Classroom Set Up

How many times have you changed your classroom set up each school year?  It doesn’t help if you frequently move classrooms and have to learn a new room.  Sometimes your student desks change (storage vs. no storage) or you end up with tables.  Sometimes you have to switch it around due to the students in your class. Some classes are little angels, some talk too much, some are highly disruptive, some have IEPs that require special seating arrangements.  Sometimes you have an aid, sometimes you don’t. The list of reasons to rearrange your classroom goes on.

Even the most experienced teacher struggles to decide on the “just right” classroom set up.

Try not to get discouraged if this happens frequently during your career.  It will strengthen your classroom management skills, I promise.  How? Why? …

I’ve got some tried and true strategies that will work in almost any situation.  Read on.

Tips for Classroom Set Up that are Sure to Meet Your Students’ Needs.

Before you even unpack one box or decorate one bulletin board, you must consider your classroom layout and arrange your furniture first. While you map out your classroom, consider creating designated areas to serve as “rooms” for each subject/function area.

1. Whole Group Teaching Area

If your promethean or smart board is mounted on the wall and can not be moved, your first task is to place your classroom carpet right in front of it!  Do not put your rug right up against the smartboard because the children will want to sit there.  Leave 2-3 feet between the smartboard and the carpet so that you have space to use the promethean and present your lessons.  I call this my teacher catwalk.  This space allows me to use the touchscreen and manage the promethean without stepping on any fingers or toes.

I like to place a table (preferably round) in the middle.  I remove the legs (the part of the legs that allow you to adjust the height). The kids always find room even if they don’t fit at the carpet.  Some of them like their space and scoot to the edge of the carpet anyway.

The purpose for the low table is to allow for flexible seating and activities during small group rotations. I also allow children to move to the carpet during independent seat work if their desk is far from the promethean and they need to see what is on display.

2. Classroom Set up for Your Teacher’s Desk

This is my favorite part of the room to organize first.  I feel it sets the tone for the classroom and helps the students identify the teacher’s personality and approach to learning.

This is an area that sets the tone for your classroom décor theme.

Where to Place Your Teacher Space?

I always choose the corner of the room near the promethean as my “teacher hub”.  In my many years of teaching, I found it most efficient to place my teacher desk near the smartboard/promethean so that I could easily switch screens in between lessons and grab the materials I need in seconds.

This works out great because this is typically where all the internet connection/plugs and equipment hook ups are located.  This is the area in which you will set up your teachers desk, teacher hub or small group meeting area.

Hopefully it’s near a window for some sun-gazing and Zen time during your planning period.

Should You Get Rid of  Your Teacher’s Desk?

No. and Yes! …You still need your own professional space to plan, store confidential records, hide teacher supplies that you use regularly that you don’t want  your students to have easy access to; along with protecting your personal items. Yet, you are not in the profession to sit at your desk all day.  Here is how to manage both.

Turn it around!

Can you get rid of the desk itself?  Absolutely! I did this a decade ago and I won’t ever go back! Ask for tables to line the wall behind your u-shaped/kidney table. Place a second (or third table) to form an l-shape against the second wall. And then…

Simply consider your u-shape or kidney table your “teacher desk”. Yes, this is where you will meet with students during small groups but it is also your HOME BASE. whenever you sit at it, you will be facing your class even if checking email on your laptop.

Get yourself a comfy swivel chair and start organizing the long tables you placed behind your desk along the wall. Place your computer desktop (if you have one) on the tables along with any other necessities you need. Under the table you can organize your teacher supplies, small group materials in storage cubes or drawers.  Choose one method to keep the look cohesive instead of chaotic. Push them against the wall and you will still have space for your legs while you use the desktop. During small group or during your plan, you can quickly swivel and grab what you need and carry on!

Where to Store all the Teaching Resources You Use Daily

Those tables you placed behind your teacher table have room for some workspace and some shelving above and below them!  The Target or Ikea cube shelving works perfectly to provide you with easy access and storage of your planning resources. Organize all your guided reading resources on top of those tables.  In the photos, you will see that I placed three 9-storage cube shelving units from Target side by side. Use the first row for baskets to hide all your filing clutter by subject area.

The second and third rows can be used for your small group leveled readers, decodables, personal picture book library, professional literature, etc.

How to Organize all the Clutter in the Heat of the Moment While Teaching

The classroom is unpredictable. Your “desk” can get cluttered in a hurry. You will misplace things in seconds.

Organize your chaos by creating designated spaces to land your sh** and label everything.  In the photo you will see that I colorfully labeled my teacher planning bins by subject.  The materials I need that day are placed right in front of the basket on the table.

Any other resources I need for that subject is in the basket. At the start of each teaching unit/topic I place everything I need for that unit of study in the bin.  When that unit is complete, I take all the resources out and file them all at once.  Filing is my least favorite thing to do. I find it much easier to do it all at once at the end of a unit instead of filing as I go.  This is why the bins are so helpful to use.

Anything to do with the office or parents always goes right next to my keyboard in a basket so that I take care of it first thing I sit down during my plan or at the end/start of the day.

3. Teacher Chair and Easel

Next, place your teacher chair somewhere near or in-between your desk and promethean. During whole group lessons, you may need to get to your desk for a forgotten prop, book or to answer the phone because you forgot to take attendance!  You are not going to want to walk through your children while they are at the carpet.  Have everything you need near your teacher chair (preferably next to or behind you) so you can get to it easily, quickly and efficiently before the kids get distracted!

