Do you need some easy but effective ideas for classroom setup for the new school year? Getting ready for a new school year can be exciting but also overwhelming. There are many different elements to think about when setting up your classroom: furniture, materials, technology, bulletin boards, and the list goes on. It is easy to get overwhelmed and lose focus on what is most important in setting up a positive and productive classroom.
Students who feel successful in math class are happier and more engaged in learning. Check out The Bonus Guide for Creating a Growth Mindset Classroom and Students Who Love Math for ideas, lessons, and mindset surveys for students to use in your classroom to cultivate a growth mindset in mathematics. You can also sign up for other freebies from me Here at Easternshoremathteacher.com.
Every year when I had to report back to school in the fall, there were so many meetings and things to do that I kept getting sidetracked. One minute I would be hanging up a bulletin board, and then the next, I would hear about a new program we needed to start. It was so overwhelming. Finally, I realized that when I spent a little time planning out my classroom beforehand, I felt more focused and productive. I began drawing a map of my classroom and how I wanted to set up my furniture. Then, I made a list of what I wanted to include in my classroom to have a successful school year.
These 7 ideas for classroom setup of your math classroom are what I came up with as the most important things to think about and helped me stay focused when I was setting up my room. Does making lists calm anyone else down, or is it just me?
Math Classroom Setup
Students need opportunities to work in whole groups, small groups, and independently. So thinking about the arrangement of the classroom is essential. This is where drawing a classroom setup diagram comes in handy.
I like to think about the best place to put my table to pull small groups, an area for a rug to have our mathematical discussions, and places to store our math manipulatives and centers. First, add in these elements. Then, decide on your classroom table setup.
You also want to make sure materials are easily accessible and in a place where students can help put them away. These are some of the elements you should think of when you set up your classroom.
Growth Mindset in Mathematics
Research shows that there is a link between a growth mindset and math success. Kids who have a growth mindset about their abilities perform better and are more engaged in the classroom. People with growth mindsets believe that they can develop their skills, talents, and abilities over time with hard work, effort, and perseverance.
Teaching students the concept of a growth mindset and how they can harness its power can positively impact student achievement. They need to learn that they can achieve in all areas and that struggling is part of the process. We need to help them understand the connection between effort and improvement.
I like to give this Math Mindset Survey to students as a starting point before I start talking about growth mindset. Then again, at the end of the year, to see how their mindset changed through practice and effort. Start with sharing the growth mindset definition with students and what a growth mindset looks like in the classroom. Check out The Free Ultimate Guide for Creating a Growth Mindset Classroom and Students Who Love Math for ideas, lessons, and mindset surveys to use in your classroom. You can also sign up to receive other freebies from me Here at Easternshoremathteacher.com.
If you are looking for some Free Growth Mindset Posters with positive messages to hang on your walls, Click Here for 6 Growth Mindset Classroom Display Free Posters.
To read more about this, you can also check out 5 Powerful Ideas to Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset in Mathematics. and check out these 5 Growth Mindset lessons that define growth mindset.
Math Organization
Math Tools
Finding ways to store all your materials and supplies so they are easily accessible can eliminate delays, and disruptions and encourage students to use them. In poorly arranged classrooms, students spend a lot of time waiting for materials.
Try focusing on finding creative ways to take your storage vertical. For example, instead of getting a low shelf to the ground, find a taller one and use the top shelves to store things that students don’t need to reach every day.
Instead of having every activity and tool available for students from the beginning of the year through the end, try rotating supplies based on the taught skills. Having different tools to use can bring some new life into the math classroom.
I like to have all my math supplies stored in clear plastic bins with labels in a cabinet in my classroom. This way, I can easily find what we need and am more likely to use the materials. In addition, I like to have my students sit in groups with a 3 or 4-drawer plastic storage cabinet in the middle. Then, I place math tools within these drawers. This saves time on passing out supplies, and students have what they need. You can also put a bucket on top with materials for the day’s lessons or other materials they need.
Math Communication
Students need to be writing and talking about math every day. They need to be explaining the steps they are taking to solve a problem and sharing their different strategies.
