Teacher Tips Part 1 - Room Set Up

A new year of school has started, and the classrooms are alive with activity. In looking through various internet sites, there are so many practical tips and ideas on setting up things within your classroom to make things go more smoothly through the day. As you are preparing to find that desired teaching job, here are some tips we have found and wish to share that you might wish to jot down for when you are ready to set up your classroom.

When dealing with crafts for younger students, boxes of pencils/markers/crayons can easily be pushed and scattered about. Place a Velcro strip on the bottom of pencil boxes, and the alternate piece down the center of the table, keeping the box in place and in reach of all students.

Store your craft supplies on a rolling cart, this will make it easy to move to the area where the craft is happening, and allows for the materials to be easily rolled out of the way when done. Materials like glue and scissors can be stored in hanging fruit to be kept out of reach of small hands.

When setting up your storage area, make sure each box/container is clearly labeled and easy to read to the students, as this will aid in a quicker clean up. Also as a way to help with a quick clean up, hang a small garbage bag at the end of each table area. When at their desks, you can eliminate students constantly getting up and down to go to the wastebasket by placing a personal "wastebasket" at their desk. Simply take a brown paper bag, roll it down at the top to make a sturdy opening, and tape it to the side of their desk. This gives them a quick place to toss stuff, and a simple way to just gather them up at the end of the day.

Cheap masking tape can be messy, leaving behind sticky residue on materials when removed. Using a slightly more expensive type, like a professional type used in car body shops, and this will eliminate the sticky mess in the long run.

When you are choosing the best location for the teacher's desk, look for a place where it will be out of the heaviest traffic area of the room, away from the heavily accessed storage areas, and seek to have it arranged with at least two access points. Two access points will allow for an in and an out "door" for students, so that when you have students line up to come to your desk, they can proceed away from your desk without backtracking and stumbling into other students, making the flow less congested.

If you have teaching experience, and have developed a set of your own tips and tricks for classroom set up, feel free to share in the comment section below.

Jeff McCormack resides in Virginia Beach, VA. where he works as a web designer by day. In his off time he is a husband, father, mail order book store manager, and musician. Aside from being a freelance writer for this Education Jobsite blog, he also seeks to assist in career choices and information by contributing to other Nexxt blog sites.