We often do a little spring cleaning in our homes, but have you considered spring cleaning your classroom? After a long winter and several months of school, it is time for a fresh start. In addition to a general clean-up, spring is also a good time to assess how your classroom is functioning and make a few changes to enhance your classroom environment.
Here are some ideas to help you think about how you use your space and how you might organize and rearrange your classroom to provide the best environment for instruction with the least organizational challenge.
Give your classroom a general cleanup.
Just like in our homes, things start to pile up and eventually we no longer see the piles. Take a look around. Do you need to clean up some clutter? Is the bulletin board looking shabby and out dated? Do you need to reshelve books and put away materials? Do papers need to be organized into bins or baskets?
Whenever possible, engage students in helping with a room clean up. They can clean desk and tabletops, pick up materials, put things into labeled bins, and remove old bulletin board displays. Set a timer for fifteen minutes, put on some music and make it fun. You’ll be amazed at how much better your room will look.
Does your room look inviting?
You will spend much of your life in your classroom. You should feel comfortable in your space.
How do you feel when you walk in the room? Stand in the doorway. What do you see? Does the room welcome you in or feel overwhelming and cluttered? What would you need to change to make your room into a space where you want to spend time?
Sometimes little finishing touches add a lot. Consider adding a lamp, a plant or some new posters.
Pair up for fresh ideas.
Pairing up with a friend or your teaching team and give each other suggestions to improve the look and feel of your classroom. Others will often see possibilities that you don’t see.
You will also get ideas while visiting other classrooms. You can even plan a short “tour of classrooms” after school. A quick walk through of many spaces, with an eye towards what might work in your space can be inspiring.
Does my classroom space reflect how I actually teach?
Do you use a lot of classroom discussion or small group work but have students seated in rows? Do you often engage students in stations but have to move your furniture around each day in order to create spaces for each station? Perhaps you will be teaching a unit that could benefit from a new furniture arrangement.
Are you using flexible seating? If so, consider how many student spaces you need. As you bring in flexible seating, can you get rid of some traditional desks?
Look at how furniture, carts, bookshelves, and tables are arranged. Is the furniture preventing students from moving around the room with ease? Can you get rid of pieces that are no longer useful?
Try to position furniture so that it can do double duty. File cabinets become magnetic boards. The back of desks or bookshelves can create room dividers and cozy workspaces. Try hanging anchor charts on the back of a divider.
To save time and energy, map out your classroom on a large piece of paper. Use sticky notes for each piece of furniture and move them around until you land on an arrangement that works.
Are materials organized and easy to access?
Many teachers have mastered the art of using labeled storage bins. Labels help you find things quickly and allow students to help put materials away. Label everything.
Look at areas where there is clutter. Can you corral things into boxes, bins or other containers? Hanging pocket charts or zip lock bags can house math manipulatives. Inexpensive magazine holders can house manuals, spiral notebooks or paperback books. Identify a place for everything and then instruct students to return things to their place.
Reconsider your desk.
Many teachers use their desk as the “home” for the computer connected to their whiteboard. This often dictates where your desk is placed. Could a small table or even a bookshelf better house your computer, allowing you to move your desk, usually one of the largest pieces in the room, to the back of the room or a corner?
If you have a teacher desk, it should be a space that you enjoy and actually use.
Your desk is often a danger zone for piling things you plan to do later. Clean off your desk. Put papers into labeled paper stackers. Find a couple of bookends or heavy objects and use them to keep your manuals upright. Grab all of those pens and markers and put them in an interesting coffee mug. Cups can also hold binder clips, paperclips and other office tools. If your drawers do not have dividers, make some using small boxes, or try an inexpensive silverware container. Your things will be handy, but not lost in the shuffle.
Many teachers never actually sit at their desk. If you prefer sitting at a table to do your prep work and have file cabinets or other shelving to hold teacher materials you may not even need a desk. Removing a rarely used desk may open up the area for space for students to work.
Break down the task.
If the thought of cleaning and organizing your classroom overwhelms you, break down the task. Clean out and arrange one small area each day. Start with one shelf, one drawer, one cabinet. Every improvement will encourage you and make living in your classroom more pleasant.
Spring cleaning your classroom will give you a fresh start and often energizes you and your students. You may find that improved flow improves behaviors, or a more organized space helps students to take more ownership for putting materials away.
With several months of school ahead, we think spring cleaning your classroom is worth the time and effort and will help you and your students enjoy the space.
Happy cleaning,
Will you be looking for a teaching job this spring? Get our guide to help you ACE your interview!
Leave a Reply