unit from Amazon is very similar in size and function.
What is great about these is that they hold bins that allow me to organize centers and larger items. They can also work as student cubbies if your school does not have a space for students to store their backpacks, jackets or other items.
A bookshelf is also a great addition to the classroom and it gives very versatile storage options. A small bookshelf can be used as storage but also as mini-walls to help define spaces for centers, classroom library, or whole class meeting areas.
Bins, Bins and More Bins!
I store so many things in bins! Big bins, small bins and bins of all colors. Bins with lids and bins without lids. Bins have a special place in my organization heart. They hold books in the classroom library, math and literacy centers, and student supplies too!
I really like plastic bins because of the durability factor. Not only do they hold up with lots of 5 year old action, but they last for more than one year. Here’s some of my favorites.
Bags are Amazing!
I use storage bags to store all my centers and learning stations that are not currently in use. I keep the instructions, all the required parts and pieces, and even a master of the student form if there is one. Then when I am ready to put that center into rotation, I pull out the bag and everything is there.
Side note: When I get a new center, from the store or TpT, I always try to print it out on card stock so that it is more durable. Then I laminate all the parts and pieces the students will use. This just helps them last longer and allows me multiple years of use.
These are some of my favorite bags:
I love that they are big enough to hold a full sheet of paper without folding it – AND – the durable plastic hanger makes it great for storing in a closet.
For storing bigger items like posters and anchor charts this is fantastic:
It holds posters up to 30 inches tall and 24 inches wide. This means all the posters and anchor charts you can get at the teacher store fit! I slide this along the side of a closet (or even a wall behind a book shelf) to keep it out of sight until I need it.
A friend of mine found these amazing Ziploc brand bags and used them for the same purpose.
Keeping Organized Student Files
I have two places that I keep student data, work samples and notes. The first is the least clutter free option – Google Drive. Yes, my school keeps a digital portfolio for each of our students. It is an easy way to share information, work samples and information with the parents.
I also keep a paper file for each student. A system that is easy to organize, easy to access and easy to use was important. I came up with a hanging folder system that allows each of my students to have their own folder. I can easily see their names and since the folders are open at the top I can easily access them to file papers or pull something from a folder.
This is what I use:
You Can Have an Organized Classroom!
An organized classroom is not a myth found only on Pinterest or in the week before school starts. You can keep your classroom organized all year long. It all starts with a plan and the two P’s. So, whether you are getting ready to set-up your classroom for a new year or make changes in the current year I encourage you to start by asking yourself these two questions: What is the PURPOSE? Where is its PLACE? Once you know the answer to these finding the right storage solution that works best for you is actually pretty easy.
You can read more about how I set-up and organized my classroom in my Classroom Tour blog post!
