Setting up Your Elementary School Classroom: Organization Ideas

How to Teach Elementary School Chapter 1: The Classroom has everything you need to know to set up and organize your classroom for student (and teacher) success.

Download the Chapter 1 Preview HERE

For more details on both teacher and student organizational systems, and to read about my #1 FAVORITE organizational tool, purchase Chapter 1 of How to Teach Elementary School!

The three most important things to consider when planning your classroom layout and environment:

*Furniture Arrangement  

*Supplies & Materials Organization   

*Classroom Decor

Some teachers are just naturally organized. Everything has its place and the classroom is left in perfect order at the end of each day. Other teachers just can’t seem to get through all the piles of papers and please don’t open any cabinet doors.

I’m a little of both. My plan book, my schedule, my teaching scope and sequence are ultra organized. BUT I am a visual person and like to have things out where I can see them. Therefore, I have multiple containers of pens and supplies on my desk and a few piles of papers from last month I haven’t organized laying around.

I often get questions from teachers on how I keep myself organized. What works for me may not work for someone else, therefore I have collected classroom organization ideas from my own colleagues and the teaching community to share with you (and noted my favorites :).

THE TEACHER TOOLBOX

So, I used a teacher toolbox to organize supplies behind my teacher desk before they were hip and cool. I am all about using things in unexpected ways. We had a multi drawer “small parts” organizer in our garage for screws, nails, staples and such. A light bulb went on in my head and immediately purchased one for my classroom. Not saying I invented the idea, but I’m obviously not the only one who saw the value in all those drawers!

If you are looking for a way to store small items, the “teacher toolbox” is a great option. 

Small parts organizers come with a variety of drawer sizes and configurations. I think it's best to buy one that has smaller and larger drawers to hold both small and large items.

 You can easily purchase a toolbox at your local home improvement store. They can sometimes be found at large chain craft stores. And of course they can be purchased on Amazon.

From A-Z, items you can store in your toolbox and free up space in other places.

Band Aids	Batteries	Binder Clips	Binder Rings	Chalk	Chapstick	Command Hooks	Crayons
Dice	Earbuds	Erasers	Glue Sticks	Hair Ties Hair Clips	Highlighter	Hole Punch	Hot Glue Sticks
Index Cards	Keys	Magnets	Markers	Paperclips	Pencils	Pencil Sharpener	Permanent Markers
Pens	Reward Stickers	Rubber Bands	Safety Pins	Spare Change	Staples	Staple Removers	Sticky Notes
Sticky Tack	Tape - Scotch	Tape - Washi	Thumb Tacks	Velcro Strips/Dots	White Board Markers	White Out	And more!

THREE TIER ROLLING CART

Do you have a Three-Tiered Rolling Cart in your classroom? I do!! A rolling cart is a multi-versatile storage item. If you don’t have one, you will want one.  If you only have one, you’ll want another one!

I use mine to hold the supplies I will need at my small group table: pencils, whiteboard markers, student whiteboards, white board erasers, prepped materials, etc.

Here are some additional ideas for rolling cart organization.

1. TEACHER SUPPLIES

Hold the supplies you will need next to your teaching station: pencils, correcting pens, markers, stapler, tape, scissors, glue, copies for lessons. 

2. LIBRARY CART

Designate a shelf for books needing to be returned to the library. One for new books that need to be labeled. Another for books that need to be repaired.

3. CLASSROOM COMMUNITY SUPPLIES

Use the shelves to hold the supplies that students share OR if students have their own personal supplies, use the shelves to hold extra supplies for students that may need them. Supplies: pencils, correcting pens, markers, crayons, colored pencils, scissors, glue, paper, student stapler and tape dispenser, tissues, band aids, etc.

4. PREPPED MATERIALS

Once you’ve photocopied and prepped materials for lessons, use the shelves for organization. Organize by this week, next week, future. Organize by subject reading, writing, math.

5. FRIDAY FREE CHOICE

If you use Friday Free Choice as a reward in your classroom or some other type of earned free time, store materials on your cart! Your rolling cart could hold games, puzzles, color sheets, card games, STEM bins.

