Classroom Storage Ideas for Elementary Teachers

Below are lists of free and cheap classroom storage ideas. In addition, they is a list of classroom storage ideas that require more of an investment, but may be worth it.

8 Free and Upcycled Classroom Storage Ideas

Don’t be afraid to ask your students’ families, colleagues, friends, and family for donations of any of the items below. When upcycling everyday items, you’ll want to keep the following items on hand: spray paint, Mod Podge, decorative paper (e.g. wrapping paper and scrapbook paper), duct tape, Washi tape, and labels. Be sure to use a consistent color scheme (no more than 3-4 colors) to create a cohesive look in your classroom.

1. Target Boxes

I do love Target at any time of year, but the back-to-school section has a special place in my heart. While I glare at it with bitter eyes in early July because it is way too soon to be thinking about going back, my excitement increases as the summer progresses. In addition to those perfectly pointy Crayolas and gorgeous speckled composition books, there lies hidden treasures. Boxes! Not just any boxes, either: these are sturdy, colorful boxes that are designed to house notebooks and other related supplies. They are also perfect for organizing your classroom (especially the shelves). And they are FREE! I simply condense the straggling folders and notebooks into one box and ask really sweetly for the (now) empty ones. Put a label over the writing and you have some awesome new storage tools.

2. Copy Paper Boxes

The second classroom storage idea on the list is copy paper boxes. Copy paper boxes are easy to obtain, sturdy, and congruent (which makes them easy to stack). The downside is that in their natural state they are ugly and can add visual clutter to your classroom. A simple solution is to cover them in contact paper or fabric to make them not only uniform, but also allow them to match your classroom decor.

3. Shoe Boxes

Cover it in scrapbook or wrapping paper and use it to hold things like science experiment materials and math center games.

4. Baby Wipes Containers

Baby wipes come in a variety of different containers made of hard plastics. They can often be stacked and are good options for housing a variety of small manipulatives or art supplies.

5. Pringles Cans

The fifth classroom storage idea on the list is Pringles cans. Pringles cans are tall and also come with a lid which is great for games or holding things inside.

6. Crystal Lite Containers

These containers are perfect for holding smaller items. They are sturdy and have a lid. The label peels off extremely easily and you are then left with a clear container.

7. Stonyfield Yogurt Containers

Cover it in duct tape and Washi tape and use it to store smaller items in your classroom.

8. Progresso Bread Crumbs Containers

The last item on the list of free classroom storage ideas is Progresso Bread Crumbs containers. These sturdy containers are great for holding things like rulers and popsicle sticks.

5 Cheap Classroom Storage Ideas for Teachers

Below are 5 cheap classroom storage ideas for elementary teachers.

1. Ziploc Bags

Ziploc bags are outstanding for organizing within a container. I love them because they come in so many sizes and you can add labels or write directly on the bag.

2. Small Trash Bags

Small trash cans are perfect for storing pattern blocks, multilink cubes, and other math manipulatives that kids grab by the handful to use. They fit perfectly on storage shelves and the open top works well in this situation.

3. IKEA Magazine Holders

IKEA magazine holders work great for organizing photocopies. They are cheap (especially if you are able to snag the super frugal cardboard ones, like the ones sold at IKEA). They are open on top which makes it easy to add and remove papers. Also, they have a wee bit of expansion ability so you can stuff them if you have a week that is copy-heavy. The downside to this low-budget option is that they will wear down over time if used as-is. You can reinforce them with packing tape, but honestly the cost is so low it makes more sense to me to just replace them as needed. I would estimate their lifespan to be a couple years.

4. Dollar Store Containers

Dollar Store containers are great! Be cautious about mixing and matching too many sizes and colors. Using containers that are the same size, shape and color will present a much more organized appearance.

5. Containers from The Dollar Spot at Target

The Dollar Spot at Target offers so many different containers. It’s easy to find something that will be perfect for the space you are working with.

10 Investment Classroom Storage Ideas

Below are 10 classroom storage solutions that are more expensive, but may be worth it. You can decide!

1. Construction Paper Organizer

After YEARS of struggling with organizing, managing, and storing construction paper, I finally caved in and bought a sorter for that purpose. I’ve now owned my construction paper organizer for many years and am happy to report that it has far exceeded my expectations. It has not only solved an ongoing problem I had, but even after years of use, it continues to be sturdy and look like new. I’m always hesitant to purchase things made out of cardboard, but this item has been phenomenal.

