The One-Day Classroom Makeover

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Kindergarten teacher Heather Thrash has a brand-new classroom. But like most of us, she doesn’t have a lot of time or money to create the exciting learning environment she wants. Classroom design expert to the rescue! I work with teachers nationwide turning classrooms into effective learning spaces. We begin by mapping out Heather’s classroom step by step, thinking about the best place for whole-group learning and various centers. Surprisingly, we place the desks last. Read on to discover more secrets of classroom design. 

The classroom library is the first area children see upon entering. We place pillows in a built-in cabinet and position two bookshelves at an angle beside an open-faced book rack to create a cozy reading nook. Labeled baskets will contain books Heather reads in the first weeks of school. Stuffed animals and silk plants add ambience. 

 

The brightly colored math bulletin board includes a dry-erase calendar hung low so students can interact with it. A simple number line from 0 to 10 is also stapled where children can reach it. We don’t post a hundreds chart yet—Heather will add it when she is ready to introduce bigger numbers to her kindergartners.  

The housekeeping and block centers help to develop oral language, social skills, and creativity. There are just a few dolls, pots, and pans in housekeeping at the beginning. Too many materials create chaos. Children are more likely to use their own imaginations with the simple setups.

A small group area will be used for reading, math, and writing workshops. All materials Heather needs are in labeled, clear-plastic stacking drawers behind the table. This area also does double-duty as a teacher desk, so the one and only file cabinet is placed to the left of the table. Sitting in her chair, Heather can now keep an eye on every space in the classroom.

This built-in cabinet holds language arts materials in labeled containers. We repurpose magazine boxes to hold picture books by topic. A moveable student cubby unit is placed just to the left. Children keep their personal materials in their cubbies. Coats hang on hooks in the hallway outside the classroom to save valuable instructional space.

A small group area will be used for reading, math, and writing workshops. All materials Heather needs are in labeled, clear-plastic stacking drawers behind the table. This area also does double-duty as a teacher desk, so the one and only file cabinet is placed to the left of the table. Sitting in her chair, Heather can now keep an eye on every space in the classroom.

In the math and science corner, a storage unit holds math games in containers with handles for easy transport. Math manipulatives are stored on the red shelves, and science materials will be added to the blue shelves as Heather uses them. Blank boards have signs that read “Under Construction. Kids’ work coming soon.”

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