Deep Dive: Setting Up Your Classroom

Fourth grade teacher Amy Spies arranges seats and materials to facilitate student learning. Amy describes how she considers the positions of her students' desks and their ability to view the front of the room when creating seating arrangements. At each group, Amy places a work station full of materials that students may need. Having materials readily available helps to cut down on transition time.

School as a Living Museum

Art teacher Jeff Robin shares how he has turned his school into a living museum by making student artwork public. Jeff has decorated the hallways, open spaces, and bathroom with student work. He explains how he uses symmetry, repetition, and surprise to guide his curation.

Tch Blog Posts on Setting Up Your Classroom

• Show Off Your Classroom Photo Contest
• Three Ideas for Setting up Your Classroom
• Coundown to Your First Year: Rounding up Supplies
• 10 Resources for Setting up Your Classroom

Additional Resources

• Tch’s “Organize Your Classroom” Pinterest board
• Scholastic’s Guide to Classroom Setup and Organization
• Scholastic’s Classroom Setup Tool
• The Science of Classroom Design