Hey it's Bethany here! I'm beginning my internship teaching 4th grade this Fall and am both simultaneously so nervous AND so excited. The past few weeks I've spent a lot of time setting up my classroom and it's just on the verge of being finished. As I've embarked on this journey, I've been realizing just how much work it takes to prepare a classroom! I've been compiling a list of my biggest tips to help make your classroom setup that much smoother and easier.
Make a Pinterest Board
As soon as I knew where I was teaching and what grade, I immediately hopped on Pinterest and looked up "classroom ideas". These pins helped me form an idea of what I wanted my classroom to look like and how I wanted to store my supplies. There are so many cute teachers out there with so many awesome ideas!
Do a Classroom Walk-Through and Make a Map/List
My classroom was cleaned and became available at the beginning of June which gave me almost the whole summer to get started. The first thing I did was complete a walk through and make a list of everything I needed to do. The teacher before me left some things in the cupboards and on the walls so I added "going through things" to my list. I also needed to organize the desks, decide on what furniture I needed (and where to put it), organize the teaching supplies, etc. I also made a map of where I wanted everything to go when I was done.
Have a Classroom Theme
Something I noticed about all of my favorite classrooms was a cohesive classroom theme! I found mine on Etsy here. It's a little price-y but it was SO worth it! Once everything was cut, laminated, and put up on the walls it made my room look bright and beautiful.
Get things Second Hand / Make a Classroom Wishlist
Almost everything I bought for my classroom came second hand. I got all of my books at the DI and all of my furniture from Facebook Marketplace. I also created a Classroom Wishlist. I added everything I wanted to an amazon Wish List and shared it on Facebook and Instagram. There are so many kind people in this world and I was able to get almost everything I asked for! Some of my past teachers even pitched in and got me some books. It was a full circle moment!
Catalogue Your Books
I have always loved reading and therefore really value having books in my classroom. I've spent so much time and money accumulating books and it's really important for me to keep them organized and looking nice. I catalogued all of my books in alphabetical order and organized them into groups based on genres. I then put stickers on the spines (ex. purple= mystery, blue= historical fiction, etc.) and placed them on the corresponding shelves. That way, my students, just by looking at the color of the sticker on the spine, will know exactly where to put their books when they're done with them.
Host a Classroom Set up Party
This was one of the best days of the whole summer! I invited my family and friends to join me in setting up classroom for a couple hours on a random Monday. My family provided pizza and treats and we all just got to listen to music and laminate, put up bulletin boards, and build furniture. It was SO fun!
Here's a before and after of my classroom! I'm really happy with how it turned out and can't wait to teach my sweet future 4th grade kiddos.
BEFORE AFTER
Setting up a classroom takes a lot of time, effort, and sometimes money, but it's also so fun. It's so cool to be able to create a space that your whole class will be able to enjoy. If you have any questions about becoming a teacher or want to learn more about the majors in the McKay school, set up a time to meet with a student Ambassador here.
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