2. Wooden Literature Sorter

Not only does a wooden literature sorter work great for student mailboxes, but also for unfinished work boxes.  I recommend assigning a number to each student, labeling each box with a number, and placing a list of student names and numbers next to the boxes so classmates and volunteers can help to put assignments in when needed.  I found that sliding different colored papers into each slot, as well as using different colors to label the boxes, provided helpful visual cueing. This made it easier for students to find the correct box quickly.  

3. Corrugated Literature Sorter

If you are looking for a cheaper version of the wooden literature sorter, check out this corrugated literature sorter. I have used a cardboard version, but found it did not withstand the amount of daily use that these boxes endure. I think it is worth the investment to get a sturdy wooden set.

4. 10 Drawer Cart

Although a bit pricier, my favorite way to store classroom items is in plastic drawers. They provide vertical storage and are easy to move around as needed. I’m especially fond of the drawers that slide out all the way. A 10 Drawer cart are really worth the initial investment.

5. 3 Tier Cart

We have all seen these carts all over social media, and for good reason! 3 tier carts are great! They are a fantastic tool to keep near your small group table so you can easily access everything you need quickly and easily for your small group instruction.

6. Stacking Trays

These stackable trays have grooves that hold them in place. These stacking trays will fit perfectly on top of your desk.

7. Small Containers for Centers

These small colorful containers are great for storing math and word study centers. Stick a label on them so you or your students can grab them and go.

8. Clear Storage bins

For larger items such as seasonal items and thematic units, you may wish to consider the bigger bins and tubs. It’s easy to see inside of the bins because they are clear. That’s why I also stick with clear storage bins for this purpose.

9. Tiny Containers

These tiny containers are great for storing dice for math and word study games. They effectively prevent dice from flying around the room during learning time.

10. Baskets

These colorful baskets are great for all kinds of centers (e.g. math and science).

We hope you found these classroom storage ideas helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:

• Classroom Paper Organization Ideas for Elementary Teachers
• Financial Tips for Teachers at any Stage of their Career
• 10 Tips for How to Save Money as an Elementary Teacher

The post Classroom Storage Ideas for Elementary Teachers in 2024 (that are FREE or Really Cheap) appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

3 Tips for Organizing Classroom Paperwork

1. Remain open-minded. Just because a system works for someone else, doesn’t mean it will necessarily work for you and vice versa.
2. Be flexible. You need to make willing to make changes if a system or container isn’t working for you. It’s all about trial and error. Trust me. I’ve tried just about everything. The good news is that I am finally in a place where I’m loving all the systems, procedures, routines, and containers I use in my classroom.
3. Stick to your system once you find one that works. At that point, you’ve worked so hard to find a system that works. Stick with it!

6 Systems for Organizing Classroom Paperwork

To get started I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of the many options out there for containing all those pesky papers. There are so many to choose from. Some are free and some are cheap. Some do require an investment. While I am all about saving money as a teacher, I do believe that some things are worth their weight in gold when it comes to simplifying our lives in the classroom and, therefore, I am an advocate for investing in a system that works well for you. That statement is important: “Works well for you.” There are literally hundreds of options out there, but no one thing is perfect for everyone. You really need to find something that best fits your specific needs.

1. Rolling Carts

Rolling carts are very popular tools for organizing classroom paperwork. The drawers are very easy to pull out, which makes accessing the materials inside of them a breeze. They come in a lot of different colors so you can decide which style goes best with your classroom decor theme.

2. Desktop Shelves

Desktop shelving is very popular. There are tons of options as you can see below. This tool for organizing classroom paperwork was not my favorite because my desk felt cluttered with them on it. There was no way of hiding the papers. I prefer a completely cleared off desk.

3. Literature Sorter

Literature sorters allow you to sort papers easily. If you have the space for the footprint, go for it! I have used a cardboard version, but found it did not withstand the amount of daily use that these boxes endure. It is worth the investment to get a sturdy wooden set. Assign a number to each student. Label each box with a number. Place a list of student names and numbers next to the boxes so classmates and volunteers can help to put assignments in when needed. I found that sliding different colored papers into each slot, as well as using different colors to label the boxes, provided helpful visual cueing. This made it easier to find the correct box quickly.

4. Expanding Files

Expanding files are a nice compact way to organize classroom paperwork. It also does a good job of keeping confidential and sensitive paperwork private. It’s also great for storing colored paper. The colored tabs allow for paper to be stored in an organized manner. Keeping it in a dark place will also help prevent fading.

