5 Best Classroom Organization Hacks - Teach Without a Doubt

Want to know the best classroom organization hacks that every teacher should know about? Here are my top tips to stay organized during the school year.

This post is all about classroom organization hacks.

Designing your new classroom is such an exciting time and if you are anything like me, you want to make sure you do it in the most organized way possible. Over the years, I have tried several different ways to stay organized and have learned things that worked and things that I could have done a little better.

You are going to learn all the different classroom organization hacks that I have used in my classrooms and the pros and cons of each.

After learning about these classroom organization hacks, you will feel extra prepared to tackle the school year.

This post is all about classroom organization hacks that every teacher should know about.

Best Classroom Organization Hacks

1. Eliminate the Hassle of Taking Attendance and Lunch Count

When I was a student teacher, I made note of things I noticed that wasted time throughout the day. As you know, how you start your mornings in the classroom is crucial. You MUST have a routine and stick with it! One of the things that I noticed that wasted morning time was taking attendance and getting an accurate lunch count. I watched my mentor teacher call each student’s name every morning and then ask which students were eating lunch from the cafeteria and which ones brought a lunch from home. This process was daunting for everyone involved and it seemed to waste more time than necessary.

Of course, as an enthusiastic, proactive, eager student teacher, I turned to Pinterest for answers on how to make this process run a little smoother. That is when I discovered a post that talked about a morning check-in system. After reading the article, I was convinced there was an easier, more efficient way to take attendance and lunch count. I created my own system with a little twist.

First, I found 2 old sheet pans and spray painted them with one of my classroom colors. I then printed out student numbers and made signs for “I’m Away,” “I’m Here,” “School Lunch,” and “Brought My Lunch,” laminated them, and then put them on adhesive magnet sheets. I hung up the pans and signs in my classroom right next to the door. That way students will see it right when they walk in and move their number magnet to the proper place. This is one of the many procedures that I teach students during the first week of school.

2. Have An Organized System for Handing Out Papers and Turning in Classwork

Another huge time waster I noted when I was a student teacher was the amount of time it took to hand back student papers after they were graded. I knew there had to be an easier way! Of course, I went to Pinterest again and found something I liked and put something similar in place in my own classroom.

In my classroom, I use a hanging file folder system. I NEVER waste class time returning graded papers to students. Each student has a hanging file folder with their class number on it. I put all the student’s graded papers along with any school flyers that need to go home in their hanging file folder. At the end of the day when we are packing up to go home, students check their “Mailbox” and retrieve any papers that are in their folder. This is another procedure that I teach at the beginning of the year.

I use a similar system for turning in classwork. Each student has a hanging file folder in the “Finished Work” crate where they file any work they have completed. This eliminates the “Where do I put this” question you will get a million times a day if you don’t have a system in place for turning in work.

{RELATED POST: MEET THE TEACHER: A COMPLETE GUIDE}

3. Designate a Place for Lunch Boxes and Snacks

During my first year of teaching, I learned you need to have a procedure for absolutely everything. Doing this ensures that instruction time is not wasted on meaningless things. During the morning procedure, after students move their magnet to check in, they unpack their backpacks and put their lunch boxes and snacks in their assigned cubby. Each student has a cubby with their student number on it. Doing this helps eliminate students having to go into their backpacks during the day.

Pictured above: Green cubbies for student lunch boxes and snacks.

4. A Place for ALL the Pencils!

Never have I ever had a student sharpen a pencil while I was in the middle of teaching a lesson…just kidding! I’m not going to lie, it has happened before, but there is a right time and place for everything. This is another procedure that I teach during the first week of school.

When are students allowed to sharpen pencils? What do they do if their pencil breaks and they need a new one? How many pencils should each student keep in their desk? These are questions you will need to have thought about and prepared for BEFORE the first day of school.

In my classroom, I have class jobs. One of the class jobs is “Pencil Police.” This is a coveted job because they are the only students permitted to use the pencil sharpener. The last 10 minutes of class is when the Pencil Police sharpen all of the pencils. At the beginning of the day, each student is supposed to get 2 pencils from the “Sharpened” pencils bin. When they need a new pencil, they put the old one in the “Need to Be Sharpened” bin and grab a new pencil out of the “Sharpened” bin. This process has worked well for my class the last several years.

6. A Place for All the Extras

Nothing is worse than being in the middle of teaching and a student’s pencil case comes crashing to the floor. Pencils, crayons, and markers EVERYWHERE! To eliminate this problem, I designate a basket for each student somewhere away from their desk.

In this basket, they can put anything that doesn’t fit comfortably in their desk. For example, pencil cases, markers, scissors, glue, etc. I began teaching during COVID-19, and this is one of the ways that I helped keep student supplies separated. I quickly realized I liked that it prevented students from playing with those things in their desks and gave them a little extra space for their books and folders.

As you know, organization is key when it comes to classroom management. Organization can be an overwhelming task for any teacher, but these five tricks will make it a breeze.

This post was all about classroom organization hacks that will save you time, help you feel more prepared, and make sure your classroom is run like a well-oiled machine.

6 THINGS EVERY FIRST YEAR TEACHER NEEDS!