Read on for classroom storage ideas that will make classroom organization a breeze!

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Classroom Storage

Classroom storage can be huge headache. There is just so much stuff that goes into making a classroom function. Finding a space for everything that makes sense to you is crucial. Because having things organized is a non-negotiable when you’re in the middle of a school year and need to be able to find things quickly. 

These are solutions you can use for summer storage and throughout the school year to make sure there’s a place for everything and everything is in its place!

Ziplock Bags for Bulletin Boards

One thing you don’t want to lose and have to redo is your bulletin board pieces. It’s so worth it to laminate and store all your bulletin board pieces so that you can re-use them every year. The best way to store them? Gallon-sized Ziplock baggies! These are a great classroom storage staple.

I put each bulletin board set in its own Ziplock baggie and label the outside with a Sharpie. And this doesn’t have to be wasteful – I reuse the Ziplock baggies year after year.

File Organizer for Bulletin Boards

Part 2 of the bulletin board storage is, in my opinion, pretty darn genius. Instead of having a bunch of loose Ziplock bags to keep track of, use a file organizer. This lets you see them all in a row. 

You can organize them by month or unit, or whatever makes the most sense for you. A serious lifesaver if you’re like me and like to switch out your bulletin boards all the time.

Dry Erase Pockets for Center Works

I always have tons of these dry erase pockets because I use them for center works, math class, etc. But did you know they double as storage solutions too? You can use your dry erase pockets that are out of rotation or that are a little old and beat up to house center works! 

This keeps all the pieces of each center neatly together. Plus, they’re in a container that you can see through so you won’t have to open up bin after bin looking for the one you need!

Oversized Zip Pouches for Center Works

For center works that have bulky pieces (I love using manipulatives and stuffies in many of my center activities), these oversized zip pouches are the perfect classroom storage solution. Just zip up all those pieces, and you won’t have to worry about losing anything!

They come in several different sizes, but I find the 9×13 size is the most versatile. If you have something unusually large, you can opt for this extra-large 17×12 size! 

Pencil Cases

Pencil cases are definitely another classroom storage staple. But I like to use them for a lot more than just pencils…

At the end of every school year, I always have some leftover pencil cases that are a little too beat up to give to next year’s students, but still totally functional. I find that these are the perfect classroom storage idea for keeping all my leftover materials organized. Got some leftover unused gluesticks? Put them in a pencil box. Whiteboard markers that still have juice? Another pencil box. Student erasers that I’m going to reuse next year? Into a pencil box! 

This helps me take control of the materials and contain them in a way that is helpful. Extra points if you color code and label them too. These are by far my favorite pencil cases because they are sturdy enough to last the year, and the price point is unbeatable.

The Perfect Classroom Bin

One of the most crucial storage ideas for the classroom is the ultimate classroom bin. I found one that I use for almost everything. Just a few ways that I use these bins in my room:

• Classroom library bins: I organize my library by level, and these bins are the perfect size to hold my books.
• Student crates: Students store all their class materials in a crate. These crates hold their workbooks, notebooks, plus their pencil pouches and math toolkits.
• Center activities: When students go to our workshop shelves to get a work for centers or workshop time, they are often stored in these perfectly sized bins.

I always keep some extra on hand for when I need flexible storage throughout the year to hold current math materials, or unfinished project materials, or anytime I’m collecting materials from families.

Paper Trays

There’s no doubt that teachers need a lot of paper in their classrooms. Especially for us primary grades – the more colors, the better! Paper trays are hands down my favorite way to organize all my beautiful papers. 

I have paper trays for all of our colored construction paper, for our writing paper, and for our blank paper. I love that paper trays allow you to visually see what you’re low on for easy re-stocking. And it’s easy to make some paper trays in student-accessible cabinets if they need everyday access. For example, our writing paper, blank paper, and paper scraps go in paper trays that are accessible to students throughout the year.

File Folders for Master Copies

Saving and organizing materials you use each year is a game changer for making subsequent teaching years easier. But it can require some creative ideas for classroom organization to find a system that works. 

While many teachers like to keep their master copies in binders, I have found files to be the best solution. There are lot of things that I want to save that don’t fit well in a binder, but fit in a file beautifully. The kinds of things that I save masters of so I can reuse them year after year are: craft templates and samples, reinforcement work for each subject, challenge assignments for each subject, homeworks.

I like that I don’t have to fumble for the right binder – I just look at my file box and I can see everything I have in one place.

Binders for Assessments

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A post shared by Laura White 1st Grade Teacher (@lovegrowslearning)

Now, I know I’m team file for most things, but I do like binders for assessments. These are easier for me to keep organized with tabs, so binders are a great storage solution. You can create a separate binder for each subject, and then keep masters of your assessments for each quarter so that you don’t have to go looking for theme every year.

There are so many cute binder cover designs out there, so it’s easy to personalize them! Click here for the binder covers shown in my picture.

Monthly Bins

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A post shared by Sabrinna Anne (@teachinglittlemindss)

Having monthly bins is one of the most convenient storage ideas for classroom organization. Once you have a clear idea of what bulletin boards, centers, and other materials you need for each month, you can store them in these handy plastic bins. 

This makes it so much easier to stow away the stuff you no longer need at the end of the month, and bring out the new stuff! You could also organize these by season, theme, or unit, depending on how you like to break down your schoolyear.

Classroom Storage Ideas

I hope these ideas for classroom storage were useful! If you’re a new teacher, I suggest picking a couple ideas to start with and then slowly building on as time goes on. I certainly did not have all these systems in place at the beginning of my teaching career.

And the truth is, as you continue to teach, your supplies will change and grow, and your organization will have to change and grow as well. So you can always return to these ideas when that happen. After all, the classroom is an ever-evolving environment.

What storage solution are you most excited to try out? 
Let me know in the comments! 
xoxo Laura

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