Why is Classroom Organization Important For This School Year? 5 Daily Habits
Ever wonder why is classroom organization important? The quick answer is that teaching is stressful… There has been a lot of talk this year about the importance of mental health. For me, it has made a huge difference to be organized and set boundaries around teaching. I have been doing these 5 classroom organization tips for teachers for a few years now and it has made a positive impact on my mental health.
Sometimes I wish I could wave a magic wand…
✨POOF! Your teaching stress is gone!
✨POOF! Your classroom is organized!
Ahh, *sigh* if only it were that simple!
And while it’s not as simple as waving a magic wand, I have found 5 main things that help save my sanity. Teacher burnout is real, and I’d be lying to you if I told you that these 5 classroom organization tips will make teaching easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. But they are super helpful for keeping your classroom organized and making your teacher life run smoothly!
Before we dive into why is classroom organization important, check out this resource for how to create amazing literacy centers for your first grades in 6 simple steps! This step-by-step guide will show you what you need to make literacy centers fun and meaningful for your first graders!
Habit 1: Classroom Organization Goals for your Teacher Desk
Why is classroom organization important for your desk? For starters, it’s probably the first place you go when you walk into your classroom each morning. Believe it or not, your desk could be setting the tone for your whole day at school!
When I walk into my classroom and see a clean, organized desk, I feel at ease. Getting started on work right away is easy. Sure, I have a million things to do, and I know you do too, but a clear desk allows me to start with a clean slate each morning.
When I walk into my classroom and see a messy, unorganized desk, I instantly feel overwhelmed. Can you relate? Instead of being able to tackle work right away, I have to tidy up my mess from the day before. This leaves me feeling behind and can lead to a very long and exhausting day!
The only thing I don’t mind being messy is my bun!
I know that my desk accumulates odds and ends and paperwork every day. At the end of the day, I make sure that my desk is cleared off of anything that doesn’t belong. And to be honest, that is pretty much everything except my computer, lesson planner, a jar of flair pens, and a picture of my hubby and babies! Everything else has a home that is not located on top of my desk.
I use the last few minutes of the day to quickly tidy my desk while students are packing up. If your students need you for packing up, especially in winter, coats, hats, mittens…. So many mittens… then just plan to head right back to your room after dismissal and get that desk cleared off.
Trust me, tomorrow morning you will thank yourself when you walk into a clean desk! You’ll be ready to seize the day! And you are going to love that feeling which will make the habit of cleaning off your desk every day enjoyable!
Habit 2: Classroom Organization Ideas for Teachers Planning Time
Why is classroom organization important for your prep time? Your time is precious. Planning what to do during your prep times is so important! I like to make all my photocopies for the next week on Tuesdays. A huge sanity saver for me is staying one week ahead on copies. You NEVER know when the copy machine will jam… so it helps me if I am a week ahead.
I work in a large school building. We have 3 copy machines, not including the one for office use only. And some days they are A.L.L. jammed!! So, if the machines do jam on Tuesday, then I will try again on Wednesday. I like to have my copies done earlier in the week. It’s the best feeling to leave on a Friday and know that all my plans are done and copied for the next week!
Here is an example of how I use my planning times during the week.
Monday- correct student work, usually spelling tests from Friday
Tuesday- copies
Wednesday- correct student work, copies if the machine was jammed yesterday
Thursday- common planning with other teammates
Friday- set up daily bins and materials for next week
I also use 5-10 mins of my daily prep time to check and respond to emails… more about emails in Habit 4!
Classroom Organization: How to Leave Work at Work
Over the years I have learned how to allow myself to leave work at work. It has taken me a few years to be able to do this consistently, but believe it or not, I have a life outside of the classroom!
I know, crazy, right!?
Your time is precious and you should use it wisely. Don’t be afraid to hide away during prep time! Sometimes it can feel impossible, but I’m no stranger to sitting in my classroom with the lights out!
I like to get to school 30 mins early every day, if I get a few things done in the am, great, but I usually use that time to touch base with other teachers. This helps me keep my prep time to myself.
I also take my whole lunch break to chat with my teammates about life, the Great British Baking Show, and anything else non-school-related! That way I don’t feel bad when I hide away to get my work done during my prep time!
Habit 3: Bins for Classroom Organization
Why is classroom organization important for my photocopies and materials? Just like writing lesson plans is important, so is being prepared for those lessons.
Like I mentioned before, on Tuesdays, I like to make all my photocopies for the following week. After you have made all your photocopies for the next week you need to have a plan about where to store them. I have book bins behind my desk labeled for each day of the week. I like using the book bins to hold my photocopies because I can put other materials or books that I may need for a lesson into the bin for that day.
At the end of each day, papers are removed that did not get done. I and either put them in the bin for the next day or my bin labeled ‘next week.’
