In need of inspiration for making the most of your space when it comes to organization, storage, and décor? Looking to feel inspired and refreshed with the right storage solutions for you? This blog post has you covered!
We have all had our fair share of struggling with organization. Feeling overwhelmed, tired, and staring at a pile of stuff, not knowing what to do and how to fix it is a problem we are all familiar with no matter the profession. However, teachers have the unique and additional responsibility of having to organize and look after a whole classroom. This means not only organizing your own space, but your workspace, and the learning space of an entire group of children. You want to find the perfect solution for a practical, neat and tidy space, and you want it to fit your learning style. It’s important to feel balanced, productive, and utilize your classroom.
It’s important to feel balanced, productive, and utilize your classroom. ”
What are some classroom products to keep you organized?
When it comes to classroom organization, practicality is key. A space that can be flexible and allows easy access to all the tools you need. Whether it’s paper, pens, books, and folders, you don’t want to be wasting time looking through countless drawers.
Storex’s products are a fantastic fix. Storex is known for their high quality and fun variety of storage solutions. Coming in tons of different colours, shapes, and styles, Storex is sure to have the right storage solution for you. With many options for different sized solutions no matter is they are small items or big items, there is something out there that suits your needs! The small book bin is perfect for small, thin, notebooks or journals, and the Large Book Bin is great for larger supplies like binders, paint, or scissors. The Blue Stretch Pencil case is incredible for pens, pencils, pencil crayons, erasers and sharpeners. It’s the perfect addition for any desk!
The Storage Rack with 12 Clear Cubby Bins is another great storage tool. Ideal for toys, crafts, or art supplies! With twelve racks, there is lots of space to hold supplies, and with its clear appearance you can see through the shelves! No more guessing when it comes to storage, you can see before you even open the bins. Plus, it comes with rounded edges on the bins which make it safer for little hands. The cubby bins are made from a sturdy and drop resistant plastic.
Need a place to put your papers while grading them? In need of something quick and easy to help with sorting? The Quick Stack Literature Sorter is the perfect fix. It features six compartments and comes in a classic black colour, and it snaps together with no tools required. It is sturdy enough to hold 500 sheets of letter sized paper, and comes in a multicoloured version if bright colours are what you prefer!
How to decorate your space the best way:
Sometimes a room needs a little TLC to feel like home. You want yourself and the kids to feel comfortable in their learning environment and decorating the space can be a fantastic solution. Decorating and organizing can go hand in hand! Adding encouraging posters, great organization shelves, and fun rugs can really brighten up the environment.
Adding colour. You want a vibrant, inspirational and eye-catching colour scheme without being overwhelming and distracting. You also want this theme to be something you really enjoy, since you will spend a lot of time surrounded by it.
Make it practical. Don’t overdo it. You want to have a clean space that is neither overwhelming nor distracting as a learning environment. Every student has different needs, and some may struggle more with clutter than others. It’s important to keep things accessible to everyone!
Showcase your student’s work! The bare walls in your classroom are the perfect canvas for all the beautiful and fun artwork. Arrange a bulletin board that can easily be changed out when projects come and go! It is an easy way to add colour, fun, and store all your art at the same time!
Health and Safety posters. In uncertain times, little ones and adults alike can use reminders when it comes to distancing and proper sanitary measures. Washing hands and having classroom reminders promoting good hygiene is always good to keep in mind.
Stick with the seasons. Is a fun holiday coming up? Use this as an opportunity to refresh! We all get bored with looking at the same stuff repeatedly, so when a holiday comes up, don’t be afraid to add some colour and spice to your classroom. Even small things like adding to your bulletin board, or hanging up fun pictures or posters, it creates excitement for students and teachers alike!
Efficient organization tips for a clean space:
Figure out what’s eating your time. Spending too much time procrastinating or redoing the same corner repeatedly? Make a note of what keeps you behind. Set timers to help ensure you stay on track and record how long it takes to organize certain spaces.
Establish a routine for the necessities. Having a place for all your papers is one thing, but it is another to have a routine to help sort through them. Once you hand your lesson out, have a safe place to put it afterwards, and after they are graded, etc. Once these papers all have a proper place and life cycle, the days of misplacing papers are over!
Labelling. The days of questioning where things belong are over! Ensure all baskets, buckets, binders, and shelves are all properly labeled. This will save you lots of headache and time in the future!
Make copies of your checklist. At the beginning of the year, print off multiple copies of the cleaning checklist you plan to make. Each week, or whatever time permits, go through the list to ensure everything is neat and tidy! Checklists can help ease anxiety and provide a sense of accomplishment, so it is a win-win.
Make sure the environment will maximize learning. The last thing you want is your new décor and furniture is for it to cause distraction with your students. You want to create an environment that maximizes learning and minimizes behaviour problems. Not sure how the kids in your classroom feel about your organization system? Ask them! Don’t forget, with so many students and only one of you, it’s important to make sure the system you are using works for them too. That way, they are more likely to stick to it!
Have a monthly folder. Need to stay fresh and on top of things that are recent? Have a folder dedicated to each month, day by day! It makes it easier to find things when you need to back track, and it can help the overwhelming number of tasks that have seemingly piled up feel less daunting since they are broken down day by day.
“With the right products and time management skills, you should be feeling calm, cool and collected – and organized – in no time!”
What are some tips for saving time, energy and reducing stress in the classroom?
- Declutter your email. An overwhelming number of emails can make you feel out of control and difficult to catch up on. Putting an effort into keeping your inbox clean can help give you a more clear, organized state of mind.
- Don’t hide the important stuff. Have certain papers that you seem to constantly be looking for, like report cards or field trip permission slips? Find a spot dedicated to them. Some people use a specific drawer or pin a folder to their bulletin board. Whatever you choose, make sure you save some space for the important stuff!
- Group similar tasks together. When organizing your checklists, group tasks that take the same amount of time or have similarities so you can finish them around the same time!
- Let technology be on your side. Send yourself reminders, turn off notifications, don’t let it be a distraction, let it help you!
- Don’t forget to stretch! It helps release emotional and physical tension.
- Get a good night sleep. It will help you feel refreshed, productive, and organized the next day.
- Stay as prepared as possible. Print off extras of your lessons, quizzes, tests, or any printable just in case you need them!
- Try to stay on top of mess! Clean up as you go when it comes to projects and experiments in the classroom. Before you start something new, ensure the previous mess has already been tidied up to cut down on clean-up time.
Having so many responsibilities as a teacher can no doubt be stressful. Having an organized, clean, and tidy space should help you feel balanced and in in control. If you stay on top of the mess, dedicate some time and space for the right tools, and maximize the organization of your space, your classroom is sure to be at its very best. With the right products and time management skills, you should be feeling calm, cool and collected – and organized – in no time!
