If you’re a special educator, you know classroom organization is ESSENTIAL before you lose your data sheets and can’t find a signed document. Here’s my 5 favorite organizational tools that can help keep any teacher organized.
1.) Paper organizer
I have used these for their original purpose, to organize paper by color (great way to keep Astrobrights or construction paper organized!), and I have used it as classroom mailboxes! Add a little tab off the side of each section with a student name, and you have an easy solution for passing out papers and organizing student folders. Easily fits on a table top!
2.) Teacher toolbox
I absolutely LOVE these toolboxes and truly couldn’t live without mine. When I switched to the desk-less life, my days of drawer organizers for my endless collection of office supplies were gone. These drawers are perfect for push-pins, paper clips, binder clips, staples, and the rest of the supplies you need. When I taught in a low-incidence setting, I also had a toolbox for our picture icons! It was perfect for storing our schedule icons so if one was lying on the floor, all the adults knew the right place to put it.
3.) 3-Tiered Cart
Cabinet and counter space is always at a minimum in our classrooms – I loved putting my necessities (timers, pens, pencils, crayons, dry erase markers, dry erase boards, reinforcers, pointers, communication supports, etc) on a cart and being able to literally roll it around the classroom with me. Game changer!
4.) Hanging pocket chart
So I know you feel me on the chaos that is paperwork… because… special ed. I assigned each student a color, purchased a file folder in said color, and kept all of my most used documents for that student (data sheets, family communication info, etc.) in these folders. Classroom organization right at my finger tips, always.
5.) Hanging file bin
I. HATE. FILE CABINETS. They are enormous. And heavy. And end up full of paper I don’t use. I love that these bins hold hanging file folders. All of the paperwork that I NEEDED (like printed copies of old IEPs, waivers, etc) that I didn’t keep in the hanging pocket chart, went here. Then I could store this one single bin on a shelf, instead of having an enormous file cabinet. I often had one or two of these to also keep extra worksheets and seasonal items that fit into hanging files.
What are your must-haves for classroom organization?
