Susan Sexton has earned the Preschool Associate Credential through ACSI. She is a prekindergarten teacher at Word of Life Christian Academy in Springfield, Virginia.
Over time, teachers grow in wisdom and experience. A teacher’s resources and tools increase in time as well. Finding storage space can be difficult, and storing things haphazardly will make for a difficult task when the time comes to retrieve them.
The following suggestions may help you store items effectively:
- Organize by learning areas by putting tools for the various areas in containers labeled according to area.
- Organize by holidays by separating decorations and resources according to the holidays you use them for.
- Organize by themes by making up prop boxes for various activities such as setting up a grocery store. These prop boxes will keep shelves neat and will help the children organize their toys.
- Organize by seasons by storing in the classroom only items needed for a one-to two-month period.
- Use an art cart. A plastic cart that has drawers is great for storing art supplies. The children can access what they need and put away items with ease.
- Provide personal coloring books for the children. Spiral, unlined notebooks are inexpensive. They take little space to store, and they allow children to grab their own book for creating at a table or a spot on the rug. At the end of the school year, parents can see how their child’s art ability has progressed. You can purchase spiral, unlined notebooks at, for example, Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, and Borders.
Having a teacher as an example, children will learn how to organize and will value their own belongings both inside and outside the classroom.
Storing Your Treasures 9.4