Classroom Storage Tips and Tricks
Author: Anicah Brooks
Challenging Storage Space
Keeping your classroom organized can be a challenge. How do you manage your storage without creating a sterile environment? Here are some tips and tricks for classroom storage.
- Get rid of what you don’t need. The first step to smart classroom storage is to ensure you’re not storing anything you don’t need. Go through your class materials periodically to clear out anything you don’t use frequently.
- Cubbies can be a great way to build a fun and organized atmosphere. They keep everything in their place but also make things accessible to you and the students.
- Make cleaning up part of your routine with your pupils. Assign a basket or bucket for each student to hold their materials. At the beginning of the day have them grab their supplies rather than handing them out each morning. This saves you time and teaches them responsibility. Additionally, when the day is done the kids can return everything to their bins.
- Set up a utility table. Designate a table for supplies that aren’t specific to individuals. This way it is easier to keep an inventory of everything. It also helps younger students know where to go for pencils or paper. You can set up this area with tape, sharpeners, folders, staplers, or boxes for turning in papers.
- Take advantage of your walls. If you limit your storage options to closets or bookshelves, you’ll quickly run out of space. If you can, attach storage baskets or cubbies to the walls. Get creative and hang up do-it-yourself supply folders or hall passes. If there’s something that can be hung up, try it.
- Use chairs for storage. You can do this in a few ways. Give each kid a canvas chair pocket for the back of their seat to keep their supplies in when they’re not using them, or zip-tie a plastic bin to the bottom of the chair.
- If there is an exercise you will do in class multiple times, laminate the papers before handing them out. This not only saves paper, it reduces the number of sheets you have to keep track of from day to day. Rather than having to store mounds of copies from each exercise, you only have to handle one set of laminated worksheets.
- Lastly, take home what you can each day. If you have books or classroom materials that you won’t use for some time, take them home with you. If you don’t have room in your own home, ask if you can use a supply closet at the school. This way, you ensure that what you keep in your room is only what you need at the moment.
About the Author
Anicah Brooks loves writing and is a member of Word Weavers International. She is an avid fan of historical facts and her travels to places like Australia, Spain, and Italy has made her a resource among her peers for information on international cultures. She enjoys spending time in coffee shops with her friends and family, and is currently working as a 5th grade teacher’s aid.
