Categories Classroom Management, Organization

Classroom SetUp

Back to school means classroom organization and classroom setup. It means purging things and getting new things for the classroom. And if you’re like me, it means wandering around in circles trying to figure out where to put everything! But, our classroom is organized and ready for a new school year.

How Big Is Your Classroom?

Ya’ll. I can’t even begin to tell your how many times we get asked this question. We have a great classroom space for sure, but it looks much bigger than it really is because we don’t have tables or desks so the open space makes it look big. We also use a wide-angle lens for a lot of pictures so that really distorts how big the space looks! So, yeah, how big is the space? Our classroom measures 30’x32′.

Classroom Setup

One thing that you might notice is that our classroom design stays pretty similar each year! Having no tables and desks means we don’t have a lot of stuff to arrange. We have really figured out the best classroom design so we stick to that each year. We don’t even change themes every year. This year, we did switch to more of a rainbow theme which I am loving because it brings happiness and brightness to the room! I used our Rainbow Classroom Decor Set. The rainbow borders are from Schoolgirl Style. The boards are covered with black fabric.

Whole Group Area

The whole group area is where we have our morning meeting, do whole group lessons, and have our end-of-the-day dance party! The carpet is a Rugs Alive carpet from Alive Studios. We have two stages (both built by my dad) and our easel which is a Royal Inspiration Station. The two stages are positioned to create an amphitheater feel. Students can sit on the carpet or on the stage if it’s their day. The ways the stage seating is determined are simple. I take our class roster and divide it into 5 groups. Each group is assigned a day of the week. On your day you can sit on the carpet or on one of the stages!

CLICK HERE FOR THE RUGS!

Small Group Area

Our small group learning area got a major makeover this year because we got rid of the kidney (or horseshoe table). We replaced that table with a custom-built L-shaped table! The table is more narrow so I can work with the kids better and gives us more space to work and learn.

Some details on the table:

it’s 2 separate pieces so they can be arranged and moved
on wheels for easy movement
one piece is 2×5
one piece is 2×6
31″ high

To help with classroom organization, we use the rainbow drawers from Michaels. There are drawers for each day’s materials and drawers for supplies for small groups and general classroom stuff.

This is the view of the classroom from the small group table:

CLICK HERE FOR THE CHAIRS ON AMAZON!

More Classroom Spaces

Our classroom has this hallway that you enter as soon as you open our door. In this space is our classroom library. The walls on either side of the hallway are used to display student work!

This is our community supplies area. Since we don’t have tables and desks, we need somewhere to keep supplies. Whenever the students need a supply, they grab what they need! That means we share everything!!

Another new addition to the classroom is the curtains in the windows. This is addressing the reality of school safety. Our classroom is situated on the far corner of the building, next to some woods. I love our windows but I wanted to feel safer in our classroom. The curtains allow me to keep the blinds open for natural light but prevent anyone from being able to see into the classroom. Here’s a secret: those curtains were made by my aunt using sheets!

This is our calm-down corner! Students (and grownups!) can come here to relax, refocus and calm down when needed. The chair is a $20 chair from Goodwill! In the chair, we have a mermaid sequin blanket for getting cozy and a sensory experience. We also have a calm-down kit from Kitful And Co. We highly recommend having one of these in the classroom!

This is an area that students access all day every day. Here you can find their journals for morning work, center materials, and supplies. Here you find Write the Room, Count the Room, and graphing centers. You can also find our mini-erasers and props for write the room! The containers are from Target.