5. Construction Paper Storage Unit

Large construction paper for art projects are so cumbersome. They are hard to store and quickly become disorganized when you need the color at the bottom of the pile. That’s why I think every teacher needs a construction paper storage unit.

After YEARS of struggling with organizing, managing, and storing construction paper, I finally caved in and bought a sorter for that purpose. I was pretty giddy about it at the time. I’ve now owned it for many years and I am happy to report that it has far exceeded my expectations. It has not only solved an ongoing problem I had, but even after years of use, it continues to be sturdy and looks like new. I’m always hesitant to purchase things made out of cardboard, but this item has been phenomenal.

The purchase came after years of experimenting with a variety of options and not loving any of them. I highly suggest you get one of these classroom construction paper storage systems. The quality is excellent for the price and it has really served its purpose of neatly storing all of my large papers in a manner that keeps them looking great and it is always easy to access exactly what I need. I’m not even going to suggest any other method of storing large papers because I tried too many to count and they all failed miserably. Trust me on this one.

6. Hanging Pocket Charts

The final tool for organizing classroom paperwork on this list is hanging pocket charts. I am a fan of vertical storage. It is a big space saver. Ones with lots of pockets and strong magnets like the one below are popular among elementary teachers.

In closing, we hope you found this post about organizing classroom paperwork helpful! If you did, then you may be interested in my Classroom Organization Guide. Check it out to learn more!

You may also be interested in these posts about classroom organization:

• Classroom Paper Organization Ideas for Elementary Teachers
• How to Organize the Paperwork for Your Teacher Evaluation Binder
• How to Declutter Your Classroom (and Keep It That Way)

The post Organizing Classroom Paperwork Tips and Tools for Elementary Teachers in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.

The organization piece is especially important. It’s a safety issue when things are haphazardly stacked or blocking walkways. We know it is important to have an organized classroom. We also understand that we have small classrooms with limited storage space. The list of small classroom organization ideas below will help you maximize your space in your classroom so you can create a space that is functional, tidy, and organized.

10 Small Classroom Organization Ideas

Below are 10 organization ideas for small classrooms.

1. Utilize the Storage Space in Your Students’ Desks

The first on the list of small classroom organization ideas is to use the storage space in students’ desks. I currently use tables instead of desks in my classroom, but I treated my desks as tables before I was able to obtain enough tables for all the students and phase out the desks. I did not have the students keep their personal belongings inside. This allowed me to use the desks for additional storage.

2. Create Storage Space In Between Students’ Desks

Kids are not naturally organized. They need someone to teach them organizational strategies. There are more and more children who are presenting with executive function struggles and ADHD (which poses challenges in organizing time and materials). The person to help these students is YOU!

You may be thinking, “My job is to teach students how to read and develop a strong number sense, not all of these additional responsibilities that are being thrusted on me”. However, when a student can’t find or easily access what they need for a lesson, they become off-task and distracted, or may even exhibit behaviors that affect the class as a whole. This directly impacts your ability to teach your students the content they need. More and more teachers are using flexible seating to meet the needs of their students, but a problem that many teachers face is how to store student supplies in the classroom.

Here is an example of how a teacher placed one of those plastic shelving units between the desks to store student supplies on. She also has chair pockets. As a desk-loather, I’m all for not using the desks as desks. This would be a great option for using them as “tables.”

3. Utilize the Space Underneath Your Tables

The third on the list of small classroom organization ideas is to use the space underneath tables. Adding plastic drawers or neat looking storage boxes under tables and desks maximizes storage room without taking up any additional floor space in the classroom since the table has already created a footprint. Adding a skirt or tablecloth to a table that students don’t sit at will allow you to store tubs and boxes underneath and out of site.

4. Utilize Storage Underneath Your Student Seating

Since you need places for your students to sit anyway you might want to consider creating seats that do double duty. Above are some storage crate seats made from plywood and plastic crates. Be sure to use quality crates or they will crack and bend.

Below are some bench seats. They were made by turning Ikea’s Expedits on their side. We have several of these at our house and they are a strong, quality piece of furniture. Wooden shelves are available at craft stores and unfinished wood stores would be a cheaper option. As an added bonus, you could paint them to match your classroom. These would make great benches at a rectangle small group teaching table or as seating in your whole group lesson area.

5. Add Storage on Top of Surfaces

The fifth on the list of small classroom organization ideas is to add storage on top of surfaces. Use cheap wooden shelves that are marketed for shoe storage. Add them to tabletops to create additional supply storage. Most big box stores offer them.

