Here are the top tips to prep for classroom setup

1. Know your room

If at all possible take pictures of your classroom from every possible angle. Believe me you will want to reference these over and over as you prepare to setup your room. Get yourself a notebook and take inventory and be as detailed as possible.

Things to look for:

• Outlets how many and where they are located
• Chalkboards/Dry Erase Boards how many and where they are located
• Promethean Board/TV, where is it located
• Flag, How is it hung and where is is located
• Windows, how many and where are they located
• AC Unit, what kind and where is it located
• Fire Extinguisher, where is it located
• Door(s), where is it located and does it have a window, will you need to be able to cover it?
• Clock, where is it located and is it powered by the school or do you need to add a battery
• Storage, do you have a storage room, bookshelves, cabinets?
• Furniture, what furniture is in the room, teacher desk, how many student desks, podium, rolling cart, bookshelves, file cabinets, etc.

Are you seeing a pattern? Make sure you know where everything is located and this is why pictures come in handy because we can’t always remember on our own.

Also take a look at the types of walls. Are they drywall, cinder block, panels? What type of ceiling do you have? Is it a grid, stucco, etc? Personally, go the extra mile and take a measuring tape with you and measure everything, yes everything. So this is the math teacher in me! These measurements come in handy when you are thinking about how you are going to setup and what will fit on your walls.

2. Clean your room.

Yes most schools will have the floors waxed and cleaned during the summer but I also have learned that even just one weeks time of a classroom being cleaned can accumulate dust.

Get yourself a broom and a dust pan and you can pick these up for a few dollars at Dollar Tree. Dollar Tree sells the handle separate from the brush so you will get the complete set for $2.

Make sure to do a complete sweep of your classroom and mop. You can also find a mop sweeper at Dollar Tree as well as the wet and dry pads.

Does your classroom has carpet you will also want to invest in a simple vacuum. Check yard sales or thrift stores. Be sure to test them before you buy. Even if you don’t have carpet you may have a rug in your room you will want to vacuum.

Take some lysol wipes and wipe down all your surfaces, bookshelves, etc. Clean your boards off including your bulletin boards so having a staple remover on hand is a good idea. I have my first day tool kit that includes the following:

• tape measure
• broom and dustpan
• wet and dry mop
• Lysol wipes
• disinfectant spray
• hand sanitizer
• trash bags
• hammer
• staple remover
• dry erase board cleaner
• paper towels
• masking Tape
• duck tape (I use Black from Dollar Tree)
• painters tape
• packaging tape (My favorite is from Dollar Tree)
• glue gun and glue sticks
• furniture sliders
• paint scraper
• double sided tape
• exacto knife
• fishing wire
• notebook
• pencil/pen
• mini fan
• water
• light snack
• air freshener
• zip ties
• magnets
• velcro
• drop cloth
• level
• nail gun and staples
• Screw driver set
• Allen wrench
• sewing kit
• personal hygiene items (deodorant, feminine items)

Not all these things will be used on the first day but are part of my setup items I need to be prepared to decorate which we all love to do. Many schools turn off the AC during the summer so having a fan of any type will help your sanity and cool you down.

One more thing before we move on. The schools I have taught in have had little critter issues and setting out traps or asking to have the custodial staff spray your room for insects might be a good idea. It is my hope that schools will do this, but to be extra cautious I always ask and put in a request.

Plan to Prep for Classroom Setup

3. Make a plan

Before you start the decorating, make a plan. Having pictures of your classroom you can set-up your classroom visually by loading them into Canva. If you have not already signed up for a free teacher account I highly recommend doing so. This is not sponsored by Canva, I just really like using it for all my images.

Once you have an idea of your walls and floor layout you can then start making your To Do Lists and putting them in order of importance.

You will want to leave the items that are ok to finish during the school year that don’t hinder how your class will run. Save those to the end. Understand some tasks will take you longer than you may think.

Do your best to print, cut, laminate and label before you move into your classroom. These items can be done at home, I know many who prefer to do them at the school during the time they are in the classroom however I prefer to spend my time in the classroom for setup and not the tedious cutting and laminating. *Hint: Label everything! Your items may grow legs and walk off but if you label it then it tends to find its way back to your room. Trust me, label everything no matter how big or how small

Don’t over do your days. Plan out 2-3 major tasks you want to accomplish each day.

My plan is as follows:

Day 1 – Clean my room/move my items from previous room to new room

Day 2 – Put up my wall coverings (I cover 1 wall with brick paper, 2 walls with black fire resistant bedsheets).

Day 3 – Floor layout setup – move furniture

Day 4 – Bulletin boards and wall hangings

Day 5 – Setup my area and minor hanging items

My days are listed as an overall theme but each day does have multiple tasks within them. Lastly, don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t get everything you wanted to accomplish in one day. Remember some tasks may take you longer than you think especially if you are setting up on your own.

Also if you are moving into a classroom that has tons of items left behind this may also be one of your days you want to add to your list. Focus one whole day on going through and organizing items left in your classroom.

4. Be Prepared before you start

So you are ready to get started and to decorate your classroom but I have another tip for you before you start. Make sure you have all your materials you are using to decorate your classroom. The last thing you want to do is have to stop by another store after you leave your classroom for the day to get more material.

Having your measurements of everything you can do some simple math when you are out purchasing items so you don’t over buy. On that note, if you are looking for bins or furniture items check with other teachers that may cleaning out or some schools will have a teacher free area where teachers will place items that are still usable but they are not needed in their classrooms anymore. Also check your local Pay Nothing Groups on Facebook or even the Facebook Marketplace.

Make sure to gather all the tools you may need before you start. I purchased a toolbox from Dollar Tree that I have my screw drivers, allen wrench, level and hammer.

5. Be Flexible

When you start setting up your classroom you will want to take a step back and take a look at many angles of your classroom and consider the following.

When setting up bulletin boards, what is your purpose and what function do they play? Do they need to be readable from all areas of the classroom? This is very important when you are writing on boards as well.

If something is not working right, don’t be afraid to make adjustments. Your room needs to be inviting but also needs to be functional. Your first year you may change things over and over but as you learn what works for your room you will have a better understanding of what is needed for your room.

Topic: Top Tips to Prep for Classroom Setup