Packing up your classroom at the end of the year can seem like a daunting task. The pool is calling your name and summer break is chasing at your heels. You deserve a stress-free summer vacation!
So, how can you make starting back to school next year easier? Here are a few tips for packing up your classroom to make your life easier when August rolls around…
TIP # 1 Start Early
The last week of school is a busy time. You'll be finishing up assessments and writing report cards. You'll also want to spend those last days with your class having fun and making memories. The last thing you'll want is to be saddled with the entire packing up process after the students have left for the year. Get a jump on packing up your classroom by starting early. During your last month of school, take one small project and complete it each day.
TIP # 2 Set Up Your Furniture For Next Year
Decide where you want your furniture placed for next year and move it around now. Take photos of your classroom setup and print them out on your printer. Hang the photos of your new classroom layout on your board for your custodians to refer to when they are setting up your room this summer. You can avoid moving furniture and scratching your freshly polished floors in August. It's one less thing you'll have to do when you come back.
TIP #3 Change Your Bulletin Board Paper
As you're packing up your classroom, remove all your old bulletin board paper now and replace it with fresh paper and border. One of my favorite teacher hacks is to take your old paper down and use it to measure your new paper. This makes the process go much faster. Give your students the old paper and some markers. They'll love drawing on the giant paper and it will give you time to put up your new bulletin boards. Cover them with fabric, newspaper, or the old paper you took down so they don't fade over the summer.
If you do your calendar time on a bulletin board, get that set up before you leave for the summer. I moved to a digital calendar and love how easy it was to use! No more changing the calendar bulletin board each month.
TIP #4 Get Your Students Involved When Packing Up Your Classroom
Have your students help you clean shelves, bookcases, center materials, and books. Have students work in pairs on different tasks around the room. Show them how to remove items from the shelves and clean them with a Clorox wipe or baby wipe. Show students how to take all the books out of your library, wipe out the tubs and replace the books. Then set them to work cleaning and helping while packing up your classroom.
TIP #5 Clean File Cabinets
Are you a hoarder of all the papers? Don't feel bad. As teachers, it's in our nature to save. The end of the year is the perfect time to clean out your files to make room for new materials next year. Take a few files each day and throw away any papers you haven't used in a couple of years. Another great way to save space is to scan pages and save them on your computer.
Prepare a monthly file for the coming school year. Organize your materials into these files over the course of the year and you can add or delete as needed. Grab a free end of the year checklist to help you get started.
TIP #6 Organize Closets And Drawers
One of the most important classroom pack-up steps is to take a look at your closets and drawers. If everything falls out when you open the closet door, you know it's time to purge. If you haven't used something in your classroom in 2-3 years, it may be time to throw it in the circular file (otherwise known as the trash can). Can't bear to part with it? Box it up and label it with the contents and the date. Take it home to store in your basement or attic If another year goes by and you haven't opened the box, pitch it.
TIP # 7 Label Everything
Once you've purged those closets and drawers, it's time to label everything that's left. Clear plastic containers are your best friend for teacher organization. You can easily see the contents and it will make your closet so much neater. Make a nice label on the computer for each container and then organize your closets by subject area. Put all the math materials in one closet or shelf. Put all the phonics materials in another area. This makes it easy for you to find anything you need in a minute's notice. Plus, it's just pretty to look at.
TIP # 8 Pack A Back To School Box
Once your room is packed up, it will be hard to find things in August. When you're packing up your classroom create a box with the things you'll need first when you get back to school. Desk supplies like tape, scissors, a stapler, and your back-to-school checklist will be needed right away. Put the box in an easy-to-spot place in your classroom so you'll be ready to go in a snap.
TIP # 9 Clean Out Your Teacher Desk
Has your desk gotten to the point where it's starting to look like your junk drawer at home? Don't forget to clean out your teacher's desk when you're packing up your classroom. A great way to keep your desk neat and organized is with clear plastic storage containers like these. Throw away any old scraps of junk and give students back toys that you confiscated over the year. Wipe the drawers clean and reorganize. You'll thank yourself in August.