6. Take Advantage of Vertical Space

Always take advantage of your vertical space. Stacking boxes and wall-mounted shoe pockets are great ways to use space that would otherwise be wasted. Also, think about over the door and small mounted shelves for the backs of closets and cupboard doors.

7. Store Items Away You Do Not Currently Need to Access

The seventh on the list of small classroom organization ideas is to store away items you don’t need to access right now. Take advantage of deep shelving by placing storage containers filled with infrequently used items or seasonal books behind objects you use more often. 

Seasonal Items

1. You only need to access seasonal and holiday items once annually.  Therefore if you have a storage area that is harder to get to than other it would make sense to use it for these types of items. Alternatively, if you are fortunate enough to have a lot of storage space at home, you may want to consider keeping these items there in easy to stack and carry tubs when they are not needed at school.
2. Seasonal items tend to be varied in size. It is useful to use copy paper boxes or larger plastic bins to store these items. 
3. Always use containers with lids. Since you are not accessing them frequently you want to keep dust out.
4. Consider storing all related items, including books, posters, borders, etc. together in one container.
5. Posters and charts that are displayed on a wall or bulletin board can be rolled for storage. They will lie flat when stapled to the wall.
6. Depending on how much you have to store, you may find it saves space to combine several holidays into one container.
7. Use containers within the container. Keeping bulletin board trim, letters, fabric and accents in a Ziploc bag within the larger box will keep things neater and easier to access.
8. Drawers are handy for storing seasonal and holiday items. However, they are not easy to move around. Also, they take up floor space. If you are considering changing schools or moving classrooms, then I suggest picking a different type of container because, although these may fit your current space, they may not be suitable for a future space.
9. As a general rule, I try to limit items that are considered to be seasonal and get more bang for my buck by sticking to content areas when it comes to bulletin boards and displays. 
10. When I do a holiday-themed bulletin board, I will often forgo the overly thematic borders for a border that complements the theme but can be reused. For example, in place of a gingerbread man trim, I may opt for a red and white border that can also be used with a pink background for Valentine’s Day and then a blue background to display President’s Day writing.

Thematic Units

Thematic units are a lot of fun and are a great way to engage your students and motivate them to really explore a subject. They often come with an abundance of objects, especially odd-shaped objects that are not easy to store. These storage challenges can lead to you feeling stressed and wasting time looking for the resources related to the unit you are working on. Does this sound familiar? If so, don’t worry! Below are 5 storage solutions for thematic units.

1. Start by asking yourself what things you really need. Take a critical look at what you have and decide if you can part with some of the thematic units you’ve collected. If you don’t think you’ll be using some, then be sure to pass them on to someone who could use them and gift yourself some added space in the classroom.
2. Inventory the items that you are storing and keep that list accessible on your computer. It will be helpful to know what materials and resources you already have as you plan to teach the unit in future years.
3. You may want to consider a photo inventory as well. This makes it easy to see at a glance and serves as a reminder of what things look like if you are looking to add borders and other decorative details in the future.
4. Binders are great for organization, but if you have some time or someone willing to help, you could scan your materials and save them to your computer for easier access instead.
5. Team up with a colleague to house materials. It may be more space-efficient if you keep all of the solar system-themed materials in your classroom while she stores your penguin materials with hers. This works especially well if you collaboratively plan and share resources.

Overstock Supplies

Determine which supplies you actually need to have at your fingertips. Those are the ones you use throughout the day every single day. Some examples are pens, pencils, markers, clear tape, staples, a stapler, sticky notes, correction fluid, paper clips, and binder clips. We need to store them in a manner that will allow you to quickly and easily access them. Unless I am using my teacher computer, I’m typically not at my desk. Even when the kids aren’t in the classroom, I prefer to work at a table. Therefore, I found it very helpful to create a portable supply caddy that houses all of those items I use on a regular basis. I like being able to move it around the room with me or even take it up to the copy room if I’m working there.

Overstock supplies, on the other hand, do not need to be stored in a place where you and your students can access them easily. Below are some suggestions to consider.

• Transform plastic drawers designed for sorting small hardware into an office supply station. You can get all kinds of fancy with spray paint, Washi tape, scrapbook paper and labels or you can simply purchase a set of drawers and use them as is. They are a great way to store all of those little supplies like brads, tacks, clips, and more.
• Use small containers to house extra supplies and store them in a deeper desk drawer or a larger bin out of sight.
• “Upcycling” containers that are the same size and shape create a much more organized appearance than storing all the supplies in their original packaging. It also allows you to merge several packages together. Some containers work really well for this purpose (Crystal Lite, baby food, baby wipes, etc.).
• You could invest in rolling carts or storage units.
• You could also purchase small baskets, food storage containers, pencil boxes, photo storage boxes, and plastic shoe boxes.