Math Talk
A Math Talk is a 10-minute activity designed to elicit multiple strategies and provide opportunities for students to reason about the relationships in the numbers and make connections in mathematics. Read more about Math Talks here. Math Talk provides students an opportunity for deeper understanding through communication. Students articulate and defend their ideas and analyze the reasoning of others. These discussions work best sitting on a large rug so students feel safe and share their strategies.
Journals and White Boards
Students need a place to solve problems and share their strategies. Students can quickly pull out their journals or whiteboards to demonstrate their understanding. Whiteboards are great because you can ask a question and have every student respond on their whiteboards and then hold them up for a quick formative assessment. Having journals allows you to see their growth throughout the school year. I like to store both of these in the vertical organizer so students can grab them, and there is no time wasted on passing them out.
Math Learning Centers
Students need math games and centers for them to practice skills. These could be store-bought, teacher-made, or using technology. Games and centers are a great way to show that math is fun and social. Activities you have done as a whole class can also be moved to a center. The main goal is to practice math skills so these centers can change based on the classroom’s needs.
The 24 Game is a great way to build fact fluency. Visit my website, and I will send you 71 Math Puzzles for free to use with students. These can be used in whole class, in small groups, or even printed and hung on a bulletin board.
Math Center Organization
Classroom centers and their success come down to careful planning and proper organization. First, a central place to store these materials is needed. Second, depending on the grade level you teach, you may want to limit how many are available to students at a time. Finally, you may just want to put out a few games and centers at a time.
The math center often requires several manipulatives, which makes organization very important. Students need to clean up these games and centers on their own, so having a system is vital. To keep supplies from being lost or put away in the wrong places, there should be very clear instructions for how students need to clean up when they are done.
It might mean having a laminated picture of which supplies go in which places or some modeling time at the beginning of the day to walk through clean-up procedures for younger students. Color coding materials can also help.
Routines
Routines are essential for a smooth-running classroom, not just for math time. They are how things are going to happen in the classroom. Therefore, it’s crucial to teach and practice these routines. For example, during math class, teaching how to use the math tools, how to clean up the math tools, and how to use and clean up the math centers is so important.
If you do not take the time to teach routines, then the materials will not be used or put away correctly. As a result, time will have to be taken to clean them up correctly. Instead, by teaching routines, the materials will be used and cleaned up correctly and will be ready to be used again. Think about what routines you need to have in your classroom to make it run smoothly.
Mathematics Displays
When setting up your classroom, it’s essential to make sure you have a numeracy-rich environment in addition to a literacy-rich environment. For example, we need to include word walls, anchor charts, number lines, and other reference charts for both subject areas to support students. In addition, your classroom should be a happy and positive space for students to learn and grow.
If you are looking for some Free Growth Mindset Posters with positive messages to hang on your walls, Click Here for 6 Growth Mindset Classroom Display Free Posters.
Having students do fun Math Puzzles or other engaging activities helps build a positive attitude toward math. You can also sign up to receive 71 Math Puzzles to try out HERE. These can be printed and displayed on a bulletin board.
Additional Resources
- Math Solutions- Math Talk
- Classroom Organization: The Physical Environment
- 50 Organization Tricks
- 5 Powerful Ideas to Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset in Mathematics.
- 30+ FUN FALL MATH WORKSHEETS TO INCREASE BASIC FACT FLUENCY SUCCESS
- 5 Nifty Math Activities for a Terrific First Day of Kindergarten
Check out The Free Ultimate Guide for Creating a Growth Mindset Classroom and Students Who Love Math for ideas, lessons, and mindset surveys to use in your classroom. You can also sign up to receive other freebies from me Here at Easternshoremathteacher.com.
Taking a few minutes to make a plan will help you stay focused, less stressed, and have a beautiful and productive classroom. I’m always looking for new math classroom setup ideas, so let me know if you have some creative ways to set up your classroom. Once you think about these 7 ideas for classroom setup and how you want to implement them in your classroom, get started setting up!
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