Classroom Organisation Teaching Resources
Bring classroom organisation to new levels with the help of teacher tools created by teachers for teachers like you! From labels for classroom supplies and storage to handy tools for setting up your teacher desk, this collection will help you stay on track this school year.
We didn't stop there. Keep reading for some organisation tips straight from the Teach Starter teacher team to keep your classroom ticking.
Organisation Tips for Teachers — From Teachers
1. Contain Classroom Clutter With Containers
Putting things into containers not only keeps the space easier to keep tidy but also makes it easy to remove only what you need from a shelf or cabinet and return it when they are done. This is key for organising your supplies as a teacher but also to give your students' clear spots to place items they no longer need.
2. Add Labels to Your Bulldog Clips
We all use bulldog clips to organise paperwork on our desks, but can you easily tell what that clip is holding together? You can when you add labels to every clip!
3. Label Wooden Pegs by Days of the Week
Are you planning out your week of lesson plans? Keep things organised with simple wooden pegs that you have labelled by the day.
4. Hang Things Up
If you're in a classroom with a lack of storage, organisation can feel like an impossible challenge. Instead of investing your own money in purchasing shelves, bins and more, take advantage of your walls! The more you can hang, the fewer things you have to store on your precious shelf space.
5. Create a Mailbox for Classroom Communication
Creating a mailbox for your classroom isn't just cute. It can prevent notes from students or even notes coming from home from ending up on your desk and potentially getting lost in that big black hole that glue stick lids go down.
Set up the mailbox at the classroom entrance and encourage your students to put notes from home in there. You can then check it at a time that's convenient for you.
6. Get a Sectioned Lazy Susan
Make sure you always have the thing you need right where you can reach it — buy a sectioned lazy susan that spins, so you can just use your finger to roll it around to the section you need!
7. Create Washi Tape Outlines for Items You Keep on Your Desk
Outlining each item will not only remind you to place it back in the right spot but also helps guide students who 'borrow' items from your desk.
8. Use Binders for Assessment Organization
Assessments, trackers, checklists, student goals... all of this can become a little overwhelming and you may find you have bits and pieces all over the place. One teacher on our team keeps two main binders on her desk to ensure nothing goes missing.
She keeps Teach Starter assessment trackers in one binder. In the other, she keeps student work samples that she collects throughout the marking period to refer to at report card time or during parent-teacher interviews, or even when it comes time to recommend students for extra support services. Having these binders with everything together makes meetings so much less stressful!
9. Teacher Mugs = Perfect Pencil Holders
This isn’t exactly a mind-blowing tip, we know. But we all struggle with what to do with ALL OF THOSE #1 Teacher mugs we’ve gotten from our kiddos over the years, and the answer is pretty simple. Use them for pencils, pens, rulers … all those classroom supplies that tend to end up loose on your teacher desk.
How to Keep Student Desks Organised
Keeping your own space organised is one thing, but what about those student desks? Here are some organisation tips that may help!
- Explicitly teach students what an organised desk looks like, and provide a visual that they can reference. You can take a picture and mount it on your whiteboard where every student can see it.
- Designate a spot where each item should sit on your students' desks, such as 'folders on the right' or 'workbooks on the left.'
- Schedule specific times during the school day for students to neaten their desks, such as before recess and at the end of the day. Taking the time to clear up your desk while students clear theirs is a great way to lead by example.
- Do random 'desk checks,' and award students whose desks are neat and tidy with a no homework pass to encourage students to take responsibility for their desk organisation. You can also award them with one of Teach Starter's desk fairy awards!
- Hold a 'clean out Friday' session before any Fun Friday festivities commence.
- Add chair pockets to your students' chairs to give them extra space for items that just have no place to go.
- Plus Plan
Welcome to Our Herd! Back to School Classroom Display
‘Mooo-ve’ into a brand new school year with a customisable Farm-themed Back to School Classroom Display.
- Plus Plan
Sunflower Classroom Decor Theme Bundle
Refresh your classroom decor with a bright and cheerful Sunflower Classroom Theme Decor Bundle.
