Classroom Design
There's been a remarkable amount of brain research demonstrating how crucial environments are for learning. Cozy, well-lit and well-organized spaces are essential for literacy learners of any age. The constraints teachers face in designing and organizing their classrooms are enormous -- from irritated fire marshals to fear of lice infestations, with limited budgets always at the forefront. You'll be inspired by these beautiful classrooms, created by teachers who manage to design spaces any reader or writer would love.
Latest Content
Student Storage Areas: Tips for Reorganizing
“The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) talk with Kelly about strategies for reorganizing student storage areas, considering access, group supplies, and how the materials are used.
Decluttering a Storage Area
In this time-lapse video, “The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help second-year teacher Carrie declutter a storage area in May, talking through decisions about what to keep and what to throw away, and simple tricks for dressing up shelves.
Organizing Reading Area Supplies
In this time-lapse video, “The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help Kelly reorganize the area of the classroom where she has small-group reading instruction. In the process, they talk through how to label and organize sets of books that are shared across grade levels.
Meeting Area Makeover
“The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help first-year teacher Christine reorganize her meeting area so that it is less cluttered and easier for students to access the materials they need . . . without disrupting lessons.
Tips for Displaying Student Work
In this six-minute video, “The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help a colleague dress up her displays of student work.
Preparing Walls for Displays
In this four-minute video, The Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help a new teacher “frame up” an area of the room for future displays of student work, in a way that draws attention away from book bags and other clutter.
Bookroom Tours – Part I
In this three-minute video, The Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) take viewers on a tour of an elementary bookroom. The books are arranged by levels.
Bookroom Tours Part II
In this three-minute video, “The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) continue their tours of school bookrooms. The focus in this presentation is on the checkout system.
A Literacy “Playground”: Cheryl Cole’s Second Grade Classroom
Aimee Buckner hosts this video tour of Cheryl Cole’s second grade classroom at Brookwood Elementary School in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Cheryl shares the many strategies she uses to promote literacy learning in a warm, friendly environment.
Middle School Classroom Makeover Part III
In this third installment of a three-part video series, “The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help 7th grade teacher Erin declutter and rearrange her classroom. This installment focuses on the challenges of classrooms with very little storage space.
Middle School Classroom Makeover Part II
In this second of a three-part video series, “The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help seventh-grade teacher Erin declutter and rearrange the media area of the classroom, creating a cozy library space.
Desk Area Reorganization
In this brief time-lapse video, The Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help Carrie reorganize her desk and rug area for better access to literacy materials and teaching supplies.
Literacy Room for Teachers Tour
In this four-minute video tour, Jennifer Allen describes how she arranges and displays materials in the “Literacy Room,” the space that has become invaluable in supporting teachers’ professional development in literacy instruction.
Lighting Redesign from the Sisters
In this five-minute time-lapse video, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser redesign the lighting in their colleague Ahnsaly’s literacy meeting area.
The Sisters Redesign a New Teacher’s Storage Area
The Sisters help a new teacher, Amy, sort through junk she inherited from previous occupants of her classroom. The video uses time-lapse videography to show how the coat, storage, and book area is transformed in the process of winnowing down these materials.
Let’s Get Rid of “The Teacher Shrine”: Organizing Meeting Areas, Walls, and Materials
In this brief classroom tour, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (“The Sisters”) talk about problems with teacher desks, present how they separate and define different curricular learning areas.
Inviting Students to Organize Books and Materials
Debbie Miller advocates for involving children in the organization of materials for readers and writers in the classroom.
Room for Beliefs: Linking Classroom Design and What We Value
Debbie Miller questions what our classrooms say about our beliefs and practices, and suggests how to bring our designs into closer alignment with our values.
On Kidney Tables: Small Changes for Big Effects
When our environment aligns with our values, Karen Szymusiak considers what helps learners take charge of their experience in a successful learning community.
Tools to Redesign Your Classroom (TEMPLATES)
Whether it’s time to set up a classroom space from scratch or reorganize space that isn’t meeting needs, The Sisters have the tools you need.
The Literacy Coach Work Area: Arranging Materials in Cramped Spaces
In this four-minute video, Literacy Coach Gail Boushey talks about how she arranges her materials in a limited space, and the benefits of sharing work space with colleagues.
Using Foam Boards in Writer’s Workshop
Franki Sibberson explains how she extends the wall space in her classroom for instruction through the use of foam boards.
Community Language Board: Building Vocabulary All Year Long
“The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) talk about how the community language board changes and evolves over the year, building a sense of community and shared literacy.
Reorganizing the Classroom Library
In this time-lapse video, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser help Carrie, a second-year teacher, begin to organize her classroom library according to themes and traffic patterns in the classroom.
Numbering and Arranging Classroom Library Bins
In this video, “The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help experienced teacher Kelly create a numbering system for her classroom library.
Coaching Moment: Reorganizing a Classroom Library
Gayle Gentry reflects on how a colleague’s simple request to reorganize a classroom library turned into coaching opportunities that had a direct impact on student learning.
Company-Ready Teaching
Mary Lee Hahn prepares for classroom visitors, and the process of viewing her room with fresh eyes makes her question routines and wall displays.
Setting the Room for Collaboration
Gretchen Schroeder offers advice on how to arrange a high school classroom for collaboration.
Strategic Seating
Mark Levine finds that good seating design in middle school isn’t just about where you place furniture—it’s about negotiating with students.
Personal Touches Early in the Year – Classroom Design Photo Essay Series
Make it personal with these lovely design suggestions from "The Sisters" for bringing students' homes into your classroom.
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