There is just something about back-to-school time and thinking about types of classroom organization that makes me giddy. I love setting up my classroom and making it my home away from home. I spend so much time in my classroom that it should be just as organized and tidy as my apartment is!
So let’s get your classroom organized so it’s one less thing to focus on during the school year!
Why is Classroom Organization Important?
Why is classroom organization important? Have you ever been in the middle of a key teaching moment, only to realize you need a certain supply? And worse yet, you can’t seem to find it anywhere? So the lesson flops, doesn’t quite flow right, or your students are confused and start to get restless and off task?
That’s where the types of classroom organization matter!
This also leads to a discussion on what’s classroom management. Classroom management is different than classroom organization BUT they can go hand-in-hand.
Take for example not having a certain supply, like masking tape for making number lines. You are right in the heart of a lesson and need the masking tape. You glance around and don’t see it. So you start opening drawers and cabinets and looking for it. As you step away from the lesson, so do your students. They get off task, start talking tot their neighbor, and then you realize you’ve lost the whole class.
If you had been able to easily find the masking tape, your lesson could have continued and your students would still be focused and learning rather than getting off task.
If you are looking for what’s classroom management like in middle school then be sure to check out this blog post where I tackle the best strategies for managing a classroom.
Ideas for Classroom Organization
So what types of classroom organization do you need? This is going to start out with getting ideas for classroom organization in general. What does your classroom layout look like? What supplies do you need to tidy up? Do students have individual supplies or group supplies? Math manipulatives, classroom libraries, and science lab supplies all need to stay neat and tidy.
Start by thinking about everything in your classroom. Go corner by corner around your room. If you don’t have a classroom yet or are changing grade levels this might be tricky to do. But start brainstorming a list of typical classroom supplies. I share a bunch of ideas in this blog post all about teacher supply wish lists to get you started!
Starting Off Right
Depending on the ideas for classroom organization that you brainstormed will directly affect the types of classroom organization that you go looking for. I list out each supply that needs a home and then what I’m going to use to store it. This way, everything has a place and I’m not buying extra bins or boxes…which I’m definitely guilty of!
The Furinture
For some things, you are going to what types of classroom organization are more like furniture. Think bookcases, filing cabinets, floor bins, or benches. These classroom organization supplies are great to have but do take up space. Be sure to know the dimensions before buying random things.
I like to find classroom organization supplies on Facebook or in garage sales. But if you don’t have the time to browse, these classroom organization supplies from IKEA are my favorites. Enlist some friends or family members to help you build the pieces in your classroom so moving is a bit easier!
Classroom Organization Bins
Now that you have some shelves, let’s talk about my favorite types of classroom organization bins! Bins, buckets, and baskets are all great options to corral smaller items. Think of things like student supplies, math manipulatives, books, and curriculum components.
Glue sticks, pencils, headphones, markers, crayons, whiteboards, and dry-erase markers are all student supplies that need a place.
For math manipulative ideas, be sure to check out this blog post where I share my top 10 favorites!
Student workbooks, math interactive notebooks, science journals, and reading books need places to go too. I share more about storing those classroom organization elementary supplies below.
My favorite bins from IKEA are these clear ones that come in so many different sizes. I use some as table bins that have held up for over 5 years and are still going strong!
Magazine holders are another great option for individual curriculum supplies. These cubes are great for storing a table’s worth of subject supplies.
Classroom Library Organization
Classroom library organization is a beast all on its own! Books come in so many different sizes that it is good to have a variety of options.
These types of classroom organization bins are great for chapter books and series. Think Magic Tree House, Junie B Jones, or A-Z Mysteries. They aren’t too expensive and hold up really well!
Another favorite work for picture books or other nonfiction books that tend to be bigger in size.
These types of classroom organization are a little fancier but would look nice for a special genre or currently reading type of books.
Classroom Organization Elementary Rooms
Does the student supply over-taking the classroom? That was one of the biggest stresses of setting up an elementary classroom for me! Luckily another teacher shared their strategies and took them and ran with them.
Essentially my students sat at tables so everything was organized by their table. Each table had 3 bins, one for reading/writing, one for math, and then one for science/social studies. All journals, folders, and workbooks went into the bins. I would then have a table captain job each quarter that would get everyone’s math interactive notebooks for example. Only that 1 student would be at a table’s bin at a time (I have 5 tables, so 5 table captains). This cut down on the number of students moving, while also keeping supplies organized.
I used different size bins for each subject. Cubes like this were for the reading/writing bins.
Shallow bins like this were for math interactive notebooks and workbooks.
Book bins like this were used for science/social studies journals. Each kid had 1 composition notebook since we only did science or social studies in a quarter.
More Organization & Classroom Tours
Looking for more types of classroom organization and inspiration for an orderly classroom? These blog posts and videos share a ton of ideas for both classroom organization elementary rooms needs as well as middle school classroom organization. Don’t be afraid to get inspiration from different grade levels! Something that works in 3rd grade-might work well in a 6th-grade room!
- Classroom Tour 2022 Contemporary Learning Flexible Seating Video
- Classroom Tour Video
- Kindergarten Classroom Tour
- 2nd Grade Classroom Tour
- Classroom Tour: Burlap and Brights
- My Middle School Classroom Tour
I’d love to hear from you! What types of classroom organization do you use in your room?
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