Time to get creative!

Welcome to our class! I’ve changed some parts of my classroom this year and I have to say that I’m loving how everything turned out. Please note that this is my 12th year of teaching and I did not create this environment overnight. It’s taken years to accumulate and/or create everything that is in this ... Read More about Learning in Wonderland Classroom Tour

Browse this post for 13 classroom desk arrangement ideas (Ideas for tables included, too!) with and tons of photos!

If you LOVE being organized at back to school time then be sure to check out these fun classroom printables. There's also a free set of printable homework

Whether you’re a grad teacher, or you’ve been in the gig for years, it’s always a great help to yourself – and your students – to start your school year on the right foot. And especially after the mess that 2020 was, I thought a little reminder, or a mindful prompt, might be just what you need! So, if you’re looking for tips for a successful school set up – you’ve come to the right place! 1. Getting (and staying) organised! It’s something that either floats your boat, or has you rolling your eyes. But deeeep in our souls, we know being organised helps everything run a little more smoothly, and just as importantly, helps us to adapt and pivot in the classroom when we need to! (…which is everyday, amiright??) 😎 When our homes are a schmozzle, our life feels a bit like one too, right? So it makes total sense that the same goes for our classrooms. It might only mean spending five or ten minutes after school ensuring that everything is in its place and ready for the next day. Better still – including student in this organisational aspect throughout the day not only helps you stay on top of things, but also teaches *them* to take pride in their classrooms! Win/win I say!! 👊🏼 As you can imagine, I’m all about good-lookin’ organisation!! And it’s probably obvious – I’m obsessed with making classroom decor that will assist teachers to create an amazing learning environment, but just as importantly, save teachers time, stress, and keep them organised!!! If all this talk about getting organised is stirring a little something in your heart, check out some of my favourite (and most helpful IMO!) resources: I love my Teacher Trolley Drawer Labels I use my Teacher Toolbox Labels in the classroom *and* my home (goodbye kids craft corner chaos!!) And also my Binder Covers and Spines which come in seven styles. 2. Rules, rules, rules! When you’re focusing on a successful school set up, the first few weeks of the school year are usually spent setting classroom routines and expectations.⁠ And then the tricky part – upholding them!⁠ I’ve found framing classroom rules in a positive way – ‘we sit on the floor nicely’, rather than ‘don’t talk on the mat’ – really helps students to remember what they are being asked to do, rather than them only knowing what they shouldn’t be doing.⁠ ⁠Creating classroom rules WITH your students helps them to feel a sense of responsibility and means they are more likely to hold themselves accountable. I’ve always found it helpful to keep rules clear, simple and not too long a list! I like to focus on kindness, safety and respect. If you’re teaching the younger years, you could always make these values as suggestions, then with your students, brainstorm what these ideas look like in action. Then together you could turn them into rules. I also like to use a phrase that can be repeated to and by the children over the course of the year. It might look something like: “We take care of ourselves, each other, our school and our world.” If in the first few weeks, you break it down with the kids, and they understand what ‘taking care’ of these important aspects of their lives looks like, it can be used later on as a gentle reminder when they might be about to make a poor choice. Just to make life a little easier, and your classroom a whole lot more beautiful, I’ve got several Editable Classroom Poster Sets available in my store (as well as in my Decor Bundles!) which you can use to display your classroom rules. 3. Kids wanna play all day! We all know how important it is, but sometimes we can get lost in the busyness of our days, and forget to include some opportunities for play in our planning. So here is a little reminder for you as to why play is just so beneficial. – Play helps reduce stress. Just because they’re smaller than us, doesn’t mean kids don’t get stressed easily. We’re all humans. Play releases feel-good hormones, putting your students in a positive, joyful mood. Positivity is contagious, so spread it around like glitter!!! – What I love most about play? Our students are still learning while they play, they just don’t realise it! Play also improves brain function and helps boost their creativity. – Play allows students to build interpersonal skills and strengthen their connections with their classmates. It allows them to practice problem solving, compromising and negotiation skills. In a sense, play at a young age is setting up our students *for life*! – Playing with your students is also a beautiful way to develop your relationship with them as their teacher. It also gives you a peek into the way their minds work. As adults, we don’t often make time for playing, so we forget how therapeutic it can be. To begin with, it can feel a little awkward, but like many things, the more you do it, the easier it gets!! And if you feel like you might forget about scheduling play? I can guarantee you, your students wont forget! 🤣 I like to plan out my days so that the students can see a visual representation of what’s on – so why not add a visual reminder for yourself! My Editable Visual Timetables include over 120 various daily classroom activities and subjects to assist you in visually displaying an outline for the school day so that your children will be able to keep track of their day. It also comes with clock faces (digital and analogue) for you to display beside each activity so that your students will know what time each activity begins and ends. 4. Get to know your kids! Of course, as teachers, we spend the entire year getting to know our students, before farewelling and entrusting them into another teacher’s hands. The first few days and weeks of school are imperative for developing strong, positive relationships with students. You have the chance to *really* get to know them. And the easiest way to do this? Find out what they love. Their favourite memory from their summer holidays. What makes them tick. And, then going forward, make a point to engage with them about the things they love. It’ll make them feel like a million dollars! And you’ll be pretty much guaranteeing yourself a successful school set up! A simple way of uncovering more about your students is with my Back to School Activities Pack. Here you’ll not only find templates for exploring each students’ strengths and goals, but also activities around your school’s values, and helping students along with their morning routines. It’s a whopping 54 pages of back to school goodness right there! 5. A little bit of self care goes a long, long way! There’s no tired like ‘Teacher Tired’, but Term 1 Teacher Tired is like no other. Having up to 20 kids in your care for hours at a time, that’ll exhaust you! Managing their varying energy levels, mixed emotions, lessons, interruptions – a day in the life of a teacher can be an absolute whirlwind. My advice? After years of learning the hard way (!) – give yourself 10 minutes in the morning to do something that calms you. Listening to a guided meditation on the Headspace app. Some cat-cow poses. Time to drink your coffee mindfully. Whatever works for you. Just make it a habit. Something that you know will fill your cup in the morning, before you start pouring out to others. As teachers, we’re great at following a plan and sticking to a schedule. So don’t forget to schedule in some time to do what you love – exercising, getting crafty and creative, socializing, bath and candles, shopping, Netflix – whatever it is that lights you up and fills your cup. Be kind to yourself, friend. Do you have any other helpful tips for a successful school set up? Feel free to comment below, I’d love to hear them!! Chantelle -XXX-

