5 Things to Consider During Classroom Setup
1- Does your room have a natural flow?
Check the physical flow of your room. Stand in the doorway of your classroom, looking in. Think about where you want students to go as they walk in. Consider how that would look if students are trickling in a few at a time vs. if you need to pick up your class from a designated location and walk in all together. Picture your students moving around the room, are there tight spaces that will make it difficult to get around? Are there spaces that are too large and open that will encourage kids to run instead of walk? Aim for a nice balance where everyone can walk around with ease without getting tempted to do cartwheels. :)
Everything looks more spacious with chairs pushed in. A good tip is to pull out all the chairs to see what it will look like when all the kids are there. Check to see if you can still walk around each table. If students can push their chairs out without bumping into each other and you can still walk around the tables with ease, you’re golden!
2- Are student and teaching materials easily accessible?
Think about what materials will be needed and where they should be placed. It’s a good idea to double check this before every lesson or project. For example, I like to keep a basket on the carpet, where I do my read-alouds. I like to keep the 5 books I’m planning on reading for the week in there. This way, when the time comes, I’m not searching for my book, or worse, trying to figure out what to read.
If students are working at a center, is everything they need within their reach? Or do they have to ask you for every little thing they need? When materials are labeled and easily accessible, students can be independent, allowing you to focus on content.
3- Do students have a space to call their own?
It is really important for students to have a sense of ownership of their classroom. They need designated spaces that ‘belong’ to them. Hopefully this is more than just their cubbies, which is most likely shared.
Here are some ideas depending on the space and materials you have available:
A designated space on the wall for students to hang up things they’re proud of.
Individual reading bins to be decorated and kept in the library area.
Name tags used on desks, centers, boards, can be written and decorated by the students.
Individual chair sacks to be organized by students. (These are amazing!)
A place around the room for pictures of the students and their families. (Preferably within their eye level. Kids love showing and talking about their families with their friends.)
Photo albums that can also be used as portfolios. Kids can keep art work, pictures from presentations, a card a friend made for them, anything that they are proud of or is meaningful to them.
4- Do you have learning centers?
Learning centers are a great way to stay organized and create little nooks for students to stay focused while working. When planning your centers, think about noise level and distractions. For example, if you put your guided reading table next to the dramatic play area, it will be extra difficult to keep the student’s attention on the work at hand. Keep the noisy centers away from the quiet centers. It’s a good idea to keep the library center further away from the blocks center and dramatic play area. You can put calmer centers as a buffer between the noisy and quiet centers. The art center, the math center, listening center and computer centers, are all good buffer centers. The noise levels there usually don't get as loud as it can at the dramatic play area or the blocks. (Assuming you are using headphones at the listening center and the computer center.)
5- Is your classroom visually pleasing to the eye and feeling homey?
The classroom is your home away from home. You want to think about creating an environment where students are comfortable, feel like they belong and have a sense of ownership. Think about bringing in items that can soften up the place, like a house lamp, some plants, picture frames, stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, etc. The more comfortable students are, the more likely they can stay focused on the task at hand.
Bonus: Depending on your school’s policy, it’s also a good idea to keep snacks and water available. Nobody is learning on an empty stomach. Super important to meet those needs as they arise.
