Classroom Storage and Organization
I think it’s safe to say that my classroom love language is storage and organization- haha! It has always been important to me to have a classroom space that is organized and put together. I like it when everything has its “spot.” Having a classroom that flows and makes sense will help immensely with your classroom management as well because students will know where everything belongs when it’s time to begin an activity or clean it up.
There are a few things that I’ve purchased over the years that have helped me achieve this level of organization, and I’m excited to share them with you today! I’ll be sharing affiliate links to everything below. Let’s organize!
My teacher table area (located in the back of my room) is where the “magic” happens. I love meeting in daily small groups with my firsties in this space! My teacher table overlooks the entire class so that I’m able to see the rest of my students working on their stations while I meet with small groups. In order to keep myself on track during small groups, I make sure that I have everything that I need right behind me within an arm’s reach. Here are a few things from this space that keep me organized:
(Tap on the title of each item for the direct link)
· White Shelving- These shelves are easy to assemble and they’re the perfect size. They’re from… *drumroll please*… Walmart! You can never have too many of these. I use two shelves to store our math items, and two to store our guided reading items. The other shelf is used to store leveled readers and decodable books.
· White Rolling 3 Tier Cart- I roll this all over the room with me when I need it! It stores an extra set of office supplies (stapler, pens, pencils, paperclips) that I might need at the teacher table (but I don’t want to grab from my desk all the way across the room), small group items (letter cards, number cards, etc), paper, and other things I might need handy.
· Dry Erase Adhesive Table Dots- These dots not only designate each child’s space at the small group table, but they are dry erase! We use Expo Markers on these to do various small group activities.
· 10 Drawer Rainbow Cart- If you don’t have one of these yet, you need one! I use mine to store stickers, certificates, extra supplies, thank you cards, expo markers, and more! The labels that I use on these drawers are linked in my Teachers Pay Teachers store HERE.
· Heavy Duty Lakeshore Learning Neon Storage Bins- I use these bins for books, and math items. These are my favorite bins, and they are truly worth every penny. They’re very durable and won’t crack and break after a few years.
· Clear Sterlite Storage Bins- Another Walmart find. These bins store all our math manipulatives. The labels that I use on the front are in my Teachers Pay Teachers store HERE.
· Rainbow Photo Box Bins- I use these to store our Math Tool Kits. Math Tool Kits are pre-made boxes of manipulatives that I pass out during math. The Math Tool Kits resource can be found on my Teachers Pay Teachers store HERE.
· 4 Tier Organization System with Bins- This is located on the other side of my room. I store indoor recess toys or morning tubs in this area. I found this organizer on Amazon and it works really well. The labels for this are on my Teachers Pay Teachers store HERE.
· Math Center Labels and Kit- If you’re looking for my Math Center Pack with matching PowerPoint that runs on by itself, it’s located in my Teachers Pay Teachers store at the link provided.
My classroom library is one of my favorite spaces! The key to keeping an organized classroom library space is to model your expectations, and label EVERYTHING with visuals. Here are a few things in this space that help to keep it organized:
(Tap on the title of each item for the direct link)
· Tall White IKEA Billy Bookshelves- These shelves are like the Walmart shelves, but they’re a bit larger. I needed them to be taller so that I could store more book bins on the shelves.
· Heavy Duty Lakeshore Learning Neon Storage Bins- I wrote about these bins earlier, and they truly are my favorite. They’re super sturdy, and hold a lot of books. The labels that I purchased for them are from my friend Emily Yerty @Polka.Dots.Please. I love her labels because they come with matching stickers for the inside covers of your books. I’ve taught my students to check the sticker on the inside of each book, and match it to the tub label. Books always go back in the correct spot now. Labels can be found on Emily’s page HERE.
· Clear Read Aloud Storage Bins- I store my teacher read alouds by topic in a nearby cabinet. I do this so that the books don’t get the same wear and tear that the class library books do. I try to keep these books in good condition since I read them each year. These bins were found at Dollar Tree several years ago but I haven’t found them since. I’ve linked similar ones.
· Classroom Library ABC Rug- I’m just linking this here because this rug is an absolute steal! A good price point and super cute!
· ELA Station Visuals- The ELA expectation visuals have helped my students understand what it is that they should be doing in that area. Each expectation is explicitly taught at the beginning of the year, and then the visual is hung up. I have matching labels on the items that the students are allowed to use during that time. For example, the rainbow squishy seats have the same visual as the Read to Someone poster above. Students know that they can use these squishy seats when they visit the Read to Someone station.
· Scoop Rockers- My students love having options for flexible seating during certain stations.
· Rainbow Squishy Dots- One of my fave purchases from Amazon. Students love using these!
· iPad Storage- This is one of my favorite hacks! My iPad and Chromebook storage holder consists of two file folder holders pushed together and taped down to the shelf. I run the charging cords up behind the shelf and set them in the holder so that my tech can charge in the same space. Students are easily able to take and put away the technology pieces.
My overflow supply storage is kept above my cabinets. I keep all the extra supplies up there since I don’t have to take them down too often. I really try to utilize all the space I’m given in the classroom, even the tops of the cabinets! I didn’t want things to look like they were just tossed up there as an afterthought, so I used bins and large labels to make things look nice.
· Clear Drop Front Storage Bins- These bins are awesome and they’re another Walmart find! The front drops down so if I need to grab a handful of pencils down, I can just quickly stand on a chair (don’t tell on me!) and drop down the front of the bin to grab some out. It’s nice to not have to take the entire bin down off the shelf. The labels for these bins can be found on my Teachers Pay Teachers store HERE.
· Classroom Rules Posters- Our rules must be clearly showing for our students, and I like using rules with visuals. These rules posters are in my Teachers Pay Teachers store at the link provided.
Here are a few other things that we use daily to help keep us organized in our classroom!
· Tidy Tubs- No more scrap paper from craftivities all over the floor! My Tidy Team gets the Tidy Tubs out for our table groups each time we do a cut and glue activity. The table group members toss their trash directly into the Tidy Tub instead of making a million trips to the one large trash can that we have in our classroom. At the end of the activity, my Tidy Team empties the Tidy Tubs and re-stacks them on our countertop. My original Tidy Tubs are from Dollar Tree (I used my Silhouette to cut out the letters) and I can’t find them anymore so I’ve linked similar ones!
· Student Supply Labels- It helps when we label our notebooks and folders with the exact same labels at the beginning of the year. I’m quickly able to tell students which notebook to take our of their desks based on the visual on the front. I might say something like “Ok everyone please take out the notebook with the lightbulb on the front” and they are able to find the notebook right away. These labels are in my Teachers Pay Teachers store at the link provided.
· Clear Flat Storage Bins- I use these bins to store so many things (phonics centers, math centers, holiday things, etc). They stack nicely and hold a bunch. The labels that I use for these are linked in my Teachers Pay Teachers store HERE.
· Zipper Storage Bags- These are lifesavers. I use these bags for many things also. I mainly use them to store stations in. My students know which station they are working in, and they grab a bag to bring to their work area and get started right away. The zipper closure is much easier to close than a Ziploc bag.
Hopefully you were able to tuck a few ideas into your back pocket when it comes to storage and organization! Don’t forget to check websites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp to find storage and organization deals that people may not be using anymore. I hope I’ve inspired you to create a place for you and your students that feels clean, welcoming, organized, and HAPPY!
