Back to School: How to Get Your Classroom Ready for Parents and Students

For teachers, starting a new school year can be both exciting and daunting, especially if they’re new to the school, grade, or curriculum. However, even experienced teachers returning to their well-known classrooms can find the beginning of the new school year challenging.

 

As well as materials to organize, bulletin boards to create, and a million other details, the struggle to keep the curriculum and teaching content fresh and engaging can be tricky. As a result, educators – both special needs and general – may wonder where best to start when preparing their classrooms for parents and new students after the long summer break.
 

If you’re a teacher in the midst of setting up your classroom for the new academic year, you might find some of Rebekah Poe's hacks useful. With more than 10 years in special education, Rebekah is an award-winning teacher and national conference presenter – she knows her way around the classroom, and has the credentials to prove it! 

 

Below, we’ve provided a quick overview including some of her suggestions (and a few of our own) to help you turn your classroom into the well-prepared and organized environment you need. You can also check out Rebekah's video here.

 

Know What to Expect
For Rebekah, the main source of anxiety at the start of a school year is not knowing what to expect. While general teaching follows a set curriculum, specialized education uses IEPs (individualized education plans) to plan and assess students’ goals and progress. Early access to this information can help with planning and selecting what to start teaching right from the first lesson. In addition, having the necessary resources at your fingertips will prepare you for that first day and reduce your anxiety. 

 

It's important to remember that anxiety goes both ways – some students may also struggle with the unknown. Letting your students know what is expected of them from the first day (including behavioral, homework, and classroom interaction expectations) can make them feel at ease and enhance productive learning in the classroom.

 

Clean Up
Before your students arrive at the door, it's time to get things back into order. Throughout the year, the average classroom is very busy and sees a lot of wear and tear. Unfortunately, this can cause things to get disorganized (and probably a little dusty!) during the year.

While most schools have a dedicated staff of cleaners, teachers are often expected to keep their classrooms neat and tidy as well. So before unpacking and setting up the classroom for the new year, grab that cleaning spray and wipe down surfaces, bookshelves, and storage cabinets. 

 

Once everything is sparkling again, unpack your textbooks, reading materials, workbooks, and other teaching aids and decide how to store them so they can be easily accessed.

 

Plan Your Layout
After all that cleaning and sorting, you may think you’re as organized as you can get – but there's still one important thing to consider: your classroom layout. How will you set up the desks, tables, and chairs to create a cohesive learning environment in the classroom? 

 

Planning the structure of your classroom is not only about having a great seating plan; it's also about creating spaces or zones for particular activities. For example, you may want a reading zone or a chill-out zone. Some classrooms, if they are large enough, may also include an alternative workspace zone. 

 

Planning your classroom layout to accommodate your students' needs will ensure their environment enhances their learning experience. 
 

Create Your Classroom Procedures
It’s all well and good for your classroom to look spick and span – but a great-looking classroom without rules or procedures will quickly deteriorate into chaos. How, where, and when to hand in work should be explained to your students to ensure the classroom runs smoothly. 

 

A dedicated table, pigeonhole, or tray for handing in assignments and homework keeps things organized and consistent, and allows teachers and students to continue lessons without interruption.

 

Get Smart With Classroom Supplies 

According to Rebekah, you only really need three items in your classroom: dry markers, boards, and erasers. If you have these to hand, you’re ready to teach anything! Of course, other teaching supplies are important, but they aren’t essential to teaching a fantastic first lesson. 

 

Rebekah also suggests repurposing everyday items, such as socks (which can be used as board erasers) and plastic tableware (which can be used to hold math manipulatives like counters, buttons, and bottle tops). 

 

Get Creative 

Use engaging and informative bulletin boards to get your message across. These can be created easily using a board, colored card, and bold writing. Keep them simple, fun, and colorful. For example, you might want to have a daily schedule board or a board for classroom jobs and homework/assignment reminders.

One bulletin board every classroom should have is a “classroom rules and consequences” board. This highlights behavioral expectations in the classroom by keeping them visible to both parents and students. 

 

Student and Parent Buy-In
You can spend hours preparing the perfect classroom as a teacher, but without student or parent buy-in or input, it's just a classroom. To enhance your learning environment, it’s important to encourage your students to have an active say in how the classroom should be run. 

 

Discuss and collaborate with your students regarding appropriate classroom rules and consequences. Involve them in creating bulletin boards, classroom jobs, and schedules. When students actively contribute to their learning environment, they become more invested in their learning.
 

Encourage parents to feel part of their child's learning by including them in certain classroom processes too (for example, collecting items that can be repurposed for specific learning activities, such as plastic cups or cereal boxes). In addition, consider doing a weekly or monthly classroom newsletter updating parents on upcoming events, activities, and excursions.  

 

Final Thoughts

Even experts like Rebekah know that preparing a classroom takes time. Being ready for the first day is a bonus, of course, but if you don't have everything completed on day one, it's no train smash. As long as you have the necessities to get started, the rest can come with time – and remember, student buy-in is more important than anything when creating an effective learning environment for your class. 

Featured image by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash