12 Ways To Keep Your Classroom Tidy & Clean

Sometimes it’s inevitable, life IS messy and its tough to keep the classroom tidy. In the teaching world, there’s nothing more frustrating than a messy classroom. However, these classrooms allow student’s to focus on learning rather than searching. Here are some teacher approved tips: 1. Keep an up-to-date calendar posted around the classroom, the larger the better, not only for yourself but for your students. 2. List projects, homework due dates, and other important information so it’s clear for everyone to see and use. Students can be responsible for copying down their assignments each day, with a simple verbal reminder. 3. Make a list of daily tasks at the beginning of the day. Little things can be overlooked constantly, but with a reminder you can plan accordingly. 4. Color-code everything, and not just because colors are pretty. It’s a proven system that with training, our eyes will register meaning in the colors we use. 5. Put everything in binders. Loose leaf papers have a way of getting crumpled or lost. You can even have one for miscellaneous papers just to get them off your desk. Pick a crazy design for that one, like zebra stripes, so it stands out. 6. Store materials in clearly labeled bins. This will take the guesswork out of searching for a yellow colored pencil in a sea of highlighters. 7. Use an online grade book, if your school has no issue with it. This will conserve paper and give you easier access to them. 8. Use cubby holes with removable bins so students can find items more easily. This will also make a weekly clean out much more simple for them. 9. Make a seating chart. Not only will attendance go quickly and without searching for each face, it’ll save the time of students finding a new seat every day. It’ll also help you learn your students’ names faster. 10. There’s only so much wall space in your room. Too many masterpieces can overwhelm the eye. Take a picture of each artwork and upload it to an online album. Students can take their art home to their parents. 11. Dust once a week. Yes, janitors will clean your classroom, but with so much to do, little things can be overlooked. Dusting the tops of drawers and large furniture will not only keep excess dust out of the air, but it will help your students (and you!) with allergies. 12. Have an end of the day routine with the children. All the work doesn’t have to fall on you when you have happy helpers ready to assist. Five minutes before school ends, have an assignment of tasks that students can partake in. What’s something YOU do to keep your classroom tidy and organized?