3rd grade teacher Deanna shares how she saves time and works more efficiently.

My favorite part about getting ready for back to school is getting all of the bulletin boards set up around my classroom. Here are some of my favorite ideas.

The best ideas in classroom organization including organizing bookshelves, creating a teacher cart, plus create the perfect teacher space!

I finally have gotten the chance to remember to put pictures up of my classroom! Between jury duty, coaching, conferences, collaborative work, and teaching I have not been able to post much lately. Here's what my classroom looks like. Back of the room The objectives board Supplies cabinet Student supplies and binders My desk Exit slips No name board where I put papers that have no name...they usually go unclaimed Yellow slips are used when students do not have homework to turn in but want to turn it in late. I don't accept late work that doesn't have a yellow slip. Request to retest slips are used when students want to retake a test. I allow one retake per quarter. My objectives board for Algebra I. I love my filetastics! I sometimes put pictures of kids doing activities on the instagram board. My deak. I bought this classroom decor pack on teachers pay teachers. It was originally for elementary, but I tweaked it quite a bit to fit my theme. My bulletin board. This wall was basically blank. I just added black paper and a border for an instant bulletin board. As you can tell, I took these pics a while ago. Front of the room. Random memes. My students love these. This is where I keep extra papers for each class. Before school started we had a sign making party with our building. This is mine. This is my pen holder that I love! My friend and I painted pottery over the summer and I needed something fun to keep my pens. Thus is my version of the "copy, file, and return" system. The top tray is for papers I need to copy. Middle is for papers I need to file. Bottom is for papers I need to return to someone. It works quite well for me so I'm more organized.

Need to get kids focused and ready for the day? Set-up a DIY Question of the Day board with a drip pan and a few simple materials. Kids love reading the different questions posted each school day!