- Plus Plan
Rose Garden Zen Classroom Decor Bundle
Transform your classroom into a blooming garden of knowledge with our enchanting Rose Garden Zen Classroom Decor Bundle.
- Plus Plan
KLA Education - Editable Book Labels
Label your student materials and organise your school year with editable KLA Book Labels.
- Plus Plan
Classroom Slide Templates - Boho Rainbow Theme
Digitise your daily routines and lessons with fun Boho Rainbow teacher slide templates!
- Plus Plan
Alphabet Poster Pack
Create your own classroom alphabet display with these ink-friendly classroom alphabet posters.
- Plus Plan
Meet The Teachers - Template for Back to School BINGO!
Encourage your students to explore their new classroom and meet the teachers with a game of Bingo!
- Plus Plan
Meet The Teacher Station Signs - Editable
Organise your Meet the Teacher event by setting up classroom stations using our printable Back to School Station Signs.
- Plus Plan
Just Be - Positive Character Traits Classroom Display
Set an optimistic tone and promote positivity with a Character Education One-Word Back to School board.
- Plus Plan
Fresh Fruits – Job Chart
Fresh Fruits themed Job Chart to display in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Groovy Flowers – Job Chart
Flower-themed Job Chart to display in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Rainbow Arches – Job Chart
Rainbow-themed Job Chart to display in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Classroom Library Labels
A set of illustrated labels to use in your classroom library.
- Plus Plan
Classroom Hand Sign Posters
A set of posters with common student requests to display in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Tap Light Posters – Voice Level
Create voice-level expectations in the classroom with this set of 5 posters.
- Plus Plan
Pastel Dreams – Job Chart
Pastel Dreams themed Job Chart to display in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
How Do I Get Home? Backpack Tags & Forms
Use printable bus and car rider tags for schools to organise the dismissal process at the end of the school day.
- Plus Plan
Butterfly Garden Theme Classroom Decor Bundle
Decorate your Butterfly Garden Theme Classroom with a printable and editable classroom decor bundle.
- Plus Plan
Sour Power - Lemon Theme Classroom Decor Bundle
Start the school year with a snazzy, sour lemon-themed classroom decor bundle to brighten up your learning space.
- Plus Plan
Nostalgic 90s Theme Classroom Decor Bundle
Time travel into the days of slap bracelets and eye-popping geometric patterns with a fun 90s Theme Classroom Decor Bundle.
- Plus Plan
Teacher Slide Templates - Blue Squiggles
Organise your school days and lessons in style with a pack of fun Blue Squiggle-themed teacher slide templates.
- Plus Plan
Classroom Birthday Board - Birthday Beehive
Celebrate your students’ sweet birthdays with a fun Birthday Beehive Classroom Birthday board.
- Free Plan
Classroom Wish List - Card Set
Set up a Classroom Donation Station at your Parent Information Night meeting with our printable classroom donation card set.
- Plus Plan
Ready Confetti - Student Gift Bag Tags
Calm your students' first-day jitters with bags of Back-to-School Ready Confetti topped with fun First Day of School poems.
- Plus Plan
End-of-Year Teacher Checklist - Classroom Closeout
Remember all those essential end-of-year teacher tasks with a handy Classroom Closeout checklist.
- Plus Plan
Lavender Glow – Job Chart
Lavender Glow themed Job Chart to display in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Penguins – Job Chart
Penguin themed Job Chart to display in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Colourful Insects – Job Chart
Colourful Insects themed Job Chart to display in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Pastel Dreams – Happy Birthday Chart
Display all of your students’ birthdays on this Pastel Dreams themed classroom birthday chart.
- Plus Plan
Colourful Insects – Happy Birthday Chart
Display all of your students’ birthdays on this Colourful Insects themed classroom birthday chart.
- Plus Plan
Anchor Chart Design Posters
Download printable posters with title, lettering and border ideas to help you design anchor charts with your class.
- Plus Plan
Upper Years Classroom Essentials Bundle
Grab an upper years classroom essentials bundle stocked with 16 must-have teacher resources!