Your classroom organization ideas can begin now, even before the school year is over. Check out these classroom organization hacks for reducing your workload by incorporating these simple tricks to prepare your classroom for the coming year or the rest of the year.
Prioritize your classroom organization ideas
Walk around the classroom to see what needs organizing and make a list. Write your list on the board and think about what will need to happen to successfully organize the area or item. Then, during the last weeks of school (or when you deem necessary), let students know that you need their help. Most students really do like to help out.
I LOVE giving my students the opportunity to use their skills to better the classroom. At the end of the school year, I have my self-diagnosed obsessive-compulsive type students organize my supply cabinet. They are far more organized than me, and they make my job easier. Now I can see what I need to purchase for coming academic year. 
To the left you see my construction paper. I stand it up and use magazine holders or cardboard boxes as the structure for this favorite classroom organization trick. I much prefer this layout because the paper is easy to access and it stays organized by color.
Keep track of what you have and what you need
While students help with classroom organization, you can take inventory of the supplies you’ll need. I write this list on my whiteboard and take a picture. This will help me when I’m shopping for sales and when other teachers want to trade or share supplies. While some students may be helping with classroom organization, others may prefer not to do so. Here’s a great end of the year activity for other students to enjoy. It’s no prep and engaging.
Classroom organization helps you know where to spend your funds
When I know what I need for my classroom, one of the first things I do is look for sales. The months of July and August are great for sales on school supplies, My typical shopping stops include Staples, Target, Costco, Michael’s, Dollar Store, Rite-aid, and other Marts.
One of the most important classroom organization ideas
Your most important supplies, the ones worth investing a good portion of your classroom budget, include staplers, electric pencil sharpeners, and a hole punch. Check the ones you have to see how they’re working. Are they creating issues? Wasting time? If so, it’s probably time for more quality items.
I recommend Swingline staplers. They go for about $20.00. Electric pencil sharpeners are worth the money. Buy the more expensive brands because they’ll last a lot longer. These run about $45.00-$55.00 and are well worth the expense! A good hole punch will run you about $30.00. You’ll be able to punch holes into more papers at one time, and the blades and equipment won’t break down as quickly. Check out this detailed blog post on how to get big impact from your classroom purchases.
Quality student pencils & erasers will save money in the long run
The problem with cheap pencils is that they often they don’t sharpen, and kids will spend a lot of their time and focus on trying to make a dud work. The Mirado Black Warrior is my favorite pencil for my personal use (they run about $4.00 for 8), but they’re too expensive to purchase for students. Ticonderoga pencils are solid for student use. Avoid the cheaper pencils. They’re tempting, but I’m speaking from experience…NOT WORTH IT!
Good pencil top erasers are worth the investment. The cheap ones break off quickly and cost precious instruction/work time (and they can easily end up as projectiles). You’ll go through the cheap ones much faster than the higher quality pencil top erasers.
Students also love to sharpen pencils and can do this now for next year.
Kitchen supplies are a versatile classroom organization tool
Kitchen timers (Dollar Store) are essential in my classroom. I use them for transition time, think time, timed reading, center stations, and more. So worth the dollar, and the batteries are replaceable! 
Your classroom organization ideas should focus on what’s most used
Task Card Organization
I was frustrated with my task card organization this year. I had them in separate brown envelopes, but this was messy, confusing, and took up too much space, so I transferred them to smaller envelopes, like for letters and cards, labeled each on the top so as you look down on them you can see what’s inside the envelope. I found old plastic shoe boxes in my cabinets to use for storage.
This simple change has helped me reduce clutter and makes the task cards easy to locate. I also love using cardboard photo boxes for storage. This reduces plastic (which I’m trying not to buy), and they stack easily.
Students can help organize your task cards by sorting them and then putting them into envelopes. If you have a student who has neat writing, they can also label the envelopes.
Student Whiteboard Organization
Mini-whiteboards are an essential component for my classroom. I love my mini-whiteboard storage box. It’s a portable file box that I repurposed. I can fit enough boards for the entire class and a few extra. If I run out of whiteboards, I insert a piece of white paper into a plastic page cover. Presto! Instant whiteboard.
For mini-white board cleaners, and I use old towels from my house. I cut them to the size I need. These last a long time, and I’m repurposing. I also store my mini-whiteboard pens and rags in plastic bags that you get when you buy pillow cases and sheets. They are clear, they zip, and they easily store. See the photo. I LOVE repurposing these handy items. Students like checking pens to see if they still work. This is a perfect job for end of the year classroom organization.
All students can help implement your classroom organization ideas
Colored pencil storage has been a nemisis. This past year I saw a storage idea on Pinterest. I collected toilet paper rolls, found a container that was tall enough, and sorted the color pencils by color. Each roll is a separate color. For some reason, kids actually return the pencil to the right color roll! When I kept them in boxes, kids often threw the pencils back in the storage bin without returning them to the box first. UG! The cheap toilet paper roll system works! This is a GREAT activity for students, especially those who may get a bit too energetic and need some focused quiet time.
Put up bulletin board backgrounds before leaving for summer break
I discovered plastic table cloths and wrapping paper from the Dollar Store. I use the tablecloths/wrapping paper as bulletin board backgrounds. A couple of push pins, and presto! No cutting needed! I also used these to cover my dull, tan file cabinet and converted it into a colorful bulletin board space. Read this blog post on 10 Classroom Decorating Ideas that won’t break the bank! (AND there’s almost nothing that makes me happier than when I return from summer and my bulletin board paper is up!!)
Your classroom library is a great place to put students to work
Students can reorganize your books the way you want them. They can add pockets to the front inside cover for check out purposes (an envelope cut in half and taped on 3 sides makes a pocket). Minor book repair can be a student task.
Here’s a great end of the year classroom organization idea:
Send home a notice that you are looking for books for your classroom library. Your outgoing students may have books they are ready to donate, and many parents appreciate the opportunity to give back and clear out clutter. I’ve built my classroom library using just this strategy.
If you prioritize and use your time wisely, implementing your classroom organization ideas doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Don’t forget that many students love to help out.
You’ll thank yourself later that you devoted time now to classroom organization.
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