Setting Up Your Classroom – Where To Begin?

Looking around an empty classroom at the beginning of a new school year can be daunting…but it also presents a fantastic opportunity! Your classroom is like a second home for your students; it should be welcoming, visually-appealing and intellectually stimulating. Not sure where to begin? Here are some ideas for setting up your classroom that will have your students rushing through the door once school returns!

The Entry Door

Your students are going to walk through the door of the classroom multiple times a day; make it look wonderful! Hang a welcome sign that displays the class name in bright colours, decorated with age-appropriate images that will appeal to your students. Use the same image to display each student’s name around the welcome sign. This will help foster a sense of community and belonging amongst your students, right from the very first day.

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  Class Welcome Sign – Fish

  Show your students how welcome they are with this Class Welcome Sign.

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  Class Welcome Sign – Owls

  Show your students how welcome they are with this cute owl themed welcome sign.

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  Space – Class Welcome Sign

  Show your students how welcome they are with this space themed welcome sign.

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  Class Welcome Sign – Monkeys

  Welcome your students to their classroom with this decorative sign.

Student Desks

When setting up your classroom, consider adding some colourful, educational desk plates to your students’ desks. Desk plates and desk mats can be used for a range of purposes, which will vary according to the age and educational needs of your students. Student names, number lines and the alphabet may be more beneficial desk plates for the lower  grades; whilst 2D and 3D shapes, multiplication tables and a daily timetable may be more appropriate desk plates for the upper grades.

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  Desk Name Tags – Giraffe

  Giraffe themed desk name tags.

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  Desk Mats – Upper Grades

  A4 desk mats that include 2D shapes, 3D objects, the alphabet, times tables and Five Star Writing hints for your students’ desks.

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  Visual Daily Timetable and Equipment – Desk Strip

  A visual timetable and the equipment required for students who could benefit from having daily activities displayed on their desk.

Display Boards

The possibilities for displays boards in your classroom are endless! Create display boards around your classroom which serve a variety of purposes. For example, you could create some subject-specific display boards (for literacy, numeracy, or a science topic), a classroom management display board (for rules and behaviour, daily routines and student responsibilities) and a special occasion display board (for birthdays, upcoming celebrations and special events). Make your display boards visually-appealing by using colourful backing paper and patterned or theme-based borders. Be creative!

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  Vowel Phoneme Posters

  A poster showing words and pictures for various vowel blends.

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  Above and Below the Line Behaviours – Behaviour Management Display

  A set of cards to display in your classroom to remind students of above the line, below the line and bottom line behaviours.

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  Classroom Job Charts – Information

  Classroom job posters for various responsibilities.

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  Cupcake Birthday Chart

  Never miss a birthday again… display them on these cute cupcakes and candles.

Learning Stations

Learning stations can be an effective way of organising educational resources in your classroom. They are also a helpful tool for your students, who will hopefully learn quickly where to find whatever resources they might be looking for! Some ideas for learning stations in your classroom include a reading corner, a maths zone and an arts/crafts table. It is also a good idea to have a range of enriching activities on hand for fast-finishers. These might include card and/or board games, design and make activities or subject-specific task cards.

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  Reading Corner Poster – Kids Reading

  A poster to indicate your classrooms reading corner.

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  Fraction, Decimal and Percentage Bingo

  32 different bingo cards using fractions, decimals and percentages.

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  Design and Technology Challenge Task Cards

  A set of 15 design challenge tasks for students.

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  Fast Finisher Task Cards

  Twenty-one fast finisher activities.

Creating a Theme

Some teachers like to choose a theme at the beginning of a new school year, decorating their classrooms accordingly. Some ideas for classroom themes include the ocean, the rainforest, wizards, owls, superheroes… once again, the possibilities are endless.

Now that you have the tools and the know-how to set up your classroom, it’s time to start decorating. Enjoy!

If you have an amazing classroom setup, please post it on our Facebook page or on Instagram with the hashtag #teachstarter. We would love to see and share it!