8. Reduce Visual Clutter

The eighth on the list of small classroom organization ideas is to reduce visual clutter. I have some wall-mounted shelves in my classroom. I adore the storage. I loathe the visual clutter potential. I do have the items fairly self-contained and organized into smaller containers and boxes, but it still can be distracting to me… um, I mean the students. So I cover it. Which is a win-win! Below is a before and after photo of the open shelving.

Covering the shelves not only reduced the visual clutter and distraction to students, but also provided  a place to display math reference charts, a number line and more.  In years past, I covered it with butcher paper and made a timeline. I put a paper for each month and would add pictures of the things we did together. The downside to this was that it wasn’t too simple to lift and access the materials underneath.  

So this year I use black poster board and I now have small panels that lift easily. I attached them by simply creating “hinges” out of tape. At the bottom, I added a number line. I took the number line I already had and cut it down to fit each board. I used a yardstick to help make it straight. To make it fancy, I hot glued ribbon along the top of the number line, then finished it off by covering the tape at the top with more hot glued ribbon.

9. Create a System for Organizing Donations

If you receive donated tissues, paper towels, wipes, baggies, etc. from the families of your students then you probably find yourself in a situation where you need to find ways to store them in your classroom. My biggest issue with these items is the visual clutter they cause if they are not hidden out of sight. The boxes tend to be brightly colored with varied patterns and lettering. Therefore, it will create a much calmer learning environment if you don’t just stick these packages up on a shelf. Read below for some ways to conceal them.

• Cover copy paper boxes with gift wrap, fabric or contact paper that coordinates with your classroom. Use these to store the donated items together. 
• Do you have deep shelves? I have one set that is deep enough that I can store some of the donated supplies. I store things like soaps, hand sanitizers, and wipes behind baskets that hold the kids art supplies. They are easy to get to when needed, but completely out of sight otherwise.
• In my school, the students have lockers in the hallway to store their coats, backpacks and other personal belongings. I have more lockers than students, so I use some extra lockers to hold boxes of tissues and paper towels.
• Remove baggies from the boxes. I divided a copy paper box into three sections. Then, I emptied all of the individual boxes of bags into one of the three categories (snack, sandwich and gallon). I was able to condense over 30 small boxes of bags into one copy paper box. 
• Don’t ask for all the donations at once. In the past, we had included all of the items we needed onto the school supply list. On the first day of school, we were bombarded with donations. This year, my teaching partner and I realized that we still had enough supplies to get the year started. We didn’t include these donations on the original supply list. Instead, we set up a “Sign Up Genius” asking for a few of the things we started to run low on. We included things like wipes, tissues and paper towels. We had them replenished within days. I’m very optimistic that doing this will make the supplies so much more manageable.

10. Invest in Organization Tools

The last on the list of small classroom organization ideas is to invest in organization tools. For example, large construction paper for art projects is so cumbersome. They are hard to store and quickly become disorganized when you need the color at the bottom of the pile. How can we organize these 12 x 18 sheets of construction paper? I have the solution: an oversized paper sorter! Check out below to learn more.

At a cost of $27.50, I have found the purchase to be well worth the money. Mainly because the big sheets of paper, and their lack of a proper home in my classroom, annoyed me for so long, but also because it has proven to be a quality product (despite being made out of cardboard).

I ordered the product on a Thursday and it was waiting for me when I walked into my classroom the following Monday (via free shipping). I assumed it would be a hassle to assemble, but it went together easily in under 8 minutes. A few folds and a couple slides later it was done. It required nothing more. No tools. No adhesives. No cutting. Nothing! It was so quick and easy.

It felt so sturdy! I’ve used it for a few months now. I am so happy with my purchase! As an added bonus, the entire unit slid onto a shelf in my closet so it is out of sight.

We hope you found this post about small classroom organization ideas helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in my classroom organization guide, classroom organizing workshop, or these posts:

• How to Declutter Your Elementary Classroom
• Classroom Paper Organization Ideas for Elementary Teachers
• How Being Organized Positively Impacts Your Students

The post Small Classroom Organization Ideas: How to Maximize Your Space in 2024 appeared first on Clutter-Free Classroom | by Jodi Durgin.