Teaching school is more than a full time job. Most teachers dedicate countless hours and many dollars out of their own pocket to keep their classrooms in tip top shape and their students up to date with all the latest materials. If you’re a new teacher and are unsure about the best way to set up your classroom for optimal learning, here are a few tips on how to make your classroom a place where students come to learn and to be stimulated.

If you teach elementary school, you have a little more creative lee-way as far as decorations go. You can put up banners, props, learning stations, and reading corners for your young students to explore. I remember one teacher in elementary school who brought in an actual bird bath and set it up in the corner. Every time a student did well on a test or assignment, they could throw a plastic coin into the “fountain” with their name on it. At the end of the week, the teacher would draw out several name coins and those students would get a prize. It was a great way to motivate us to do well on our homework and study for tests.

Even if you teach an older group of students, there are some things you can do to help them learn in creative ways. If you teach math, have that day’s lesson material outlined on a large piece of butcher paper. Post the paper at the front of the class where it is visible by all the students. Every day post a new piece of different colored paper with the lesson material neatly printed on it. That way, by the time it comes to take a test, the students will have a visual map of all the lesson material learned throughout the unit. Visual replicas of lessons are very helpful for students to visualize what they’ve been taught. Use lots of colors and shapes, even for an older level of learners. Most people learn through a few different methods. Visualization is an important part of most people’s learning process.

Another way to spruce up a classroom and encourage learning with your students is to have a readily accessible amount books and learning material out for them to use during free time. If you want to increase the book storage space in your classroom, look into buying some mini books for your shelves. Mini books are available from most publishers and have condensed subject matter. These smaller books are a good way to increase the reading space in your classroom without having to give up any material.

Keep an ample supply of maps and graphs around your room to use as lesson starters when your students are getting distracted or rowdy. When things are starting to get noisy, point to a map and ask a student to help you identify to countries or states. Give out prizes for students who know their geography or historical facts off the bat. It will help your students focus more throughout the day and remind them that learning is a full time pursuit when they’re at school.

Remember that students do have a limit to how much information they can take in on any given day. Consider setting up an area in your classroom for students to take a break in. A comfy chair and a few good, fun books around could be a great spot to reward a student with who has been working hard but just needs a break. Set aside time every lesson, whether you’re teaching an elementary class all day long or only have a group of high school students for an hour and half, to allow for a minute of break time. Maybe read a funny story, or let your students have just five minutes to relax and work on homework, or something similar that would give them a second to mentally unwind. Kids at any age need to let their brains rest for just a minute during a day of vigorous learning.

If you have to buy supplies with your own money, look in to one of the many government programs that subsidize teachers for out of pocket expenses. Some programs will give a certain amount of money to teachers who spend money on supplies and materials for their classroom use. Save you receipts and talk to your school’s principal about reimbursement. It never hurts to ask and if you find that you’re under supplied in general maybe the principal can see about getting you the needed materials from a school fund.

Whatever your classroom setting, make sure to keep it organized and clean. Students learn best in an environment that is conducive to organized learning. I found with my own studies that I did so much better when I maintained a clean study area and kept my house and room picked up. Our brains are very visual and I think a messy room can equate to a messy mind. Make sure your classroom is free of litter or garbage on the floor and that you have space and shelving to store all your books and supplies neatly. Students really do learn better when they are in a neatly organized classroom.

Teaching school to any age group is challenging. Setting up a classroom that encourages learning and inquisitive minds will help your students progress and grow within the subject being taught. Make sure to have well organized material and visual reminders of the subjects being taught readily available in your classroom for your students to utilize.  A clean and well organized classroom will create a learning environment for both you and your students that will influence them for years. Never underestimate the power of your teaching and the difference you can make in the lives of those you teach. I remember very well teachers I had who tried so hard to teach me both through organized lessons and through daily teaching moments. A teacher, working with any age of students, can truly leave an impression on the individual student that will stay for years.