Keeping things decorated and organized in an intensive support classroom can be challenging! It’s not uncommon to find that at the end of the day, it looks your classroom has exploded… (and not just in this classroom setting, let’s be honest!).
Thankfully, there are some tips and tricks to organize an intensive support classroom so that you don’t have to redecorate every single afternoon. Here’s how!
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Organize an Intensive Support Classroom Like a Pro
Lock It Up
Students love to explore! Unlocked cabinets, bins, closets, and tubs are sometimes all fair game. While you may not have an issue with students looking through or taking out materials when it’s time, there can be instances when those materials need to stay safely tucked away. Invest in containers with locks that prevent students from opening them when it’s not time. Not only will your things stay safe and organized, but it also helps set a healthy boundary as to what is and what is not accessible at all times. If you don’t have locking containers, consider using magnetic locks that can offer the same protection!
Laminate, Laminate, Laminate
In any classroom, laminated materials are a must, but it is even more so in an intensive support classroom. Laminating your posters and other paper materials helps keep them clean, tear-free, and reusable for the whole year. If your school does not have a laminator, get a personal one for home use or visit a school or office supply store in your area that offers laminating services. It’s worth the investment!
Use the High Spaces
Make use of those high spaces in your classroom! Above the whiteboard, high on wall cabinets, or around the top of the room are all great places to hang those posters and visual aides that your students need to access. Always be mindful of your fire marshall’s regulations, but the higher up you can place items that might be pulled down, the less often you will need to rehang them.
Hook and Loop Adhesives are Your New BFF
You may already use and love hook and loop adhesives on your learning materials, but they are perfect for decorating and organizing an intensive support classroom. Use it instead of staples or tape on your bulletin boards, posters, and hanging visuals. If those things get pulled down, it’s quick and easy to hang them right back up. Not only does it make it easier to hang the items, but it reduces the stress on the laminated materials so that there is less overall damage to your decorations.
Divide and Conquer
The saying “out of sight, out of mind” works for just about everyone and when you want to organize an intensive support classroom, it is a great way to keep students focused on the things you want them to interact with. Use room dividers to section off areas of your classroom that are off-limits for the day or lesson. Not only will students focus on the things that you want them to pay attention to, but they are less likely to enter the space that is sectioned off. It helps you organize an intensive support classroom too because dividers allow you to focus on certain areas and organize the space accordingly. It’s a win-win!
While it may be impossible to prevent all classroom chaos at the end of the day, by limiting the visual clutter and making materials more durable and easy to re-hang, you can keep and organize an intensive support classroom like a pro!
