If you’ve ever tried to manage a room full of excited six-year-olds, you know that organization in a first grade classroom is everything. From morning routines to materials management, having an organized classroom helps your day run more smoothly—and keeps you sane.
After years of trial, error, and building up my classroom through purchases and DonorsChoose grants, I’ve figured out what actually works for organizing a primary classroom. Here are some of my go-to tips and resources that will help you create a space that’s functional, kid-friendly, and easy to maintain all year long.
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I label EVERYTHING! This not only helps my students and myself find things, it also creates a print rich environment. To read more about creating a print rich environment, click HERE. Links will be below each image.
- Environmental Print Labels
- Teacher Toolbox Labels on a Teacher Toolbox
- Library Labels
- Lunch Menu Label (FREE)
- Shoebox Labels or Pastel Shoebox Sized Labels
- Blog Post on Creating a Print Rich Environment
I switched my classroom over to pastels for the 2025 school year. Here are some of the labels I used.
Besides labeling, I always think about student access to materials. The less they need me to get something for them, the more time I can focus on teaching.
Things to think about organizing:
- Crayons – Mine are in a feed tray and organized by color. So easy for students to grab a color.
- Chrome books – I use large bins to store mine. These are sold out but you can use any large rectangular bin to store them in.
- Use any small bin to hold water bottles so that they don’t roll all over. I found my bins at Dollar Tree. Grab the label for free HERE.
- Place mini garbage pails in an easy to access area for students to grab and use!
SAVE your junk mail envelopes for student use. No more mystery money!
- Envelopes Label shown and pastel label (not shown)
Recess bins keep toys organized!
- Free Recess Rotation Sheet
- Bin Labels Shown and Pastel Bin Labels (not shown)
- Bathroom Pass Labels and Hand-sanitizer
- Pencil Caddy and Pencil Labels (Shown) or Pastel (Not Shown)
- Trays
- Plan Book & Center Planing Sheet
- Phonics Blog Post with Sample Center Planning Sheet
Keep premade reminder notes in an easy to access location. You can grab mine HERE.
Having your plans done and on your desk helps to keep you on track and organized. My plans are created digitally and then printed. I can edit them from anywhere because they are Google based.
- Plan Book Template
- Plan Book Blog Post – Find out what I include inside my plan book.
- Lay-Flat Binder
I hope this post gave you some inspiration for classroom organization!
