Consider where outlets and computer drops are located. Always keep safety in mind. Avoid having cords block paths.

Think about windows and lighting and how that will effect students. You do not want a glare to shine in children's eyes or on computer monitors.

Consider your class size and plan a meeting area accordingly.

Keep it simple to start. It is important for the items on your walls to have meaning and not be purely decorative. Therefore most things should be added with the children present. It's perfectly acceptable (and in fact more beneficial) to just cover your boards in bright colors with nice borders and hang the following:
" an alphabet strip
" a calendar
" a welcome board
" an about me board (with the focus being you to start.

Make it Pretty:

Select colors that compliment each other.

Add borders to white boards and around pocket charts to dress them up.

Have a plan. It is extremely important to have well thought out areas in the classroom designed with a purpose in mind. Start by making a list of all of the areas you will need.

Save your back. Before you go in and start pushing furniture around take some time to assess. Start off by drawing out a map of the room. First, draw each wall on it's own. Be sure to include boards, outlets, computer drops, cupboards, etc. Next, sketch a quick "aerial view" and include doors, carpeted areas, tile, windows, etc. After that, snap some pictures of the space. Try to get some good details such as built in shelves, vents, etc. Jot down a quick inventory of what is included in the room (desks, easels, tables, etc.). Then go home. Review the list of areas you created and assess your needs. Examine your pictures, maps and lists. Really think about how you can best use what you have and the space you were given. Ask others to look at your ideas and see what they can suggest. If other teachers already have their rooms set up take a peak. After you have a clear "idea" about how you want your room set up THEN tackle the actual moving of furniture. Be open-minded and safety conscious.

Use Lakeshore's room designer: http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/home/home.jsp

Define areas. Use colorful rugs, furniture and chart stands to help create distinct sections.

Decide what you want the children to be able to access. Select locations and containers that are appropriate.

Keep safety in mind. Be sure you can see children in all nooks and crannies. Position your desk and small group area (or any place else you may spend time not directly instructing the whole-class) in a way that it overlooks the entire classroom (think like a lifeguard). Do not stack things too high. Avoid extension cords or anything else that can be tripped on. Secure loose carpets with tape.

Ask about school/district mandates. Are there things that need to be posted (fire drill routes, state frameworks, etc.)? Are there things that can't be posted (holidays, birthdays, personal info such as student's last names or photos)? Are there building codes to take into account? Some schools allow you to bring in furniture and hang things from the ceilings while others will not allow you to cover more than 20% of your wall space because of fire hazard.

Start with a blank slate. It is very tempting to cover your walls in a visually pleasing and stimulating way (especially if you are new to teaching and super-excited to even have a classroom), but it is a waste of time and materials and does a disservice to the children. They will take for granted the stuff on the wall and probably not even notice it. Instead, section off your word wall, hang colorful fabric and borders…and wait. Wait for the children, that is.

Nothing should be displayed until it has been a part of a mini-lesson. Everything should have a purpose and be properly introduced to the children prior to gracing your walls. Kids will refer to a chart on punctuation if it has been introduced during Writer's Workshop. However, if you hang a pretty, colorful version of it on the wall three weeks before school starts, chances are it will never be looked at. .

Try to find multi-functional areas. The bottom of an overhead cart can also house a listening center. The front of your desk could become a word study area using magnetic letters. The group meeting area is also great for spreading out to play games.

Do a 'walk-through.' Walk around to make sure there is enough space in specific areas. Sit at the student desks. View things the way the students will. Write on the board, shine the overhead and see how it looks from all angles.

Once your room is set up to your liking, take photos from all angles and store them safely in the classroom. Cleaning crews often move stuff around when it comes time for deep cleanings (shampooing rugs, waxing floors). There is nothing like returning to school from a relaxing vacation only to find everything in a heap. Having the photos will make for a quick and easy remodel.

The meeting area is the hub of the classroom. It is where everyone comes together as a community to learn, share and celebrate. Since a meeting area will consume a large fraction of the square footage of your classroom it is important that it is multi-functional and an effective use of space.

Choose an area that is safe and free from distraction. Children should not be facing a doorway into the hall or window.

Children should have a clear view of the board or easel and the teacher chair. Because this is a community area, they should also be able to see each other as their peers share.

Avoid rushing, pushing and arguments by assigning seats in the group area. When assigning seats keep a few things in mind:
1 Combinations of children who would do best if separated.
2 Students who may need to leave during a group session should be seated on the outskirts.
3 Children who require frequent prompts to remain focused should be closest to you.

Consider using a stadium seating approach to help children see and remain focused on your books and lessons. This can easily be achieved by having floor sitters and chair/bench sitters.

Define personal spaces by using carpet squares, tape, pillows or chairs.

