Simple Classroom Organization

Classroom organization can be a daunting task, especially for the new teacher. Not only must supplies be orderly, but there's also the matter of organizing the students and the school day as well. The following simple, effective techniques will result in a well-run classroom, with minimal effort on the teacher's behalf.

Got Your Number

An easy way to keep track of many different aspects in the classroom is to assign each student his/her own number. This may sound impersonal at first, but if students write their number alongside their names, it is simply an organizational tool. Student numbers have many uses:

1. assigning personal spaces, such as coat hooks, cubbies, and lockers
2. quick organization of classwork papers
3. inventory of textbooks
4. assigning of desks
5. random choosing of helpers in the classroom
6. creating teams for cooperative learning ( odds and evens)
7. calling numbers for lining up at the door
8. assigning jobs in the classroom
9. tracking students on field trips
10. keeping attendance

A Place for Everything

Think "outside of the box" when it comes to storage of classroom materials: create student mailboxes using an over-the-door shoe bag, numbering each pocket with a student number. Renovate an old metal mailbox with spray paint for a cute collection center for homework and notes for the office. (Smaller ones are available at craft stores to be used for notes to the teacher.)

Paint a small metal bucket with bright colors and use it to store markers and pencils. Make use of decorative flower pots, which usually come with sides tall enough for holding rulers and teachers' pointers. Write spelling words, math facts, or the names of students on paper apples and attach them to the branches of a silk tree for an instant organized 3-D bulletin board.

Dollar stores have many inexpensive plastic baskets which are useful for organizing teacher desk supplies, holding papers to be passed out by students, creating portable learning stations, and for miscellaneous supplies needed the next day for an incoming substitute teacher.

Keeping Records

A master class roster is a very useful tool not only for recording absences, but also for tracking homework, assigning learning stations, recording book reports, etc. Attach one of the rosters to a large envelope for use on field trips. Keep tickets, first aid supplies and keys inside the envelope for safe keeping. Laminated rosters can be used and reused with dry erase markers and can be posted at specific stations around the room. Consider posting a roster near exits for emergency and fire drill use.

Places, Please

Assist students in maintaining an orderly desk. Provide each student with a small plastic crate or pencil box for writing supplies. Two pocket folders clearly labeled with each subject will ensure important papers have their place. Students should also have a more durable folder for their backpacks for transporting back and forth from home to school. Items to include in this folder could include: a calendar of events in the classroom for the month, homework assignment sheets, and extra paper for parent/teacher communication.

Learning stations in the classroom can be created for students who need enrichment, for drilling of specific concepts, and for use as a reward for cooperative behavior in the classroom. Clear labeling and organizing of each station is important so students know how to use each station and where to return items. Materials for each station can be filed in brightly colored folders , numbered according to the check off sheet, and corraled into filing crates. Consider making stations portable as well so that more than one student can be using the station at the same time if necessary.

Moment By Moment

A well-planned school day is critical to the success of students. A student's day should include both active and quiet, reflective moments for a balance. Intense, mind-demanding subjects should be taught in the morning, while quieter, more creative subjects are best suited for the afternoon. Students need time for reflection and independent reading as well. Create a softer area in the classroom for such moments.

Students will appreciate a routine schedule, clearly posted in the classroom , so they know what to expect next. Keeping lessons to a specified time will ensure students have adequate focus on what is being taught. Variation can come in the methods in which lessons are taught, and perhaps in the location as well. Make good use of the entire classroom, and perhaps another classroom to keep things interesting.

Planning to Learn

Neat, organized lesson plans ensure that the day goes well. Substitutes and principals appreciate clear, simple details when they read the plans of teachers. Beyond listing page numbers, items to include in planning lessons are materials needed and the location of those materials, times of specials and breaks in the day, daily routines that ensure continuity for the students, and homework assignments to be given.

Always plan as if a substitute might be needed the next day. Lay out materials for the following day in a prominent place, write any information needed in the morning on the board, and hand out papers students will need on their desks the night before. Mornings will be less hectic this way as well.

Focusing on Learning

Organized students, supplies, spaces, and lessons will result in a better learning environment. A system of maintaining order will be put into effect that should last the entire school year, and into the years to come. The focus will be on the students and on learning as it should be.

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds