Teach Middle East Magazine September 2014 Issue 1 Vol. 2 | Page 23

Sharing Good Practice

USEFUL TIPS FOR EFFECTIVELY
UTILISING YOUR CLASSROOM SPACE
By Angela Watson

B

lank walls and empty shelves
can feel daunting at the start
of the year, but it’s also a great
opportunity to be intentional
about the way you organise your
classroom. Here are five tips to help
you organise with purpose:

1. Be brutal in determining what to

keep and what to throw out. The
famous last words of a teacher are
“But I might need it one day!” Don’t
hoard supplies you can’t think of
any use for, or keep large items
“just in case.” Clear out the clutter
so you can more easily access your
everyday items.

2. Consider the function and placement

of each item. You don’t have to
use the exact same materials and
displays from year to year, so resist
the urge to set things up exactly
as they were the year prior. A
new year means a chance to try
something different! Ask yourself:
Will this item in this space support
student learning? If something is
irrelevant to your current unit of
study or students’ needs, toss it out
or pack it away. If you tend to over
decorate or overfill your room with

materials, consider taking down one
thing each time you add a new item.

and empty it each day before
heading home. You might also
want to have designated places
for; papers to grade (subdivided
into subject area or class period), a
“to do” file, a container with papers
to take down to the school office,
a slot for photocopies you need to
make, etc. The time you dedicate to
setting up such a system, will pay
off throughout the year, every time,
wh