The end of summer can bring up many anxious feelings. One of the most prominent is ensuring our classrooms are set up perfectly before the school year begins. Over the last few years, and especially since TikTok grew in popularity, my feed is flooded with Pinterest-worthy classrooms that teachers spent countless hours (and dollars!) preparing. The transitions, the themes: they’re all impressive, and I am envious of these beautifully curated spaces. However, it’s not practical for everyone. I have found a few tricks that help me feel prepared for the year without putting unnecessary pressure on myself during an already busy time.
Remember that proximity control is one of the most valuable behavior management techniques a teacher can utilize. Keep this in mind when you arrange your space. You don’t want to make corners of your classroom difficult to reach if you need to redirect a student who is off task. You also want to ensure you can reach every student in case they need assistance. This isn’t always an easy task, particularly if you’re in a smaller room that is filled to capacity. I have had to get creative many times with my desk arrangements. It is also important to ensure students have easy access to doorways, pencil sharpeners, tissues, etc. One year, I thought I had established an impressive “student station” with access to everything they could need, but once the empty chairs were filled with teenagers, I realized it was incredibly difficult and disruptive for a student to grab a Kleenex. Fortunately for us, desks and tables can be moved. Do the best you can to alleviate distractions within your classroom set up but find peace in knowing you can always change things around once you see an issue.
You should absolutely buy some cute posters, put up some of your favorite photos, and ensure your room has some reflection of you, but you don’t have to cover every wall and fill every shelf on day one. Actually, doing so hinders your ability to ensure your students are represented in your classroom. Every year, I have students draw pictures, write letters, or give me a thoughtful card. I like to save spaces to pin these up throughout the year. Last year, one of my windowsills was dedicated to a string of paper squishy emojis created by an artistic eighth grader. I also enjoy adding pieces to my classroom throughout the year. Often, during your first few years of teaching, you will be gifted cute classroom additions for Christmas or your birthday. Know that even if your room feels a little bare at the beginning of the year, you will find ample opportunity to fill that space as the year progresses.
If it is sentimental, expensive, or irreplaceable, it doesn’t belong in your classroom. Many times over the years I have had teacher friends lose valuable memorabilia that was displayed in their classroom. They wanted to share their interests and collections with their students, which is a great way to build classroom rapport, but it is not a secure place to display items you treasure. While you may have the best classroom management in the world, kids will be kids. They’re going to be silly and curious. They’re going to accidentally bump the bookshelf. Those overstuffed backpacks will knock things over. Keep your treasures safe at home.
You also can’t always guarantee your classroom will be secure. Sometimes our doors are left unlocked during after school events. While it is your space throughout the day, there is no guarantee that it won’t be used for tutoring, detention, or academic team matches after dismissal. Your favorite FunkoPop, that plant you propagated from a cutting five years ago, and grandma’s antiques all belong on a cozy shelf at home to ensure they don’t end up in a compromising position.
I have seen social media classrooms that had to cost thousands of dollars to set up. One of my favorites included a whole house of furniture: couches, chairs, tables… it was a student’s dream spot! As much as I would love that set up, my bank account isn’t allowing me to buy several couches for my students any time soon. Making your room look and feel like you takes time, and that’s okay! As I said earlier, things don’t have to be perfect on day one. Remember, there is always time to change things around later to better suit your needs and the needs of your students.