Description Eye-catching and fun, my latest Spotty Brights Classroom decor bundle will add a stylish & vibrant flair to your Classroom! Made with a mix of B&W spots and a trendy neon rainbow color palette, this pack is bright yet minimalistic, making it perfect for all year levels and seasons! This polka dot and rainbow decor bundle includes everything you need to set up an amazing educational space for you and your students! Most of the elements are EDITABLE which means you can easily customize them to cater for the needs of your students and the requirements of your school. Furthermore, I have ensured that this pack is BILINGUAL FRIENDLY which easily allows teachers to edit the text and type in Spanish or French – just as an example. Transform your classroom from drab to fab, with Miss Jacobs Little Learners’ modern classroom decor! This SPOTTY BRIGHTS Classroom Decor Bundle includes: DOWNLOAD SPOTTY BRIGHTS PREVIEW HERE Affirmation Station (PDF & Editable) Alphabet Posters (PDF & Editable) 3 Versions, with alphabet images and without - Fonts Include: Standard Primary Font, Cursive Font, Australian State Fonts - VIC, QLD, NSW, SA for teachers in Australia  Version 1: Minimalistic Spotty Brights design with alphabet associated images Version 2: Spotty Color Strip with alphabet associated images Version 3: Minimalistic Spotty Brights design with no images - Square ASL (American Sign Language) Alphabet Posters with or without spots (PDF & Editable PPT) Auslan Alphabet Posters (Fonts include Standard Primary and Australian School Fonts: Victorian Modern Cursive, NSW Foundation, SA Beginners, QLD Beginners and Sassoon Fonts.) (PDF & Editable PPT) Alphabet Word Wall Headers (Editable) standard primary font and Aussie fonts. Binder Covers and Spines - (Editable) + Spines in 3 sizes, styled to match Birthday Display - (PDF & Editable) Bulletin Board Borders (PDF) Bulletin Board Bunting and Banners - 38 designs (Editable) Classroom Calendar and Weather Display - (PDF & Editable) 2 Versions - Pocket Chart Size and Standard Size Pocket Chart Size Standard Page Size Weather chart Classroom Jobs with Header - (PDF & Editable) Classroom Rules Posters (PDF & Editable) Clock Numbers Classroom Labels - small, medium, large tub, round, square, Magazine & Tolsby (Editable)  Labels are all editable for you to organize your teaching resources but also create things like your own Classroom Affirmation Station or Library Bin Labels Classroom Posters in Portrait and Landscape - EDITABLE (Type in your own classroom rules or values, motivational quotes and signs etc) Color Posters (editable) Days and Months of the Year Flashcards (PDF & Editable) Days at School Tally (PDF & Editable) Door Display - 4 designs to choose from (Editable) Flip Calendar (editable) Hand Signal Posters - (PDF & Editable) Learning Intentions, Success Criteria, WALT, WALF (PDF & Editable Meet the Teacher Templates (Editable) Newsletters (PDF & Editable) Number Posters - 0-30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 (PDF & Editable) Shape Posters (PDF & Editable) Slides (over 50 various editable Google Slides and PowerPoint templates) Student Goal Mats (Editable) Teacher Toolbox Labels - multiple designs (Editable) Teacher Trolley / 10 Drawer Cart Labels - 2 styles (Editable) Visual Timetable with Clocks (PDF & Editable) Voice Levels Display (PDF & Editable) Welcome Posters (PDF & Editable) Add a touch of Spotty Brights flair to your classroom today!

Goal Setting - This 4th grade teacher uses post it notes to remind children of their goals upon entering the classroom. I love that her method to this has

Pass them on to your first grade teacher friends!

Amazing classroom decoration ideas including how to add a class fireplace, a beautiful teacher space, a classroom fridge and more!

Hello! I just wrapped up my first week of my eleventh year teaching and wanted to share some picture of my classroom with you. This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. I am paid a small commission for referring you to the products I am recommending but you will not pay any additional ... Read More about Classroom Tour 2017-2018

Back to School season will always be one of my favorite times on the calendar! One of the best parts of my MJLL community over on Instagram is seeing first-hand, the amazing boho themed classroom set-ups that teachers all over the world are creating with my modern classroom decor bundles. I try to share as many as I ca

These classroom agreements posters are perfect for any grade level and focus on agreed upon norms for students in lieu of rules.

Discover new classroom ideas for classroom management, decor, organization, storage, desk layouts, fun ideas and more!

Explore my favorite Boho classroom theme ideas. From modern neutrals to vibrant rainbows, discover organization tips, and inspiration for your new classroom.

The best classroom setup ideas to get your class ready for back to school including the best classroom layout and desk arrangements.