![\"Classroom](\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Dk9bL2vgPj4\/Wz_3vZQdu-I\/AAAAAAAAbqo\/4GRLQmeU71UNZhCToOTTQlfydjxcfk4zQCLcBGAs\/s640\/summer%2Bchallenge%2Bheader%2Bchallenge%2B4%2Bimage.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/div>\nEvery classroom is so different–it’s hard to give clear direction on this one!\u00a0 I have a few tips to keep in mind when considering organizing your classroom.\u00a0 Before I even begin–consider the role of your teacher desk.\u00a0 I use mine as storage and a place to put my document camera.\u00a0 I don’t sit at it.\u00a0 Ever.\u00a0 The last thing I want is to have my students have to interrupt their thinking to come find me–I am moving around to coach THEM.\u00a0 Some people can live without a teacher desk to free up space in their room.\u00a0 I wish that were me.\u00a0 I have too much junk.\u00a0 #truthbomb<\/p>\n
Classroom Organization: Space Planning<\/h3>\n\n\n- Consider carving out multiple “floor spaces”.\u00a0 I want my students to have multiple floor spaces to work–whether they are in pairs, trios, or larger groups.\u00a0 When I do a new desk arrangement, I seriously count the number of work spaces I have on the floor to make sure we all have room to function without getting up into each other’s business.<\/li>\n
- Desks in small groups–always.\u00a0 I switch up the number of desks in each group and how I arrange them (last year I had a challenging group, so more students were facing forward in their groups than usual!).\u00a0 I use cooperative grouping nametags<\/a> to help me quickly form groups when I need to.\u00a0 We work cooperatively ALL.\u00a0 THE.\u00a0 TIME.<\/li>\n
- Make conscious decisions about where to put math supplies (more on this below!) to make sure students have easy access.<\/li>\n
- Make sure all students have easy view of your main teaching area(s) and key anchor charts and displays.<\/li>\n
- Consider traffic flow.\u00a0 I am huge on transitions (like we practice them) because I cannot stand wasted time.\u00a0 If there are hard-to-navigate areas in the room, streamline them.<\/li>\n
- Make sure to avoid “hidden” areas where students might get off task when you are working with small groups.<\/li>\n
- Consider having a crate, bin, cart, or table where you keep your intervention supplies and notes so you aren’t digging for things all the time.<\/li>\n
- Find an easy storage system for games.\u00a0 Bins, crates, those fun rainbow carts–whatever the system, make sure students know how to use it and that it won’t interrupt others when they access it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Classroom Organization:\u00a0Anchor Charts, Walls, and More<\/h3>\nStreamline your walls<\/h4>\nOne thing I have done more and more as I’ve gotten more “seasoned” is actually pared down what I put on my walls. I want the items I have posted to be USED, so I don’t want a lot of distractions. In the hallways, the sky is the limit! That’s where I put student work, projects, and so on–but in my classroom, I keep the walls as learning tools. I have even stopped hanging things from the ceiling to make sure my students can easily refer to my walls.<\/div>\n <\/p>\n
I firmly believe that anchor charts are meant to be created WITH and FOR students. That being said, I want them to be useful as well. For that reason, I work with students on a “rough draft” anchor chart…then we group things together, cross things out, and so on–and then I recopy it in a neat (well, relatively!) fashion so it’s easier to read and understand. I want students to use these charts independently, and I want to be able to send students to them–both for content information AND for expectations on how to function in my class. Here are a few examples of charts that hung in my room last year…and each year I “remake” them with my new group so they are a part of the process–and they evolve along the way!<\/p>\n
![\"Classroom](\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-siuBFEd6uAA\/Wz_CMjU14BI\/AAAAAAAAbpA\/Iw-R5x_z1GYKvlKNWiuy2QEqen3Edl7BwCLcBGAs\/s640\/Photo%2BJul%2B06%252C%2B9%2B50%2B05%2BAM.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/div>\n![\"Classroom](\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-7Ljq6xwPQmw\/Wz_CM3F7URI\/AAAAAAAAbpE\/2NCmpA-xaHUaK1Jyub3YT0y6H2R3MMdLQCLcBGAs\/s640\/Photo%2BJul%2B06%252C%2B9%2B50%2B23%2BAM.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/div>\n![\"Classroom](\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-hgU9ixEh7gE\/Wz_CM-u5edI\/AAAAAAAAbpI\/WMvj_LLYGRIIEkOS1DrsGTMyTpLiG8UCwCLcBGAs\/s640\/Photo%2BJul%2B06%252C%2B9%2B50%2B50%2BAM.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/div>\n![\"Classroom](\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-KiA5175j1aQ\/Wz_CNsKu2YI\/AAAAAAAAbpM\/1cCpqBLjr3kgzFV1IcBpygh-b-CxuQJgwCLcBGAs\/s640\/Photo%2BJul%2B06%252C%2B9%2B51%2B14%2BAM.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/div>\nBe mindful of bulletin boards and take advantage of that real estate as you think about organizing your classroom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nBulletin boards can be great reference tools for our students!\u00a0 I keep up my growth mindset bulletin board <\/a>all year and add to it as we learn new things.