Classroom Set Up

 It's getting toward the end of summer and teachers are heading in to set up their classrooms. I like doing this as soon as I get the all clear from our custodial staff that my room is complete. We host a kindergarten orientation at the beginning of August so we need our rooms ready early. Most summers I spend days and days going in for a few hours at a time and this drags on throughout the summer. This year I wanted to do something different. A few years ago I suffered burnout and I'm still working on this (another post for another time). Since then I'm learning to do things differently.

Let's first talk about why we spend so much time setting up our classrooms. Yes we want to create a welcoming environment for children but it goes deeper than that. As a teacher I spend 9 months out of the year in that classroom. I am there most of the day. I need and want it to be a space I love to be in. A haven. A happy place.

As I approach my 10th year in Kindergarten I wanted to clear out my whole room. So I did something drastic. I made arrangements with my husband to hold down the fort at home for one whole week. Give me one week in my classroom and I'll be done. He agreed. So let me take you through how I did it.

Step 1: Gut the entire room! That's right. I emptied every single shelf and every single cabinet and storage shelf. Use a teenager if you have one ;) and lay it all out in the room.

Step 2: Go through EVERYTHING! I created space for trash, sell, give away, and keep. I put in my mind that if I have not used it in the last few years it had to go. It's natural for teachers to hold on to things because you never know what grade level you may find yourself in. You are a district employee and as such they can make changes based on the needs year to year. Also, some teachers want to change it up and explore other grades or situations. At this stage of my career I'm dedicated to kindergarten so I was ready to let go of some things. It was slower progress than I thought it would be but well worth it. I ended up with 3 LARGE bags of trash, a massive free pile, some things to sell, and kept only the things I new I needed/wanted and would use.

Step 3: Organize! Think very carefully about where you want things. I struggle with organization. Every year I learn a bit more and put more into place. I began placing items where I wanted them. I made sure it made sense to me and worked for my purposes. I'm not a cutesy teacher. I don't make cute labels and my budget was low so there was no purchasing any on TPT. So, I did a low budget address label with a font I like. Labels really do make a difference. Let's talk containers. I saw all the rage of acrylic bins on social media and thought I should try it out. Turns out I don't like them. I couldn't purchase many of them. I actually prefer the shoeboxes. They are a good size, fit nicely on the shelves, and are affordable. Plain and simple.

Step 4: Furniture placement! Now this is what can really get me every summer. I spend A LOT of mental energy on this step. I'll think and think and think and then draw it out on paper. Why spend the physical energy if you don't have to! Then I try it out in the room. Thankfully, I liked my placement last year and only wanted to change 2 areas. So it went much more smoothly. I'm happy with the placement!

Step 5: Final touches! This can be the fun part or tedious part, however you look at it. I think it is the creative part. This is a time to decide on a theme. As I mentioned before I started out with a camping theme. It was very bright and cartoony. I have evolved over the years and now I have a sophisticated nature theme. I focus on neutrals and watercolor nature. I love it! It is serene and calm. Just what I need and I know it is what helps my students as well. It feels safe and peaceful. I also did a thing! I decided to purchase my own rug. With all my neutral colors and serene nature theme a rainbow rug was an eyesore. I found something with more earthy tones. I also found a desk skirt perfect for my natural room! I'll have more details on Insta soon when I feel like it's all together but it was ready enough for orientation and I'm loving it!