What is Classroom Organisation?
Effective classroom organisation not only helps to keep things in their proper place, but it also helps to create a healthy environment for better, more effective learning and engagement. Teachers and students spend a significant amount of their time in the classroom, so it makes sense that classrooms should be both warm and welcoming, as well as functional. Attitudes towards traditional classroom set-up have changed recently, and as a result, educators are looking to build more effective and creative learning spaces for their students. To keep the environment and students safe, it’s critical to strike a balance between classroom effectiveness and student safety with a little organisation and some creativity!
Classroom Organisation Essentials
Properly organising the classroom may seem like a lot of work with little payoff, but it’s actually a great opportunity for teachers to share their vision with their students (and parents). A child’s ability to understand and retain knowledge relies heavily on organisation and routine. The arrangement of desks and working spaces, the general aesthetics, and appeal of walls and smart boards, as well as the storage of materials and supplies, can all lead to increased engagement, learning, and healthy classroom habits. Begin the year off right to have peace of mind knowing that your classroom is ready for students and the school year ahead and you can stay more focused on teaching and shaping young minds.
Adding just a few classroom essentials plays a big part in effective classroom organisation. Here are some tips and simple routines to keep your classroom in tip-top shape all year long.
Multipurpose storage space
You can quickly and easily improve your classroom organisation by adding colourful trays, paper holders, folders, and bins. If resources like books, stationery supplies, or folders aren’t well organised, they can quickly make the classroom appear disorganised and cluttered. A multifunctional mobile huddle centre is an effective option for shared learning environments to keep everything tucked away and in place. They are easy to move around and offer the dual functionality of storage with the added bonus of a whiteboard!
Save the art
Painting is a fantastic way to inspire creativity, and when you’ve got a classroom full of creative kids with their valuable art it needs to be stored away to dry in a safe place. Keeping an art drying rack in the classroom can save the day! It is super convenient as it allows you to stack the whole classroom’s precious art pieces separately for effective and safe drying, without taking up too much space.
Eliminate the mess
No matter how well you organise and store your students’ resources and equipment, kids may still misplace, break, or mess them up. Students spend a lot of time at their desks and it’s difficult for them to focus on any tasks if their personal workspace is a mess. You might see their desk cluttered with pencils, crayons, scissors, or paintbrushes. Storing these loose items in connector tubs and caddies can help keep everything safe and in one place. They are a space-saving miracle!
Student lap desk
When it comes to drawing or crafting, kids often forego traditional desk-and-chair setups and prefer to sit on the floor. Lap desks are a great solution to keep them working and productive while giving them a supportive, sturdy surface to work on.
Store belongings safely
Storing students’ personal items, books, and notebooks can be somewhat of a dilemma. Handy chair bags sit over the back of classroom chairs, immediately offering up extra storage space that keeps essential items safe and closes at hand.
Let them create
Not all children are motivated by colouring & scrapbooks, or painting. Some kids may be hesitant to express themselves and will look for other ways to discover their creativity. Providing an array of fun resources and activities is a great way to keep young creatives engaged. It can be done by placing around the classroom different activity stations like sand and water trays or rainbow sand to allow budding artists to explore their imagination.
Flexible seating
As a teacher placing high value on the seating plan is important as it affects the ambience in the classroom and serves as the students’ designated space. After all, the purpose of your lesson is to engage and encourage students to participate. Flexible seating is a great way to make effective use of a small space, maintain social distancing, and is ideal for the agile classroom as it allows you to adapt for a variety of purposes with ease. With the use of well-designed, multi-functional furniture like an ottoman it’s easy to turn your small classroom, into a purposeful, colourful, and productive one.
Become a sustainable classroom
We dispose of so many items that could be quickly and easily recycled or reused. Help to minimise waste, save money, and reduce your carbon footprint, by reusing everyday classroom items. Set up a recycling station in your classroom and encourage students to sort their garbage into the appropriate bins by including three clearly labelled bins for recycling, compost, and rubbish. Set up incentives by creating class recycling goals and assigning students to be the weekly recycling monitor.
