Classroom Organization

These ideas come from http://www.readingresource.net/classroomorganization.html
 
 Efficient use of our space is critical to great flow.  Use those bulletin boards for instruction, remove those large teacher desks and other pieces of furniture that are taking up too much real estate, and make it "our" classroom (teacher and students) vs. "your" classroom (teacher's only).




Some simple suggestions:

• Don't just decorate bulletin boards. Use them as instructional spaces.
• Use fadeless paper or fabric so that yon can reuse the bulletin boards without having to do them again.
• Maximize cabinet doors.
• If you have large bulletin boards and/or dry wall, use them for things that are most difficult to hang.
• Use windows to display posters.
• Use the space outside of your classroom to display student work.
• Try to place furniture appropriately so that it's not taking up too much wall space.
• Tri-fold poster boards can also serve as portable wall space!

Since I have a magnetic whiteboard and a rolling Smartboard, I wanted to make my large group area in close proximity to them. I hung up the most important posters (above the whiteboard) and utilized the wall area to the left of the board for my calendar area. I only use the calendar area for a small portion of the day, so when I need to use the whiteboard I could just push the Smartboard over it and it's not a problem! Because reading is so important to me, I want others to feel that immediately when they walk in the classroom. Placing my red bookshelf by the door made sense, but I didn't want to cover up the only bulletin board in my room! I decided to place it on the right side of the board...and I knew that I would have to cover up a little of the board to make this work. Before I moved the shelf where I wanted it, I put up the paper, borders, and posters so that it would be easier. Once my board was finished, I was able to move the shelf where I wanted it. When I moved into this classroom I was fortunate that I was able to carry most of my materials before my furniture was moved in. This prevented me from having to pack and unpack a lot of boxes, but I was left with a lot of "stuff" that couldn't be put away until my furniture arrived. I tried to get as much stuff out of the way so that when my furniture did arrive, I would be able to move it around without a bunch of obstacles!When you are arranging your room, it's best to get the little things out of the way, including the student desks! By keeping them out of the way, you can assess the perimeter of your room and use the space effectively.
I like having curtains in my classroom because I feel they make the space feel more like a home and the vertical lines make the room seem taller than it really is. Many people forget that windows are also great places to hang anchor charts and posters. If you have blinds in your classroom, you can use wooden clips to hang posters! When furniture is placed against the wall it not only takes up space for posters and anchor charts, but it doesn't allow you to utilize both sides of the furniture. The placement of this bookshelf gives students a quite place to read and it functions as an additional literacy center with the pocket charts on the back.