The Rest of the Room Belongs to the Kids!

You’ve organized your teacher corner, now its time to curate a student-centered classroom.

Your classroom set-up should include organized learning centers that facilitate the learning of grade level learning standards. Organize your resources and bulletin boards by subject area so the children can easily recognize where to find any math related items vs. writing resources.

Now you need to identify which areas of the room are best to house your materials and displays for each subject.  I like to visualize each subject area as its own room or department within the classroom.

4. Classroom Library Organization

Your carpet/meeting area is the most likely space for you to house your library. This is a nice space for your students to stretch out and read a book.  If your promethean is mounted on your wall; the space below is ideal for your library.  Low shelving or Ikea/Target storage cubes are great choices for organizing your library books.

By placing your library under the focal point of your classroom (the promethean/smart board) sends the message that your classroom values literacy because you are housing your library front and center! You may choose to keep your library organized in bins, labelled by level or topic.

5. Student Desk/Table Placement

There are many different ways to configure your desk arrangement. Rows, quads, doubles…. but have you considered the walls?  I know, I know … this is highly unconventional, but it works!

The classroom you see in these pictures is the second smallest classroom in our building.  I have a lot of use for all the furniture so I had to get creative with student desk placement.

Keep in mind, all my whole group instruction is at the carpet. The students gather together at the carpet and then go to their seats to complete their independent work.

In the photos, you will notice I have a long bookshelf across from the promethean framing out our meeting area. Student desks are lined up along the back of that shelf facing the promethean.  You’ll see another row of 3 desks also facing the meeting area.  These two sections are the only desks that “face” the promethean.  Certain students benefit from these seating arrangements because they need extra help focusing, or require an aid/CT to look over them while they work.

These two students are working on differentiated iReady lessons during our guided reading block. Don’t they look so very focused? Not a whole lot of distractions. #teacherwin

Notice how there are 4 desks on either side of the promethean wall.  Those children complete their independent work with their back to the classroom.  This often helps with eliminating distractions because they are forced to look in one direction.  I have never had a parent or student complain that they had to sit there. In fact, many students prefer it.

If those students need to see the promethean to complete their independent work, I allow them to sit at the blue round table or with a clipboard at the carpet.  Only those children are allowed to sit there.

Give this seating arrangement a try. It maximizes your classroom space, cuts down on socializing and helps students focus on independent work.

6. Classroom Set up of your Writing Area

Designate a large area and wall space for your Writing Center. In the photo, you can see that I have designed my writing bulletin board to feature the writing process gurus (you’ll see I have students featured in our display because they are the “guru” of that stage of writing).

You may also find it beneficial to model/display your current writing genre for that unit.  Model how to organize their writing into paragraphs (intro, 2 body paragraphs and a closing). Your writing standards may different for your grade level and you may or may not need as much space as I utilize for my display. Keep learning on display and permanent so your students have clear visuals as to what is expected of them.

I also make transition words and phrases visible to encourage students to include many details in their writing.  I use this “Keep on the Write Road” theme because it inspires my students to keep their writing “going”.

You can find the writing process bulletin board set HERE. The Seasonal Writing Sets can be found HERE.

I like to include a small shelving unit to house writing folders, writing portfolios, editing phones, writing utensils, blank writing paper and label everything!

7. Classroom Set Up of your Math Center

Again, identify a good space in your room that is large enough to organize all your math manipulatives and games.  Allow for some wall space to display your Math Word Wall and anchor charts.  I especially love this oversized multiplication chart. It adds a pop of color to the classroom and is used frequently by students.

8. Make Reading Prominent in your Classroom Set Up

In this classroom, the classroom library is centralized with the whole group meeting area and promethean classroom set up.

Small group reading instruction takes place at the teacher hub.

Reading bulletin boards and displays are seen in the remainder of this classroom.

You will notice that there are Reading Guru Anchor Charts hanging around the perimeter of the room.  They blend in nicely with the Writing Process Gurus.

The Guru Anchor Charts hang throughout the school year to promote a student-centered classroom.  Any new learning is hung below them on handwritten anchor charts.  This allows for ongoing learning and making learning permanent all year long.

9. Student Center for Community Supplies and Communication Hub

You won’t need much space for your student Center.  I like to place mine near the door so the children can quickly place their Take Home Folder in their mailbox and place any important papers into the Notes From Home bin as they enter the classroom.

This is the place to house any community supplies, your mailboxes, “Extras” bin and “Take Home Papers” bins.

11.  Content Area Displays

Wherever and whenever you can display your Science and Social Studies content, do it!

12. Classroom Set up for the “Kitchen Area”

You can’t move the sink so make the best of this area.  Have your hydration station here. You can have the children place their water bottles in several tubs on the kitchen counter.  If you don’t have any counter space purchase a 3 tiered cart for your students to store their water bottles on the bottom two shelves.

I do not allow my students to store their water bottles at their seats due to spills and extra noise.

The top shelf can be used for snacks for students who forgot to bring one, napkins, plastic utensils and hand sanitizer. I also house a box of Kleenex for the students since the waste basket is right there and the sink to wash their hands.

Thanks so much for lending me your ear. I do hope you are able to find some helpful ideas to assist in your classroom set up to ensure a successful year.

From my home away from home….
…to yours!

-Lori