If your school and local fire codes allow it, you can make the area feel more personal by including a couch, pillows, rug, lamps, etc.

Have your seating area serve double duty by including benches that provide storage. You can purchase sturdy wooden shelves and turn them on their sides to create a bench with compartments underneath. This is a great option as it also provides a work surface for kids sitting on the floor during other points in the day.

If possible, replace all of the desks with tables. If you can not go desk-free then simply treat the desks as if they ARE tables. Children need to be taught organizational skills and should not be expected to keep their supplies neat and tidy in a desk until they are developmentally ready to do so. Using tables provides a sense of community, a more controlled, organized environment and is conducive to teaching children organizational skills.

Think about different needs and learning styles. Have a variety of options for students. Try to include: group seating, partner seating and some quieter spots for those who sometimes need to work alone. Have clipboards and comfortable floor option available. Reserve some counter space for children who work well standing up.

STUDENT DESKS
Think about the difference in how you feel when working at an organized desk vs a cluttered desk. If you must use desks then there are steps you can take to help keep them more organized.

Display a diagram of how you expect the desk to look. Refer to it as needed.

Provide each student with a plastic shoe box or sturdy pencil case to house all of the little trinkets that may need to live in the desk (pencil, eraser, calculator, etc.)

Be conservative on what you will allow them to have in their desk.

Each student should have a folder or folders for loose papers.

Remove as many items as possible and find a different option within the classroom for storing workbooks or texts.

Monitor the status of the students' desks often and consider implementing rewards or consequences to align with your expectations.

Desks that open in the front often get cluttered in the back. Insert 2 boxes from a 24 pack of soda into each desk. These will serve as drawers that can be pulled out.

CLIPBOARDS:
Having a class set of clipboards available will provide a great deal of flexibility and meet that varied needs of students. They can be stored upright in a milk crate or hung along a wall using small nails. They are great for working in small groups on the floor or for moving through stations and centers.

Try to make the boards you have interactive so that they are not just decorative. Some ideas include behavior management, question of the day/week, writer's workshop, calendar math, word wall, book recommendations or focus walls.

Rent out your real estate. Reserve a special space for each child to display works of choice. Section off a board so that each child has his or her own space. Hang a colorful piece of paper and label it with his or her name. Slide a paperclip over the top of the paper. The students can easily swap out work for display by sliding it under the paperclip. Another simple idea is to hang a gallon-sized Ziploc bag for each child. The children can easily slip their work in and out of the bag.

If you have a hallway bulletin board then let that be your showcase. Be as creative and seasonal as you wish. This will allow you to display student work that can be appreciated by others.

Use fabric instead of paper on your bulletin boards. It resists fading and lasts forever. Solid colors provide a bright, clean background. Patterns, though cute and thematic, can be visually distracting and take away from what is hanging on the boards. Walmart has great prices on fabrics and many colors to choose from. Twin sized bed sheets are also a good option.

If your school allows it, you can paint your bulletin boards and only need to change out borders. Home Depot, Lowe's and local hardware stores will often donate paint to teachers.

Store your extra borders rolled up. You'll be stapling them up anyway so they will lay flat. Products designed for border storage tend to be bulky. Before you roll it, make note of about how many feet you have or if you used it on a specific board make note of that too. Once rolled, secure with a rubber band and slide your measurement note under the band. You'll easily know in the future if you have enough for another project.

If you have a board that you will change frequently over the course of a school year, do all of the hard work up front. This especially works well if it is a seasonal board. Start with your last board for the year and layer the paper by working backwards. For example you may put up a bright yellow for May/June, green for March, red for Valentine's Day, blue for Winter, green for Christmas, brown for Thanksgiving, orange for Halloween and red for Back to School. With the help of a friend, use a couple of pushpins to hold the paper in place. After you have three or four papers hung, run a razor or scissors down the side to cut to fit. Place the additional colors on top and do the same thing. Once all of your colors are up and sized, staple firmly around the edges and remove the pushpins. Now all you will need to do is pull off your top layer when you want to change your boards. The added benefit to this is that if you are using school-supplied paper you have finished the job while supplies are still in stock.

Save money by creating your own interesting borders. Keep in mind though, time IS money. Decide if it is worth the hassle. One fast, easy and beneficial idea it to use sentence strips as border. Write vocabulary pertaining to the board or subject area on the strips.

Think outside the box. Vines of colorful fake foliage or artificial flowers(easily found at dollar stores), holiday lights or garland and photos of your students make fun and cheap alternatives to borders.

BULLETIN BOARD BACKGROUND IDEAS

BULLETIN BOARD IDEAS

1 Writing: include info on 6 traits, story starters, etc.
2 Current Events: newspaper/magazine clippings, a white board for students to write about news in their life.
3 Schedule
4 Calendar
5 Time line
6 Reading