On Fridays, I make sure to restock my daily book bins with any photocopies and materials for the next week’s lessons.
How to Organize Your Classroom Master Copies
In order to get ahead on my copying, I had to come up with a system for organizing my master copies.
I have found that the easiest way is to have a folder for each week for our reading program. That way I can just take the whole folder with me to the copy machine and copy what I want. Then the masters go back into the folder for next year.
I also have binders for each month. I use sheet protectors inside the binders to hold all of my monthly master sheets. These binders have things like social studies and science papers that are specific to the month. I usually make these copies a week or two before the next month. So in the middle of October, I will get out the November binder and start making copies for Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, etc.
I don’t make many copies for math because I have centers that I have laminated and reuse every year. We also have student workbooks that we use. Just like with anything else, I copy the sheets I will need for the next unit ahead of time.
Copying papers early will save you so much time in the long run! There is no mad dash to the copier first thing in the morning! No one needs that kind of stress!!
I store copies that aren’t being used next week by category in my rolling cart with drawers; social studies, science, math, reading, writing, spelling, and homework.
Habit 4: How to Organize My Classroom Email
I don’t know about you, but I used to have a bad habit of checking my email constantly! Like any bad habit, I knew that I needed to create a new routine for myself.
I started using a small amount of my prep time to check emails. I make sure to let parents know at the beginning of the year that I will get back to them within 24 hours. If it is an urgent matter they need to call the office.
During my prep time, I set a timer for 5-10 mins to check and respond to emails, no need for more, if you don’t get to it within that time then respond the next day. I found that if I didn’t respond right away I would overthink what I was going to say and end up wasting soooo much time!!
And don’t check email during your off time… I’ve made the mistake of checking before bed, then worrying all night about something that couldn’t be handled until the next day anyway! It has relieved so much of my stress to create the boundary of not checking my email out of school hours!
Habit 5: How to Organize Your Classroom Responsibilities
Share the load… it’s sometimes easier said than done. I’m type-A… I like to be in control… so letting students handle jobs took some time for me to get used to.
So why is classroom organization important for student jobs? There are many reasons, it builds classroom community, students learn independence… But the main reason why classroom organization is important for student jobs is that it shares classroom responsibility with them. They can be so helpful if you teach them how! It’s all of you working together to make your classroom a wonderful place to be!
The most important job that I have students do is to make their own lunch choice. Students come in each morning and move their number magnet onto what they want for lunch that day. This saves me from having to yell out the orders every single morning.
Then I have two student lunch counters who count up the lunch orders and tally them for the lunch staff. My messengers take the lunch count, and any important notes, to the cafe and office which means I am free to take attendance and start the morning smoothly.
More Ideas to Answer Your Question of “Why is Classroom Organization Important?”
Student Organization with Ketchup Folders
Student worksheets can be a beast to keep organized. My favorite way to keep papers all in one place is with these Ketchup Folder Labels. You can read all about how I use them in my classroom here!
Organizing Student Work
Do your student ever pass in papers without putting their names on them?! This drives me crazy! Check out this simple sign that will get your students to STOP and highlight their name, to ensure it’s actually on the paper, before passing it in!
Classroom Setup
Need to organize your teacher toolkit? Maureen from Teacher Baker Maker has a great post on How to Make a Teacher Toolkit With Customized Labels Using a Cricut!
Does your classroom library need a refresh? You’ll want to check out April from Teach Travel Read and her post on 4 Secrets to Successfully Organize a Classroom Library.
Are you a new teacher, or need a new system for setting up your classroom? Jenni-Ann from Pencils and Planners has got your back with these 7 of the Best Practical Ideas for Classroom Setup!
Summer Rejuvenation
Looking to start your own classroom blog? Check out this awesome post 7 Helpful Tips on How to Bolg Like Boss by my amazing business coach, Kayse Morris, and her team!
You might need a reset after the craziness of 2020, take a look at this Summer Rejuvenation list by Kelli at Still Teaching Still Learning. She has so many great tips that can become daily habits in the summer and throughout this school year!
Digital Planning
Ready to ditch the physical planner and go digital? Check out with post on 5 Ways Digital Planning Will Save You Time and Keep You Organized by Kimberly at Learning More with Mrs. Morrison!
5 Daily Habits for Classroom Organization
There are many things that I do to help organize my classroom for my mental health, these are quick to implement and will have you feeling at ease in your classroom. Remember to take it one day at a time, and to leave your classroom at the end of each day set up for the following day.
These 5 habits take time to fully implement. So take it slow. Try to implement one for a month and then add on another. These habits will help you answer, why is classroom organization important, and leave you feeling at ease in your organized classroom.
5 Responses
Thank you so much for sharing these habits. I love how you also included organizing emails because this is really important considering that we often use technology in teaching and studying.