\u00a0 I refer to it often–as do the students.<\/p>\n![\"Classroom](\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-j2wKPeJuo8k\/Wz_G2OkxvzI\/AAAAAAAAbps\/PmuqM6v_IpckJd16tfioMKPNku0Vw0gcgCLcBGAs\/s640\/Photo%2BJul%2B06%252C%2B9%2B52%2B58%2BAM.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/div>\nEven displaying the Standards for Mathematical Practice posters (in kid-friendly language) is a great way to use bulletin board space–IF you actually use it as a teaching tool.\u00a0 Simply hanging up the posts (or any anchor chart, for that matter) does nothing…we need to refer to these tools, talk about them, and encourage students to use them.\u00a0 Click the image below if you want to check out this poster set (I have several versions in my store to match different room decor!)<\/p>\n
- \n
- Consider carving out multiple “floor spaces”.\u00a0 I want my students to have multiple floor spaces to work–whether they are in pairs, trios, or larger groups.\u00a0 When I do a new desk arrangement, I seriously count the number of work spaces I have on the floor to make sure we all have room to function without getting up into each other’s business.<\/li>\n
- Desks in small groups–always.\u00a0 I switch up the number of desks in each group and how I arrange them (last year I had a challenging group, so more students were facing forward in their groups than usual!).\u00a0 I use cooperative grouping nametags<\/a> to help me quickly form groups when I need to.\u00a0 We work cooperatively ALL.\u00a0 THE.\u00a0 TIME.<\/li>\n
- Make conscious decisions about where to put math supplies (more on this below!) to make sure students have easy access.<\/li>\n
- Make sure all students have easy view of your main teaching area(s) and key anchor charts and displays.<\/li>\n
- Consider traffic flow.\u00a0 I am huge on transitions (like we practice them) because I cannot stand wasted time.\u00a0 If there are hard-to-navigate areas in the room, streamline them.<\/li>\n
- Make sure to avoid “hidden” areas where students might get off task when you are working with small groups.<\/li>\n
- Consider having a crate, bin, cart, or table where you keep your intervention supplies and notes so you aren’t digging for things all the time.<\/li>\n
- Find an easy storage system for games.\u00a0 Bins, crates, those fun rainbow carts–whatever the system, make sure students know how to use it and that it won’t interrupt others when they access it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Classroom Organization:\u00a0Anchor Charts, Walls, and More<\/h3>\n
Streamline your walls<\/h4>\n
One thing I have done more and more as I’ve gotten more “seasoned” is actually pared down what I put on my walls. I want the items I have posted to be USED, so I don’t want a lot of distractions. In the hallways, the sky is the limit! That’s where I put student work, projects, and so on–but in my classroom, I keep the walls as learning tools. I have even stopped hanging things from the ceiling to make sure my students can easily refer to my walls.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
I firmly believe that anchor charts are meant to be created WITH and FOR students. That being said, I want them to be useful as well. For that reason, I work with students on a “rough draft” anchor chart…then we group things together, cross things out, and so on–and then I recopy it in a neat (well, relatively!) fashion so it’s easier to read and understand. I want students to use these charts independently, and I want to be able to send students to them–both for content information AND for expectations on how to function in my class. Here are a few examples of charts that hung in my room last year…and each year I “remake” them with my new group so they are a part of the process–and they evolve along the way!<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\nBe mindful of bulletin boards and take advantage of that real estate as you think about organizing your classroom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nBulletin boards can be great reference tools for our students!\u00a0 I keep up my growth mindset bulletin board <\/a>all year and add to it as we learn new things.\u00a0 I refer to it often–as do the students.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\nEven displaying the Standards for Mathematical Practice posters (in kid-friendly language) is a great way to use bulletin board space–IF you actually use it as a teaching tool.\u00a0 Simply hanging up the posts (or any anchor chart, for that matter) does nothing…we need to refer to these tools, talk about them, and encourage students to use them.\u00a0 Click the image below if you want to check out this poster set (I have several versions in my store to match different room decor!)<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kM-g6Ocg8s4\/Wz_GWGJ2nUI\/AAAAAAAAbpo\/NHitbHAjIHUjGzGMS-eQVhc8W2R0EzU-gCEwYBhgL\/s400\/Slide1.JPG\")
<\/a><\/div>\n![\"Classroom](\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PhVxSRSZZso\/Wz_Z4RQY5LI\/AAAAAAAAbp8\/B9d2UlyTLIowi5uWtgPMCFWGnomtHYxYACLcBGAs\/s640\/Slide2.JPG\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/div>\n