Hi, my name is Kayla and I'm an organization addict. (Is that a thing? If so - I definitely am one).

My favorite part of getting ready for back to school is getting my classroom organized. I have been complimented many times on how organized my classroom is, and that's something I take great pride in!

If you're getting ready to head back to school and get your classroom ready for the new year, here are a few organization tips to help you start off the year on a great note! 

I'm not a big fan of spending a ton of money on fancy classroom decor, but I'm ALL for spending money when it comes to classroom storage. It's not about aesthetic - it's about efficiency. Having a place for everything (and knowing where that place is) will save you so much time as a teacher. Definitely invest in some great storage for your classroom. Make sure everything has a place and if it doesn't, create one!

That said, I'm also a huge fan of saving money. Click here for tips on organization on a budget. You can also read about all my favorite teacher storage solutions here.

Once you have everything neatly organized into bins and drawers, get to labeling! This will help ensure that you can easily find everything you're looking for. If your students will also be accessing materials, you might consider adding a picture to the labels as well to ensure that everything ends up back in the correct spot.

You can make your own labels or download some on TpT. I have the blue and green labels picture above available for free in my store. Click here to download them.

If there's one thing teachers do not need more of, it's paper. Between papers to grade, handouts, assignment copies, student data, and other paperwork - it's everywhere! Make sure you have a system for all the papers floating around your room so you always know where to find everything.

I recommend using a binder to keep up with current student data, and a filing system for past student data (such as cumulative folders). Some kind of mailbox system is helpful for organizing papers to return or hand out. I also use hanging file organizers to sort all my copies for the week. These are all just suggestions - come up with systems that work well for you!

Click here to read more about how to handle paper clutter in the classroom.

Color coding certain aspects of your classroom can be incredibly helpful. If you're departmentalized, choose a color for each class you'll have to help keep papers and materials organized between sections. If you're self-contained, color coding can still be beneficial! You can color code community supplies by table so that everything gets returned to the correct spot. Or, color code between subjects to help keep materials for each subject organized and easily identifiable.

Getting organized is great, but staying organized - especially in a room that is used by children all day - is a totally different game! In order to make sure everything stays organized all year long, take about 5 minutes at the end of each day to quickly refresh your classroom. 

Did papers pile up on your desk throughout the course of the day? Sort through them real quick. Did some books get put back in the wrong place? Fix it. Doing this every single day is the key - otherwise, it will pile up over time and take a lot longer to get things back in order.

I hope these tips have been helpful to you as you head back into your classroom soon! If you have any organization tips, I'd love to hear them in the comments!