Classroom Set-up for New Teachers

Many of the new teachers have being asking about classroom set-up for new teachers. So I decided this would be a good time to write a bit about that here. There are many things to take into consideration when starting to set up your new classroom.

One of the first things you need to consider is: Are there any school-wide rules about setting up for Covid-19 concerns? Has the district established rules, or the school site? If so, of course you will need to follow these rules.

Classroom Set-up to New Teachers

There are a number of sections I’m going to address in this blog article. They are:

• Classroom furniture
• What to bring of your own
• What is already in the classroom
• Considering student needs
• Considering instructional needs
• Areas in the room to create

What is Already in the Classroom

If you are moving into a new classroom or are a brand new teacher, you need to go into the classroom during the summer (if possible and allowed) to get a look at what is already there. Most rooms will have students desks and chairs, a teacher desk and chair, at least one book shelf and a storage cabinet. If you are lucky, you will have a sink and loads of cabinets.

Did the previous teacher leave any supplies for you? Did he/she leave a MESS? (OH NO!). Yes, this actually happens. Sometimes the teacher passes away and the family doesn’t go to the school, other times she retires and says F__ this, and just leaves the mess.

If this happens to you, ask for help from your administrator. He/she will most likely arrange for a custodian to come over and help out. Before doing this, I suggest taking a quick look at what is there because you may find a few GEMS that you want to keep.

Classroom furniture

The first thing you need to consider when it comes to classroom set-up for new teachers is if the furniture is the right size for the age and size of your students. Also, what is available at your school (or in your district)? For younger students you may want to set up tables instead of desks. For older ones with more (and bigger) textbooks desks with storage will probably work better.

When it comes to “other” classroom furniture like shelves, tables, storage cabinets and other seating, you can be creative here. Lots of teachers bring in their own furniture, but I suggest you ask the custodian what is available at the school (or in the district). Some districts have a warehouse where they store unused (yet still in good condition) furniture. I got two really nice bookshelves and a storage cabinet by asking my custodian at one school.

Here’s another article I wrote that talks about setting up centers and areas in the class. Back to School Prep

What to Bring of Your Own

Most teachers spend their own money on their class and classroom. It’s just a fact. Some do not, but they are few and far between. Is it right? No, of course teachers shouldn’t have to do this. But currently this is the reality in U.S. schools…maybe it’s different in other countries.

So, what do you purchase and what do you get from the school? The answer is to compare and see. To know what to purchase you have to first take inventory of what the school provides or offers for you. Where I taught, I found that my schools provided about 95% of my “paper” needs. Periodically I would purchase some astro bright papers that I couldn’t get at school, or perhaps a special type of notebook I wanted the students to use.

Items that I regularly purchased for myself or my class/classroom are: sets of colored markers (the school only had a few colors and I liked to have 10 colors or more), my own teacher planner (again there was one the school had, but I liked the cutesy ones), bulletin board letters, borders and graphics, storage containers or tubs, carts, etc., calendar items (for the calendar bulletin board), and sometimes games and books.

Considering Student Needs

Depending on your grade-level or if you are a “Special” class will often determine the other items you need for students when setting up your classroom. When I taught primary grades (even up to 2nd) I always set up a “carpet area,” I liked being able to have the students sit close for storytime and calendar time. But as an administrator, I visited a few primary classes that didn’t have this (most did) and the teacher ran the class very well. It is just a matter of preference.

When I taught third to fifth grade I set up a corner of the room for students to enter their misbehavior into the “Behavior Log” and take a “time out” if I so determined. Again, this is completely up to you and how you determine you will run your class.

If you choose to use tables that don’t have storage (as an individual desk would) then you are going to need to come up with a storage solution for your students’ supplies. You need to determine where backpacks will be stored (with bigger students and larger desks, they can be placed on the chair, but for smaller chairs they don’t fit).

Considering Instructional Needs in Your Classroom Set-up for New Teachers

Here are a few things to consider regarding instructional needs and the classroom set-up.

• do you need a table in the front of the room for a projector (or is yours mounted)?
• do you have a small table or cart near your carpet area?
• if you are going to use a chart stand, do you have a determined location for it?
• where will you put the bookshelves, can students access them easily?
• what is the flow of the walk areas? can students exit easily?
• where are you going to put your teacher desk?
• do you have a group table (like a kidney table), if so, where will it go?

Areas in the Room to Create

Are there any other areas in the room that you want to create? Will you set up centers? Will there be a “games” area? Where are the student I.T. items stored (iPads or laptops)?

One of my biggest suggestions is to place a small book shelf near your teacher desk to hold all your Teacher’s Editions and planning materials. It is so nice to have one determined place to store all of this. I also suggest that you store paint and other art supplies near the sink (if you have one).

I hope you’ve found this article helpful as you begin to set up your classroom. I actually used to enjoy setting mine up each August.

Until Next Time,