Getting Your Classroom Set Up: From the Layout to the Decor

Back-to-school season is here. You have a to-do list a mile long with things to get done before the first day of school. Setting up your classroom is probably the biggest. Setting up your classroom can be stressful. It can also be easy. These tips helped me master getting my classroom set up easily.

Setting up your classroom can be overwhelming if you don’t have a plan … especially if you’re a new teacher… in a new room… or teaching a new grade level. Starting with a plan will help you prioritize where to put your time and energy.  Setting up your room should be fun, not stressful.

It’s easy to get caught up in planning the perfect room.  Don’t fall into that trap. It’s better to be good enough and done than perfect and not finished.

Know how much time you have before school starts. Be realistic. How much time do you want to spend on setting up your classroom? Identify the high-priority items on your list. Decide what has to be done before your kids arrive.

You can always go back and do more. If you focus on the key tasks, you may have some fluff left over to do, but at least you know you’ll be ready for the first day.

Classroom setup is more efficient when you work with a plan.

It’s always easier to work from the outside in and from the top down.  I do my bulletin boards, and my wall displays first. Reaching the walls is easier when there isn’t any furniture in the way.

I don’t enjoy redoing the bulletin board over and over. Instead, I plan my bulletin board to be up all year long. I spend a little more time initially to save time later. (This is a post I wrote specifically on how to save time on your bulletin boards.)

Once I finish my walls, I move any bookshelves or furniture that’s going to be placed up against the walls.  From there, it’s easy to look at my classroom map and move my desks or tables into place.

The next step is always cleaning. Stuff gets dusty over the summer! Once that’s done, it’s time for my favorite part:  decorating!  Some teachers spend a lot more time on this than I do.  You know what? That’s okay.

Do enough that you feel good about your room but not so much that you get overwhelmed. You will be spending a lot of time in your room. So, you want to feel good about it. This checklist helped me keep on track.

Personally, I love to use an editable classroom theme pack because the print-and-go nature of it makes decorating my room really easy.  It also makes it super convenient to coordinate everything. These are some of my favorites. I’ll be setting up our school room soon & I can’t wait to show it to y’all.

Looking for More Back to School Organizational Resources?

Check out these posts.

Classroom Set-Up: 7 Guiding Questions

Setting Up for Success with Classroom Technology

Setting Up Your Classroom: A Checklist for Classroom Prep

Decorating Classroom Walls Before Students Come Back to School

Simplify Bulletin Boards with Time-Saving Tips and Tricks

Mastering Anchor Charts: Setting Up for Success