Check out these five helpful tips for packing up your classroom at the end of the year.
The end of the school year is approaching, and with that comes the task of cleaning out the classroom.
While it may seem like an ominous job, preparing your classroom for summer break can seem a little less foreboding with a few helpful tips.
From packing up in a precise and orderly way to labeling storage bins correctly, end-of-the-year cleanup can be done easily and effortlessly.
Take a look at the tips below for packing up the classroom at the end of the school year.
This article contains affiliate links to things that you might like.
Classroom Packing Tips
Organize as You Pack Up
When gathering classroom materials to store away for the summer months, do it in an orderly manner.
Think about grouping similar items together and putting them all in the same place.
This can be done in a variety of ways. One idea is to create a box or bin for each school subject, such as all math materials, science tools, and so on.
You could also make bins according to the location or zones in the classroom.
This includes a container for the front of the room, the left side of the class, right, back, and center.
This is a great method if you plan on setting up your room the exact same way in the fall.
The whole idea is to pack everything away in groups rather than just tossing random items in a box.
Declutter Things You Don’t Use or That Are Outdated
You can easily keep packing to a minimum if you declutter as you break down your classroom.
Consider each item, and if it’s something that has been useful this past year, keep it.
If not, take a minute to decide whether it would be best to donate it, recycle it or trash it.
Things that are still in good shape but haven’t been touched since the beginning of the year are items that you can donate.
Broken supplies, torn books, and other items beyond repair are probably best to toss.
What you have left can then be put in a bin until the new year.
Use Sturdy, Clear Plastic Containers
When cleaning out your classroom, sturdy clear plastic containers are the way to go.
They allow you to see what’s inside while protecting its contents.
Large stackable bins can store all of your bigger class items safely while keeping them together and out of the way.
Cubby size containers are also great to use. They are perfect for smaller classroom supplies, such as pens, pencils, and crafting materials.
Whichever size bin works best for your needs, make sure they are clear and durable.
Label, Label, Label
Labeling is super important when it comes to packing up your classroom.
Whether you want to use colored tape, a written paper list in the bin, a number system, or a Sharpie to mark your boxes, it’s good to know what’s inside.
This is especially important if you think that you are moving classrooms or schools for the upcoming year.
Adding labels to everything eliminates the time-consuming task of going through bin after bin to find something specific.
It also ensures that in the fall, you’ll know exactly what you have and perhaps where to put it.
Prepare Your Homespace Prior to Packing
Once your classroom is all packed up, you’ll need a place at home to store everything.
Instead of piling all of those school-filled boxes here, there, and everywhere, take the time to make space somewhere before you begin to bring home the bins.
If you have a dedicated storage closet or even an entire room, awesome.
If not, maybe a couple of shelves in the basement might work.
Or perhaps an overhead rail system in your garage would keep everything out of the way until the next school year.
Either way, making sure you have a place to put all of your packed away items will make bringing them home easier.
Packing Up Your Classroom at the End of the Year
These five simple steps for packing up your classroom at the end of the year will really make unpacking in the fall a snap.
You will know what you have and where you would like it all to go because you have stored and labeled your bins when packing up.
Now that you know how to get your school room packed away properly, end-of-the-year stress will be less and summer fun is ready to be had.
Let’s get packing!