5 Ways to Create and Maintain a Clutter-Free Classroom
It’s summmerrrr. The wildest school year in our time just came to a close. Thinking ahead to next year, I think all teachers are going to have enough stress on their plates…we all are going to need a little simplification in our lives.
I have a list of 5 things you can do as you prep your classroom for this coming school year, to ensure that your classroom is organized and clutter-free all year long!
Have a place for everything.
This simple sentiment has been a total game-changer for my family. We decided about 5 years ago that everything in our home needed to have a place, and if we couldn’t find a place for it, then it needed to go. (My husband read some Marie Kondo books before she had a Netflix show, so I’m sure this is a principal of hers.)
You can translate this to the classroom very well. Every supply. Every notebook. Every book. Where is it’s place? Does it not have a place already because it is totally irrelevant to instruction? Get rid of it. Does it not have a place because you haven’t used it yet…but you might use it one day? Get rid of it. Does it not have a place, because you use it but then put it in a different spot each time? Create a place for it. Pick a spot where it will stay.
Label the things that kids will use.
I believe in a student-centered classroom. This means that 85% of the things in the room are for the kids. I don’t have read alouds they can’t touch. I don’t have many supplies I hide away (except for things like staples and hot-glue…because, duh. I teach 7 year olds.)
In a student-centered classroom, it’s IMPERATIVE that we teach students where things go, and that these things always get put back in place. The number one way to guarantee this: labels. Picture labels if your kids are itty bitt. Word labels if they can read them. Label things even if your kids are big ole middle schoolers. My husband teaches 8th grade and has 3-drawer organizers in his room labeled by class period so the students know where to turn in assignments. Labels never get old. If the kids can see where things go, they take ownership of being in charge of it. They keep things a LOT nicer than they do when you’re always whisking things away to clean up yourself, I promise.
Go paperless where you can.
A couple of years ago, I got tired of filing master copies. I rarely found myself using the masters. I had to turn lesson plans in on my computer. I shared my portion of the team plans on the computer. My pacing guide was on the computer. With all of that computer time, it was much easier for me to just download a master copy of an assignment directly from TPT or Google, rather than having to remember to dig through my files. Deciding not to keep excess paper copies for future use has saved me a lot of clutter. I totally got rid of my filing cabinets for a time! I simply had a drawer of student files, and a milk cart with hanging file folders to store student work that we would use to make portfolios at the end of the year. But other than that…why save it?
Create a team with your students.
This space is for all of you to use, so it is also for all of you to care for. I don’t believe in cleaning up after my students. I mean…if I taught toddlers, then I would feel differently. But I teach EIGHT YEAR OLDS. If you can get those markers out, you can put them away, my friend. I motivate my students to maintain a clean and organized classroom by doing a LOT of community building throughout the year. But, I also have a few systems in place. My Classroom Economy and End of Day Jobs help keep my students in check, and let them know what to do and when.
End of Day Jobs
Develop an “I Keep What I’ll Use” Mindset
I almost used the word minimalist here, but I decided against it. It’s such a buzzword, and it conjures images of sparse walls and sterile furniture. I personally identify as a “minimalist”, especially in the classroom. But, I have always prioritized aesthetics, so my classroom was never bare. My cabinets were maybe a little emptier than my teammates’, but my students were not going without what they needed.
But, I want you to think about all of the times you are given things throughout the year that you will never use again. PD sessions, staff meetings, workshops, etc. How many times are handouts given to you, and you know without a doubt that you will never look at them again?
My challenge to you is to designate a place to store PD materials you want to keep. A file or drawer or folder. Label it, and make that your “PD Materials’ place.
Everything else can just be tossed. Are you not sure if you’ll be asked to retrieve it? Snap a picture of it, or put it in your PD Materials place so you know exactly where it is if you are randomly asked to pull it back out one day.
If you take these five things to heart, I promise you will have a much simpler, less cluttered learning space for your students this year! And less clutter leads to all kinds of good things…more learning, more engagement, and less stress!
For more ideas on how to simplify your classroom, check out my Simple Classroom Solutions Product line on TPT!
