Gradeschoolgiggles

Setting Up Your Classroom: A Checklist for Classroom Prep

preparation of classroom

• 1. First, get the bulletin boards covered - Seriously, just get the background and borders up. It’s much easier to do this without any furniture against the walls. You can add the content later. First, just get the background and borders up

• 2. Next, arrange the furniture - First, sketch out the layouts you are considering. It will help you minimize the heavy lifting. Once you have a plan go ahead and get things in place. Move the big stuff first. Then, move the small stuff. Get help and know your limits.

• 3. Then, clean before unpacking - This is probably the only time during the year when all the surfaces are empty. So, get those surfaces clean because while the custodians have probably cleaned your room during the summer, there will be dust. Lots and lots of dust. Trust me, cleaning now will benefit you all year long.

• 4. Know what to prioritize - One crazy year furloughs cut preplanning to 2 days and the second day was Sneak-a-Peek. That year I was moving classrooms and walked into an entirely empty room…no chairs…no desks…none of my boxes. Half of my day was spent finding my stuff. You’ve got to know what has to get done and what can wait.

• 5. Remember, give yourself grace - That year there was no way I was going to have a perfect looking room for Sneak-a-Peek. Thankfully, administration explained to parents that some of us had literally just gotten into our rooms and that the rooms would not look as finished as they normally would before releasing the parents to go to the classrooms.