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Like all teachers, you’re looking for ways to recapture your sanity and organize the classroom in the best way possible. I get asked a lot about which tools I suggest for the classroom, so I’ve rounded up my 4 favorite tools to help you stay organized and to keep systems in your classroom running smoothly. My classroom decor products are specifically designed to go with these tools and I’ve included examples throughout the blog. Enjoy 🙂
If you’re looking to organize the classroom, the first step is getting a teacher toolbox that fits your needs. As a teacher who does a million things a day you need to use a million different things a day. Staples, paper clips, band-aids, clothespins, post-it notes, you name it – you need it. Using a teacher toolbox helps you keep all of the items in one easy place which keeps the top and inside of your desk tidy because you don’t have millions of little things cluttering it up.
There plenty of great teacher toolboxes on the market – be sure to choose one that fits your needs. The teacher toolbox in the first picture has a total of 26 drawers (6 larger ones on the sides, and 20 smaller ones on the inside). That toolbox can be purchased from Amazon here, and is shown with Tropical Teacher Toolbox Labels. This is the right toolbox for you if you feel like you’re going to need to store larger items in the toolbox.
The second toolbox pictured has a total of 24 drawers which are all the same size, and can be purchased from Amazon here. While it doesn’t have varying size of drawers, it does have a lot of drawers to store all the things. The toolbox is displayed with Watercolor Teacher Toolbox Labels from my Watercolor Decor Bundle.
While a teacher toolbox helps organize the classroom, an added bonus is getting to make it your own with beautiful editable labels. Staying organized helps your sanity, making it beautiful lifts your spirits! If you want help setting up your teacher toolbox, checkout my blog – 5 Steps to Create Your Own Toolbox.
My second favorite item to help organize the classroom is a pocket chart calendar. Listen, let’s be honest – teaching can sometimes make you forget what day it is. Unless it’s Friday of course, because you’re already planning where you’re going to eat out and how long you’re going to sleep in on Saturday.
Using a pocket chart like this makes it easy to switch out the dates from month to month and helps students learn how to read a calendar. I typically recommend this black pocket chart from Scholastic. (Please note, I’ve had reports from some teachers that some of the pockets are sewed unevenly. Please check the sizing of the pockets on the calendar to make sure they are consistent in case you need to return it and get a new one).
The chart I’ve linked above has 3.5″ pockets which will fit all of my calendar packs. Pictured above I’ve featured my Plant Calendar Pack, as well as my Bold Brights Calendar Pack which was a part of my first classroom makeover. If you want to organize the classroom well be sure to have a reliable calendar pocket chart. My favorite thing about the calendar pocket chart I linked is that it’s a simple black which will go with any classroom décor theme.
Don’t want to use a pocket chart? Using this blank calendar is another great option! I love how Kimberly from @freckledinfifth used my farmhouse calendar numbers with this blank calendar. If it’s out of stock on Amazon you can find the same thing at Lakeshore.
Okay, listen – if you want to organize the classroom you HAVE to get yourself a 10 drawer rolling cart! I could spend all day talking about how much I love having a reliable teacher cart so that I have a reliable system for all the papers. If you don’t have a system for papers, you will drown in papers, you will lose papers, and you will wonder if you will ever clear your desk of papers.
I highly recommend this 10 drawer rolling cart, or if you’re looking for a cart some more space consider this 12 Drawer Cart. The fact that it has wheels means it can be moved to any part of the room for maximum flexibility. AND the fact that it has 10 drawer gives you plenty of options for how you want to set up your systems. In the two examples above I’ve included a drawer for each day of the week along with “copy”, “file”, “grade”, and “center” drawers.
I love having a drawer for each day of the week so that I can print all of my handouts the week before and not have to worry about a long line at the school copier. I’ve also seen teachers include a drawer for emergency sub plans, as a place to collect late work, or even as a place to hold manipulatives for the week.
I wanted to empower teachers to create systems that fit their classroom best, so all of my labels are editable to make it exactly what you need. Picture above are my Farmhouse Floral Labels from my Third Classroom Makeover, as well as my Modern Farmhouse Labels from my Second Classroom Makeover.
My last suggestion to organize the classroom is to get a 3-tiered rolling cart from Amazon. As you can see in the picture, the trolley cart can transport a lot of loose ends that are essential to your classroom. Manipulatives, Centers, Books, Clocks, Expo Markers – you name it, you know you’re going to need it. You’re going to want to get a cart that can move as much as you do around the classroom, and I have found the cart very easy to build and very sturdy.
I didn’t include labels in this picture, but this would be another great place to put editable labels if you want to use each tier for something specific. For example, if you have 3 different groups for a project, or if you wanted to differentiate materials for your high, medium, and low reading groups. The choices are endless. All that matters is that you organize the classroom in a way that makes sense to you!
There you have it – my suggestions on 4 organizational tools to keep you sane and organize the classroom just as you want it. If you’re using these tools already, I’d love to see how you’re using them! Tag me on Instagram at @ConfettiandCreativity.