6. ART CART

Occasionally, I have a class that LOVES to create.  When I do, I create an art cart for them.  When students have completed all independent work and have a few extra minutes, they can access materials from the Art Cart. Provide students with scrap paper (regular or construction), color sheets,stencils, coloring tools, etc. Students are responsible for keeping it neat and organized

7. HYDRATION STATION

Use the cart to hold student water bottles. No more water bottles falling off of desks!! Students can label their water bottles with their names OR advice from a fellow teacher, “I tape down numbers and they set their water bottle on top of the number! Eliminates water spills on desks.

8. COPY CART

If you plan to do a lot of copying, roll this cart to the copy room with you. The cart can hold your copy paper if you need to provide your own and then hold your copies to easily transport them back to your classroom! Viola!

9. SANITATION STATION

Use the cart to house all things for a germ free classroom! Keep hand sanitizer, baby wipes for cleaning hands, disinfectant wipes for cleaning surfaces, tissues, paper towels, cleaning spray, and more.

10. TABLE GROUP STORAGE

If you have your students sitting in groups and storage is an issue, use a rolling cart to hold the materials and supplies that students need to access during the day. Shelves can hold community supplies, student whiteboards, notebooks, folders, pencil boxes, and whatever else students will need for daily lessons.

11. CLASSROOM STORE

If you give out rewards to students (water bottle stickers, desk pets, fun pencils) store them on the cart and roll it out when it's time for kids to choose a prize.

12. WHITEBOARD SUPPLIES

Store all the supplies you need under your whiteboard. You can keep whiteboard markers, erasers, extra magnets, and whiteboard cleaner. If you use the whiteboard for the date, a calendar, and daily agenda you can keep the materials for these on the cart, as well.

13. WELCOME CART

Keep the rolling cart by the door where you greet your students each morning.  If you have your students “check in” for the day or mark a lunch count, the materials for this can be kept on the cart.  You can collect and house folders that are sent between school and home. If students have things to turn in first thing in the morning, they can be placed in a tub on the cart.

14. INDOOR RECESS CART

If it is raining, snowing, or just plain HOT and your students need to remain indoors, use the cart for special indoor recess activities.  Include activities that ONLY come out on these days to make them extra special!

15. SNACK CART

Some schools provide snacks for their students in the classroom.  The levels of this cart are perfect to hold snacks and can be rolled around if needed.

I need to run out now and buy a few more rolling carts!!

FILE CABINETS

File cabinets are a HOT teacher topic!  Old school teachers from before the 21st century love to hold on to paper copies in files in a file cabinet. Newer teachers, from the digital age swear by keeping everything in a digital format to keep paperwork from piling up. Then there are the teachers like me, I’m a TWEENER. I see the value in having digital files, but when the internet is down and you are STUCK, you’ll be thankful for your paper masters. In addition, you will likely run data reports and keep diagnostic assessments and sample student work for parent conferences. Whatever it is in paper form, you need a place to store them.

If you are not a file cabinet lover, but have one and need to know how to make the best use of it, here are some ideas from REAL teachers just like you!! 

STORAGE 

• Many curriculums come with individual workbooks that need to be stored until you need them. 

• When you prep materials for future lessons, keep them in the file cabinet drawers. 

• A file cabinet can be used to keep extra supplies. If students bring supplies at the beginning of the school year the large deep drawers are perfect to hold containers of glue sticks, boxes of markers, etc.

• Store tissue boxes, baby wipes, disinfectant wipes.

• File cabinets LOCK! Store your purse and other personal items. If you have snacks you need to keep away from pests, a metal file cabinet is the PERFECT pest free place 🙂

• Be prepared for the weather. Keep an extra sweater, jacket, gloves, umbrella in a drawer.

• Store novel sets and mentor texts.

• Use the drawers to hold items for your classroom prizes or store items.

• Place your coveted copy paper, astrobrights, and construction paper in a safe place. Your file cabinet!!

Now go get yourself organized!!