Getting your classroom organized for the new school year doesn't have to be complicated or expensive! We've put together ten easy and affordable DIY (Do It Yourself) projects to help you keep your classroom organized for the rest of the school year. Read on to find out more!
The following projects are the perfect solution for busy teachers on a budget. Each project took only a few minutes to put together, aside from buying a few supplies. Most of the materials are either common classroom or household items. If you don't already have the supplies, you can find what you need for a few dollars at your local dollar store or Walmart.
Write out your students' names on Popsicle sticks and put them in a container. Each time you choose a Popsicle stick at random, either flip it upside down or remove it from the container so you can make sure you call on each of your students.
Add some labels to your binder clips and you won't be struggling to remember what to do with all those piles of paperwork you need to go through. Know exactly which papers need to be graded, copied, or handed out at a glance.
No need to go through countless glue sticks this school year! Grab some kitchen sponges and food storage containers from the dollar store to make handy glue sponges you can use over and over again. Simply pour liquid glue over the sponges and seal the containers when not in use. Spritz the sponges with water before students use them, and they're good to go!
Keep your classroom paintbrushes on hand for art projects by storing them in a toothbrush holder. Students can grab them with ease and no one has to go digging in the bottom of classroom bins to find them!
Save a couple tin cans from home and wrap them with colorful construction paper. Use them to keep sharpened pencils separate from dull ones.
Shoe organizers are great for organizing papers to hand out to students! Label the pockets with your students' names and distribute handouts, assignments, and more! (Tip: We recommend using the plastic shoe organizers instead of the mesh one pictured here because your papers will slide into the pockets easier and the labels will adhere to the plastic better!)
Pretty self-explanatory, but we love keeping these handy cloths around for a variety of cleaning purposes, and they sure do work great on whiteboards!
While we're on the subject of whiteboards, why not attach a few pieces of Velcro to the rim of your whiteboard and the backs of your dry erase markers to make sure you always know where to find them?
Magazine holders are great for organizing reading material by type, topic, or class subject. You can get several of them for just a couple dollars at your local dollar store!
Stick some command hooks on the side of your students' desks for a handy spot for them to hang their pencil bags. This is a helpful way to keep important supplies within easy reach, especially if your students' desks are filled with books or they don't have extra storage space.
What do you think of these DIY classroom organization ideas? Do you have your own tips for classroom organization to share with our teaching community? We want to hear from you! Please leave us your feedback in the comment section below.
Looking for more great resources to get your school year off to an amazing start? Visit the Super Teacher Worksheets Back to School Page for printable icebreaker activities, getting-to-know-you assignments, homework agendas, desk tags, and more!
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