Having an organized classroom doesn’t just make teachers feel more capable, it has real academic benefits! When teachers don’t have to scramble around looking for materials, students feel more prepared and confident.

Classroom organization is a niche I really enjoy exploring so I was honored to be invited by Julia Gabriel to speak about this very topic at their First Education Conference.

It was such a rewarding experience to share what I love doing most with all the teachers present and I can’t wait to share the tips and ideas I presented with you here!

To begin with, we went over some of the basic factors that can help with classroom organization.

If you’re a teacher yourself, or someone that homeschools their children, here’s what I suggest:

1. Start by visualizing the classroom you want to teach in – a workplace that is intuitive and user friendly at a glance.
2. Proceed by embracing organization from a detached, non-judgemental perspective.
3. Have a plan for when anxiety and stress takes over. This is a normal part of the process and having a plan of action is crucial in making sure you can move forward towards your ultimate goal.
4. Commit to learning the necessary tools and techniques to achieve long-lasting solutions.

Next, I shared with the group my personal tips that I use to organize any classroom or learning space. Here’s a breakdown:

For Supplies Organization

The supplies room is an important space in any classroom as it stores everything a teacher needs to deliver their lessons.

Because of its frequent usage, however, it’s easy for this space to become cluttered and disorganized.

To address this issue, I love to use storage bins to organize the shelves and label everything by category. This makes it super easy for teachers (or anyone for that matter) to easily identify items they need at a glance.

When It Comes to Shared Workspaces

Organizing shared workspaces can be trickier as you have to account for different needs for different people.

Here’s 2 tips that never fail me:

• Create a space that is inviting, clean, organized and intuitively easy to navigate.
• Use roller carts to provide extra flexibility for colleagues to share and keep tabletops clean and simple.

Keeping Table Tops Neat and Tidy

I’m a strong advocate for having minimal items on the table you work at, especially in a shared environment.

Here are a few of my tips:

• Minimize desktop clutter as much as possible by digitizing everything
• Set time aside to clear the desk at the end of the day
• Provide individual bins for each person that can placed under the desk
• Use a communal stationary caddy and place it in middle of desk

Inside the Classroom

Creating an orderly classroom environment will enable children to focus more on learning, feel more confident and be in a more positive frame of mind.

Here are 4 of my favorite tips for creating a conducive classroom:

1. Use file folders and library pockets – storing paper upright will make it easier to see and find what you’re looking for.

Depending on the learning environment, a good way to replace paper, avoid wastage and save time is to use dry-erase placemats on each table.

2. Organize books in bins and label the lids. Bins can work well from all sorts of materials such as pencils, markers, rulers, calculators etc.

Take it a step further and prepare a group caddy on each desk to save space efficiently.

3. Label lids, bins and boxes in order to make it easier for kids to find and replace their items at the end of the day. Labeling is key to ensure maintenance and sustainability of your system.

Here are some labels I often use that are classified by time or by item category.

4. Designate a place to store each item and store by category.

The main reason people have trouble maintaining their system is that they don’t decide where each item belongs. And because they don’t know where to put things after using them, then the space gets cluttered again.

My suggestion?

Keep it simple! You don’t need that much paper and that many extra stationary sets at your desk.

Easy stuff, right? I would love to hear how you guys will be taking on this topic and how you’ll be implementing these tips into your daily workflow.

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MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW US FOR MORE GOOD IDEAS

Instagram | Facebook | Little Red Book | Wechat

You can also contact me or subscribe to my newsletter here.

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