How do you organize your classroom? What supplies do you need? Organizing your secondary classroom can present some unique challenges, and require some unique solutions. So, we need to talk about the top 5 classroom organization strategies.
Do you need classroom organization ideas?
Here’s the thing. We all have very different spaces to organize. Your desk may not have drawers, or you may not have a desk at all. You may or may not be blessed with several storage cabinets in your classroom. I know that we’re not all working with the same space. That’s why rather than share specific things to use in your classroom, I’m sharing about the broad categories of organization strategies. The when, why, and how to use them. These are the strategies to use when trying to contain the items you are organizing.
Classroom Organization Strategy: Bins
Bins are any sort of open container, at least that’s how I define them. To maximize space, be sure to use bins that are rectangular rather than round. You know the old saying about trying to fit a square peg into a round hole? Think of that in reverse. For the most part, bins go into drawers or on shelves, and those are rectangular spaces. So, it makes sense to use rectangular bins to fit those spaces.
Bins are the ideal classroom organization strategy for anything that you want easy access to. In my desk, I use tiny bins to organize my stationary and supplies. The last thing I want to do is have to lift a lid to get these supplies. If you want to keep something handy, place it in a bin.
Using Bins
On my shelves, I use large bins to organize larger items. I have one large bin that is full of markers, and I put that one out when students are working on projects. It’s easy for students to grab the markers, and it’s easy for them to put the markers away.
Here is where bins come in super handy. Do you have really tall items that you want to corral? Since bins don’t have a lid, you may be able to put them standing up in the bin. Even if they are taller than the bin, they can still be contained within the bin.
Classroom Organization Ideas for High School: Caddies
Caddies are not just for elementary school! Think of caddies as bins with sections and handles. How handy is that? Caddies are my favorite way to dispense supplies. I use interactive notebooks, and they require so many supplies.
Since my classroom desks are arranged as tables, each table has its own caddy. This is my favorite way to organize the supplies that students need. Caddies also make it easy to swap out supplies when we’re doing something fun. I’ll even throw in the set of task cards each table needs when we’re working on an activity.
Caddies aren’t just for students either. You could use them to organize your own supplies. If you like to move from your teacher desk to a table, you can fill a caddy with supplies and take it wherever you go. This is also great if you have to leave your classroom during your prep.
Classroom Organization Supplies: Boxes
Yes, this sounds obvious, but boxes are an amazing classroom organization strategy. Boxes are very similar to bins, but the key difference is that they have a lid. Think of boxes as secure bins.
Typically, we organize with multiple boxes in one space (ie: boxes stacked together on a shelf). If possible, try to organize with a few of the same boxes in one space.
Using Pencil Boxes
One of my go-to box types is pencil boxes. They are inexpensive and easy to find, especially during the back to school season. In my classroom, I have a locking cabinet, and on the shelves, I use pencil boxes to organize my surplus supplies. One pencil box can easily hold compasses, several sets of highlighters, markers, or pencils (duh). My pencil boxes are easily stackable, and since they’re all the same, they are interlocking, so they don’t shift when my cabinet is moved from my classroom to wax the floors in the summer.
Using Photo Boxes
My other go-to box type is photo boxes. Photo boxes are stackable, but not interlocking. I place these on the shelves that are built into my classroom. I love the ones from Michael’s because they frequently go on sale, and have a spot to add a label. Since photo boxes are larger than pencil boxes, I like to use them to organize multiple items that belong together. They are my favorite for organizing manipulatives. They are large enough, and they hold manipulatives for multiple lessons.
Classroom Organization Strategy: Drawers
This one is a favorite among teachers! How many times have you seen a teacher share their “teacher toolkit”? Like the bins and boxes, drawers come in a variety of sizes, so it’s relatively easy to find the right size for what you need. Drawers are an ideal classroom organization strategy because they hide the mess. They secure and conceal supplies, while allowing easy access to them. They’re the best of both worlds. The only downside is that drawer systems usually take up a good amount of space.
Teacher Tips for Classroom Organization: Using Drawers
If you search Amazon, or your local hardware store, you can find drawers that teachers typically use for a teacher tool kit. These are the same drawers that are often used to organize hardware. These drawers fit all kinds of paper clips, pens, and even post-it notes. Putting together a large teacher toolkit eliminated my need for multiple photo boxes to organize my surplus supplies, and made them all easier to find.
Sterilite has some amazingly sturdy drawers. They come in a few sizes, but the most popular is the set that fits paper. I have 4 sets of 3 paper-size drawers in my classroom. I use them to hold my copies for up-coming lessons, extra paper for me to use, and extra paper for students to use.
You can also get carts of drawers. The ones that are often shared from Michael’s are great, but be warned. They take up floor space.
Classroom Organization for Teachers On-the-Go: Pouches
Looking for a secure place to keep your supplies that have to travel with you? You need a zipper pouch. Unlike the other classroom organization strategies presented, pouches are soft. They can easily conform to oddly-shaped spaces, including your teacher bag. Pouches are ideal for smaller items that you want to keep together. During the year of unpredictable pandemic teaching, I used a pouch for all my tech supplies that needed to travel back and forth with me.
And, like the other classroom organization strategies, they come in a variety of sizes, so you can easily find one to fit your needs.
The bonus strategy you didn’t know you need
Here is what I frequently hear from teachers like you: I spend my time and my money getting organized, but it never lasts. Here’s why: You need systems.
Systems are the secret ingredient that will sustain your organization. Creating and implementing systems that work for you is a little too much for a blog post, but I have you covered.
Need help creating your systems? Since systems are my favorite thing, I created an entire course devoted to systems. Be sure to get on the Productive Teacher Toolkit waitlist so you can be notified when enrollment opens again!
Learn more about the strategies shared in this post! Watch the YouTube video that goes along with this blog post.
However, if you are organizing paper clutter, I have a separate blog post for you. Check out the 9 Paper Clutter Solutions for Teachers.