TIP # 10 Storage Bins Matter
At my school, we were required to pack up everything in our classroom. I found that using large plastic containers with lids made it so much easier to sort and label things into bins. Whether you're packing up your classroom to move or staying in the same room, you can stack them neatly in a corner. When you unpack them in August, save the bins for the next year.
TIP # 11 Personal Items Vs. School Items
As you're packing up your classroom, sort any personal items from school purchased supplies. Label your personal items or take them home with you. Oftentimes, different workers will be in and out of classrooms working over the summer. Make sure you have your name and room number on all of your furniture, boxes, and materials so nothing gets mixed up or lost over the summer.
TIP #12 Photograph Your Anchor Charts
As you're taking your anchor charts down from the walls, snap a photo of each one. Keep them in a file on your computer so you'll remember what they looked like next year. Instead of throwing your old anchor charts away, give them to students. I laid all my anchor charts out on my carpet and let each student come up and pick one to take home. They loved it!
TIP # 13 Trash, Donate, Keep
Have you heard the theory to make three piles when you're cleaning out at home? The same goes for school. If you want to organize your classroom effectively, make a pile of things you want to keep, things you want to donate, and stuff to throw away. Organize your “keep” items in cupboards, boxes, or drawers. Place a table outside of your classroom or in the teacher's lounge for donated items. Let other staff members take what they want. One teacher's junk is another teacher's treasure. Finally, throw away broken games, faded posters, piles of papers, and outdated materials.
TIP # 14 Ziplocks Are Your Friends
If you haven't done it yet, add ziplock bags to your school supply list. I had girls bring quart-size bags and boys brought gallon-size bags. You can use ziplocks to store math and literacy center materials, games, school supplies, and more.
TIP # 15 Don't Be A Squirrel
Have you heard of “shiny ball syndrome?” It's when you bounce from task to task like a squirrel, never completing anything. Make a plan for what you'll do each day as you pack your classroom. Grab free this end of the year checklist to help you focus, stay on task, and finish each task before beginning something new.
TIP #16 Take Inventory
Take inventory of your school supplies as you're cleaning out cupboards. What will you need to replenish for next year? Do you need more construction paper, glue, or paint? Add these items to your supply order forms for next year. Do you have games and other activities for math, phonics and spelling? Make a list of holes in your teaching materials and plan to look for items at garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores over the summer. Start shopping on Teachers Pay Teachers for no prep games and other activities that you can prep over the summer.
TIP # 17 Cover Your Shelves
Remove everything from your shelves and wipe them clean with a damp cloth or Clorox wipe. Clean the materials that you keep on the shelves too. If you're allowed to keep things on the shelves, cover them with plastic table covering or bulletin board paper. This will keep them clean over the summer and you can simply remove the paper in August.
TIP # 18 Pack A Summer Box
As you're packing things away, think about what you want to work on over the summer. Do you want to get your math and literacy centers organized for next year? Maybe you want to make monthly journals for your students while you're sitting on your back porch. Grab the things you'll need and pack a summer survival box.
TIP # 19 Prep Now For Meet The Teacher
Prep all of your meet the teacher materials before you leave for the summer. Make copies of parent forms, sign-up sheets, parent helper information, and your open house Powerpoint. You can eliminate back-to-school stress knowing your open house materials are prepped and ready to go.
TIP # 20 Prepare Your First Week Of School Lesson Plans
I know, I know the last thing you want to do is think about fall. But your August self will thank you for having your first week of school lesson plans written and prepped. Those first few weeks of school are stressful and super busy with classroom management. You'll be so happy to open your file cabinet and find everything you need at your fingertips.
You may not know how many students will be in your class, but chances are you have a general idea. Run your copies and prep any crafts you'll want to do that first week of school. So many unexpected things come up when school starts. You'll be one step ahead of the game and you can always run an extra copy or two if needed once school begins.
You'll be so happy when you return to school in the fall knowing that you're prepped and ready to go. When other teachers are scrambling around feeling stressed, you can sit back, sip your coffee and look forward to a great school year!
Ready to get started packing up for the end of the year? Grab this free checklist to help you focus, stay on track, and complete everything before leaving for summer vacation.
