Easy Tips to Quickly Organize Your Classroom

Organization excites me. Yep, I’m a bit of a nerd. (I’m okay with it.) Seriously though, an organized classroom is totally drool-worthy.

Here’s the thing, I L-O-V-E organization, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. It takes effort, but it doesn’t have to be hard work.

I’ve gathered 3 super easy tips to quickly organize your classroom. So, keep on scrolling and check out these awesome tips.

Classroom Organization Tip #1 – Get Organized With Checklists

Use editable lists & get organized with checklists

Checklists are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G for keeping you organized. I use checklists all the time. You can make your own or check out these essential ones. #ChecklistsRock

Standards Checklist
Lesson Planning Checklist
Copy and Prep Checklist
On-Going To-Do List
Weekly Priorities List
Class Roster
Assignment Turn-In Checklist

Grab the checklists below!

In addition to using the checklists above, I love using this back-to-school classroom prep checklist and these copy notes to save time on planning.

Tip #2 – Organize Your Files

Go from drab to fa with a filing cabinet makeover

Think about storage. Just about every teacher has a filing cabinet. A boring tan cabinet crammed full of random files is a source of stress. Yuck! Taking a little bit of time to organize your filing cabinet can save you hours later. Really, it can.

Find some filing cabinet makeover ideas here.

Organize your files: Use sub files and numbers

Of course, these days, we all have a bunch of digital files too. Taking time to label and organize them will save you sooo much time down the road!

Label your files with a searchable description. Don’t save anything as “Presentation 1” or “Document 1.”
Use sub-folders. They will minimize the visual clutter and make it easy to find all of your files.
Use numbers at the start of your subfolder labels to make them automatically appear in the order you want them to.

Classroom Organization Tip #3 -Organize Your Physical Space

Think about the physical space you’re in. Start with your walls and work your way in. Save time by hanging things up well enough that they’ll stay up even on those notoriously difficult cement walls.

Bulletin boards make a big difference in the look and feel of a classroom. Cute, crisp, functional bulletin boards can make a classroom look organized and fresh. They can also take up a lot of time if you let them. Taking the time upfront to simplify your bulletin boards with these tips will make them easier to maintain all year long.

Keeping with the theme of doing things once, you might as well sort out your storage plans. Pick a system for storing your anchor charts. That way, you can use them again and again throughout the year.

Tip #4 – Maximize Your Time With Routines

Classroom organization is all about getting systems in place that maximize your time and make teaching effectively easier.

Whether it’s getting your center storage organized or working on smooth transitions, small group time is one of the times of day that require a lot of organization to run smoothly. Setting up routines and systems for your small group time is essential.

Try using a center rotation schedule is a great tool to help smoothly rotate your students through each station during centers. Grab a free editable copy of the center PowerPoint (TM) below.

Establishing a consistent routine lets your students know E-X-A-C-T-L-Y what to do at each activity. Check out these tips for making every second count with transition activities.

Classroom Organization Tip #5 – Prep Ahead

Teaching has taught me to anticipate the unexpected. Planning ahead keeps minor moments of chaos from spiraling into a hot mess.

The copier jams
A classroom evacuation
A flat tire

Every teacher needs an emergency sub-binder and a set of grab-and-go work folders prepped and ready to go. They make the unexpected moments so much less stressful.

I hope you L-O-V-E-D these tips as much as I do. Leave a comment and let me know your favorite way to organize your classroom. :)