This document provides 7 ideas for organizing a classroom: 1) Using desk caddies with supplies for each student to avoid disruptions. 2) Sorting bins to organize a teacher's desk and papers. 3) Sorting clips to help teaching assistants efficiently organize papers by category. 4) Make-up assignment bins so absent students can independently make up missed work. 5) Organizing the classroom closet with labeled shoe boxes. 6) Using a sign in/out chart with colored buttons or stones instead of paper to track students entering and leaving. 7) Attaching disposable tissue boxes to student desks for easy access during flu season.

1. 7 Creative Classroom
Organization Ideas
By
Melissa Winfield-Corbett

2. Idea #1: Student Desk Caddies
One method of organization I have found to
be really helpful are desk caddies. At the
beginning of the year I supply each of my
students with a small bin filled with basic
supplies that fits securely at the corner of
each desk. This eliminates the need for
students to search for a pencil, eraser, or keep
getting up to get supplies. I usually stock each
basket with at least the following supplies:
-Three pencils
-A GOOD pencil sharpener
-Block erasers
-Scissors
-Glue stick/small glue bottle
-Protractor
-Highlighter
-Sticky notes
-Crayons

3. Idea #2: Sorting Bins
Sorting bins are a great
resource to help organize a
teacher’s desk. With the
abundance of papers that can
accumulate setting up an
organization system can be a
useful technique to employ to
help maintain classroom
organization.

4. Idea #3: Sorting Clips
Sorting clips are a great resource
especially for teachers that may have
a teaching assistant. Using this
efficient organization system makes
it easy to communicate how papers
should be organized. Teachers can
easily organize their papers into
specific categories of organization
while teaching assistants can
expedite tasks in a timely and
efficient manner.

5. Idea #4: Make-Up Assignment Bin
Have students that are absent?
These make-up assignment bins are
a great way for students to be able
to make up missing work. These bins
enable students to take
responsibility for making up missed
assignments. It is a lot less stressful
for teachers since they don’t have to
track students down or save
assignments and personally hand
them to each student that was
absent. When implemented,
students will get into a routine of
knowing where to find the
assignments they have missed when
they were absent.

6. Idea #5: Closet Organization
Over the years of teaching, teachers acquire an abundance of supplies and
resources. A great way to organize all of these things is by creating a closet or
cabinet organization system! Perfect vessels for all of your belongings are old
shoe boxes which can be covered and labeled.

7. Idea #6: Sign In/Out Chart
A great way to keep track of
students entering and leaving the
classroom is to have a sign in/out
chart. However, instead of using the
traditional paper and pencil method
using magnetic buttons or colored
stones can be a more efficient
alternative. The base of the chart is
a decorative aluminum pan. Each
student is then assigned a specific
number and color. As students enter
or leave the room simply move their
marker to the indicated position.

8. Idea #7: Disposable Tissue Box
This is a great idea for flu season.
For students that have the sniffles
and have to constantly get out of
their seats to get tissues, simply
attach a full tissue box to an empty
tissue box and place at the students
desk. The empty tissue box can then
serve as the trash receptacle for the
used tissues!