Creating a Calm Classroom

Teaching can be a stressful job ( am I right teachers?). There are papers to grade, children to educate, parents to work with, meetings to attend, test scores to hit, and the list goes on. The last thing teachers need is a classroom that makes things harder. Creating a calm classroom can make things a little easier for everyone. Good organization can definitely help add to the calm.

Many of you have heard me speak on how clutter affects our brains. Clutter = stress response. I can't think of many places that are more important to have clutter-free and conducive to learning than a classroom. 

This is why I was so excited when I was contacted by a kindergarten teacher to help create a calming, focused space for her and her students!

I’ve never organized a classroom, but I was very excited because as a kid, I always wanted to be a teacher! I guess in some ways I am, but not in a classroom setting. Hats off to these professionals because there are lots of moving parts here! I realized how much creating a calm classroom would really change the course of everyone’s day and learning experience.

It was also fun because I sneaked a glimpse into the day of a kindie - my 4year old will begin kindie next year!

We focused on creating an organized planning area for this teacher. Her planning time is limited, so she needs to most efficient and not distracted or wasting time searching for items. She found that when she sat down to do her planning she couldn't find half the things she needed and then when she would get up to search for them she would get distracted by something else and next thing you know - her planning time is up! Can anyone relate to this??

Not anymore! She now has a clear space with all the items she needs (and nothing else). 

We also focused on creating designated areas for the students to focus on various activities with items that were easy to find and put away. 

A clutter-free space triggers the "smart" part of the brain allowing these kiddos to be calm, present, and focused. Not to mention that it helps children learn to organize and clean up for themselves. This is a great learning point in itself that they can take home and incorporate in their own rooms.

I hope this space continues to touch many little lives over the years!

Here's to happy learning!