The start of a new school year always felt like teacher Christmas to me! Having a blank slate to decorate and set up the classroom *exactly* how I wanted it was an experience I never got tired of (although it never stayed that way for long… that’s what you get for working with young kids!)
Whether you’re starting a new school year or just want a bit of a reset, overhauling your classroom storage solution is a great way to set yourself up for success! Seriously - the amount of times I’d think, “thanks, past me!” when I was looking for something last-minute or digging out something from months ago was higher than the number of times I asked the kids to be quiet. So you know that’s saying something!
I’ve organised my home office with some Elizabeth Richards storage containers and it has completely satisfied my need for an organised workspace! Not to mention the pop of colour from my new Spotty Brights decor range - I genuinely look forward to working in here every day.
If you’re wondering how to organise your classroom once and for all (okay maybe not for all…) then you’re in the right place, friend! I’ve teamed up with my BFFs over at Elizabeth Richards to share classroom organisation ideas to create the neat, tidy classroom you’ve always dreamed of.
Psst - read to the end for an exclusive discount code for Elizabeth Richards!
Here are some of my must-haves for setting up your classroom organisation system.
Great classroom organisation always starts with having a home for everything! Here are some of the storage containers you’ll want in your arsenal when setting up your classroom:
Walking into the school year with a designated place for all your supplies, resources and accessories doesn’t just feel insanely satisfying, but it helps to establish expectations with your students from the very first day.
If I had a dollar for every time I recommended Tote Trays as one of my favourite classroom organisation ideas, I’d probably be writing this blog from my private villa in Thailand, ha!
My new Spotty Brights labels fit these tote trays perfectly, so you can label with your students’ names (or subjects, or days of the week… however you want to stay organised!) You can pick them up HERE.
You might also know these as ‘tubs,’ but what I love about Tote Trays is that they give each student a sense of ownership (and responsibility!) over their own belongings.
Set up a Tray for each student and make this their home for things like pencil cases and workbooks - this also means that should anything get left out at the end of the day (there’s always that one kid…) you can return it to them straight away - no extra desk clutter for you!
Alternatively, you could also organise your Tote Trays by subject and keep all your students’ workbooks together. That way, it’s easy to distribute the kids’ math books, science books, writing books and so on depending on the lesson - and easy for the kids to round them up themselves at the end.
Some of the best storage containers for my classroom are these versatile plastic tubs!
These ones from Elizabeth Richards are the *perfect* size to hold large books or small books, novels, guided reading sets, readers, subject books, literacy group and center games… the list goes on!
These tubs make for an easy-to-implement, easy-to-maintain system to organise your reading group books! Pair them with my Spotty Brights Round Classroom Labels, and colour code them so you can organise at a glance! Shop the labels HERE.
There are 14 different colours to choose from (that would just match perfectly with my new Spotty Brights decor bundle, don’t you think?!) so you can customise your tubs to match your classroom theme - very important, if you ask me!
You can also use these tubs for student Independent Reading Book Boxes or to organise your levelled readers. This is where a clear labelling system is key - the tubs are made from good quality, sturdy plastic, so your printed labels just need a little bit of blu tack to attach and then you’re good to go!
The question of how to organise your classroom seems a lot simpler when you’ve got a few of these little lifesavers at your disposal!
Never be asked for a gluestick again! These caddies put everything your students need within easy reach. Label them with my Spotty Brights Tote Tray Labels and give your kids ownership over their table’s caddy!
Make these the stationery hub for your students’ tables (one or two is plenty) and stock it with scissors, gluesticks, pencils and sharpeners. You’ll be amazed at how much time you suddenly get back, not having to wait for the pencil case rummaging to stop when it’s time to work!
The last of my classroom organisation ideas for you, these book boxes are an alternative to the plastic ones I mentioned earlier.
I opted for the white book boxes and introduced pops of colour with labels from my new Spotty Brights Classroom Decor pack!
They come in packs of 5 that you can either colour block or mix-and-match.
Alright BFF, you’re armed with the best storage containers for the classroom and you’re ready to welcome your students…
Not so fast! There’s one last thing you need to do for your organised classroom - label EVERYTHING.
It’s one thing to have a home for everything, but a whole other ballgame to get your students on board! A clear labelling system helps them to know where everything should go, and puts some of the responsibility back on them to keep your classroom organised - after all, it’s as much their space as it is yours.
I decorated my home office with my new Spotty Brights decor and I just love how much it has brightened my space! If you’ve been looking for a sign to add some more colour into your classroom, this is it.
My brand new Spotty Brights Decor Pack includes a few different label styles and shapes, so they’re a good option if you’re wanting a cohesive theme across all your different tubs and containers! It’s also got a whole bunch of other resources, like an Affirmation Station, Binder Covers, a Birthday Chart, Calendar, Alphabet Posters (and that’s just scratching the surface! You can get the Spotty Brights Decor Pack here and add a pop of colour to your organised classroom!
Well friends, there you have it - my top classroom organisation ideas, thanks to my friends at Elizabeth Richards! Any BFF of mine is a BFF of theirs, so they’ve generously offered you all a 10% discount code to pick up some classroom storage of your own!
Use the code MISSJACOBS10 when you check out before 31 January, 2022 to save 10% on your total order.
Wishing you all the energy in the world (or a never ending supply of coffee) to organise your classrooms for 2022 - your future self will thank you for all your hard work!
Teacher and Founder of Miss Jacobs Little Learners. If you’re dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of your students – I’m here to help you.
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