3.2.

Organise your classroom

As far as possible, you should try to ensure that your classroom is a pleasant place
to be in, where students feel safe and comfortable. Even on a very limited budget,
you can decorate your classroom to make it a more “friendly” place to be in – put
up brightly coloured language-related posters (or make them yourself), pin up
students’ work (this is highly motivating for students, both adult and children), and
try to get a couple of plants from somewhere.

Report maintenance problems immediately (eg lights, broken desks/chairs, peeling

paint etc.) and follow up on this if you don’t get results quickly.

You should also organise your classroom with designated spaces. Below are some
essential “areas” to set up:

 Have a bulletin board where you can paste homework assignments and other news
or information you want your students to have. Make sure you keep it up to date!
 Set up a “lost & found” corner – this could be as simple as a basket or box on the
floor.
 Paste up a poster-sized two month calendar, large enough to be able to write on
specific dates. This is extremely useful for keeping in mind assignment deadlines,
bank holidays etc.
 Use trays on your desk (or even just a designated space on your desk) to collect
student homework and assign a student to check that all work is handed in on time.
 Have another tray where you keep photocopies or handouts for students. This is
useful for students who may have missed a class. Going and getting the work they
may have missed should become routine, and you will avoid the student
interrupting the current class, saying “Teacher, I didn’t come last class. What did I
miss?”
 Set up folders (preferably in a lockable filing cabinet) to keep track of individual
student progress, where you can keep assignments, records of grades, infractions
and consequences etc.
 Keep a box or drawer with useful stationery your students can use and return:
stapler, scissors, hole-punch, glue, card, paper, spare pens/pencils and erasers.
Bear in mind that in some environments you may have to pay for this and other
stationery yourself.