Behind the Scenes: What My Students Don’t See About Back-to-School Classroom Setup

To students, parents, and pretty much everyone outside education, classroom setup seems like it just…happens. One day the room is bare, and the next it’s fully stocked and welcoming. Maybe the back-to-school classroom setup fairies do it while we’re all sleeping. (I wish!)

But after years of setting up classrooms, I’ve learned that getting everything ready (especially for the back-to-school season) is anything but magical. It’s deliberate. It’s planned. And yes, sometimes it’s exhausting.

These days, I can pull together a student-ready space in just a few days. But that wasn’t always the case.

At the start of my career, it took weeks…basically the entire summer.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. But good news: It doesn’t have to be that way. In this post, I’m sharing my favorite classroom setup tips and strategies so you can save time, reduce stress, and walk into the first day feeling confident.

So when the students show up? You’ll be beyond ready.

Classroom Setup Tips Before the First Day of School

I don’t know about you, but I like to start with some quick wins. When I first walk into my (depressingly blank) classroom at the end of summer, I want to do something that makes a visible difference. So I start with bulletin boards.

Here’s a tip: Use fabric instead of bulletin board paper. That paper never lasts long. It fades, rips, and curls at the edges when you least expect it. Fabric, on the other hand, stays vibrant and sturdy all year.

I hold off on arranging desks until after the bulletin boards are up. It’s another quick win, but I’ve learned to wait. For one thing, desks have a mysterious way of appearing and disappearing from my classroom right up until the day the kids walk in. For another, I usually stand on desks to reach those awkward bulletin board corners. (Don’t tell admin.)

At the beginning of the school year, I set up desks in rows, spaced apart so students aren’t directly next to anyone. This gives me a little more control over side conversations and sets a tone for Serious Learning. Once I know the students better, I shift desks into group seating.

Pro tip: If your class starts getting chatty later in the year, just move them back to rows. It feels like a consequence, and most students shape up quickly. But if they’ve been in rows all along, you lose that option.

The last thing I do before Day 1 is contact parents. I used to call every family from the school phone, but I’ve switched to email or school messaging services. It’s quicker, and for some parents (especially of older students) less intimidating than a call from the school number.

In that first message, I introduce myself, share a quick preview of what’s coming that year (like field trips or major projects), and officially welcome their child to my class. 

It’s a small thing, but it starts the year with positive contact. Chances are, at some point, you’ll need to call home about something less than ideal. If that’s your only interaction with a family, it’s harder to build trust. But if parents know from the start that you care about their child’s success, they’re much more likely to listen and partner with you later.

(Need help reaching out to families? I’ve created a parent letter template that includes grade-level highlights and positive phrases for each age group. You can find it in my Etsy store.)

What I Prep for Day 1 of School

I always plan more than I think I’ll need for the first day of school. And yes, I plan, prepare, and copy everything before Day 1.

How much time you actually spend teaching on Day 1 depends on your school.

Some schools keep students in advisory or homeroom for the entire day, while others only use the morning for that. (And of course, if you teach a self-contained class like most elementary grades, you’ll likely spend the full day with your students no matter what.)

Before the first day, make sure you have a copy of your school’s supply list. If you work on a team, ask what supplies are usually collected and what stays with the students.

For collected supplies, set up bins or drop-off areas in your classroom. I like gallon-sized ziplocks for dry erase markers and clearing shelf space for folders and notebooks.

For supplies students will keep, decide ahead of time what should be labeled and where each item will go. (Pencil pouch, desk, locker, cubby, etc.)

Pro tip: If students bring in mountains of pencils, collect half and store them somewhere safe. Give them back around December or January, which is right around the time pencils mysteriously vanish from every desk.

As part of my first day activities, I like to include a welcome survey and a few low-pressure “get to know you” games. (I don’t call them icebreakers; older students tend to cringe at that word. I call them “games” or “activities.”)

(Need ideas? I’ve created a printable welcome survey and a set of first day activities that students won’t roll their eyes at. You can grab them in my Etsy store.)

How I Plan the First Week of School

Every year, I’m tempted to dive straight in with content and instruction.

I mean, come on! I’ve been planning all summer!

But the truth is that students just aren’t ready to move at that pace yet. They need time to settle in, find their rhythm, and get used to being back at school.

That’s why I focus on skills checks and social-emotional learning (SEL) prompts for the first week.These help students ease back in while giving me valuable insight into where they are, both academically and emotionally.

No matter what subject you teach, I recommend getting a writing sample from your students during the first week. You can tailor the prompt to your content and grade level, but the goal is to get a feel for what they remember from last year in a low-stakes “welcome back to school” environment.

Here are some prompt ideas:

• Sixth grade science: Describe your favorite meal. Then on the back of this paper, draw the food web that got all of that food into your stomach. (Assuming 5th grade studies food webs and ecosystems)
• Third grade math: Pretend a new student was struggling with 137-29. Write a story where you help the student understand how to correctly solve this math problem. (Shows you how confident the student is with both narrative writing and subtraction with borrowing math skills)
• Eighth grade ELA: Should students be paid to go to school? Why or why not? (Assesses the skill of argumentation and persuasive writing)

SEL prompts work just as well at assessing student writing, or they can be used during an oral discussion like in a morning meeting.

Here are a few prompts to get you started: 

• What’s one kind thing someone has done for you, and how did it make you feel?
• What’s something you’re proud of (big or small)?
• Think of a time you made a mistake. What did you learn from it?
• How do you know when someone else is feeling upset? What might you do to help?
• What does “respect” mean to you? What does it look or sound like?

Between the academic prompts and SEL ideas, you’ve already got enough prompts to last the first week!

Here are some other tips I’ve collected over the years.

First, leave some wiggle room in your plans. I used to have the entire month of September mapped out before school even started. But with surprise assemblies, welcome-back events, and schedule changes, those tightly-packed plans never held. Build in flexibility early so you don’t end up scrambling later.

One last tip: Journal each day. Even if it’s just a few quick notes like “What went well today?” “What could have gone better?” and “Notes for next year,” your future self will thank you.

I used to tell myself, “I’ll remember to fix that next year,” but I never did. Whether it’s a tech hiccup, unclear instructions, or a routine that needs adjusting, write it down now.

(If you want a head start, I’ve made a printable teacher reflection journal with simple prompts for each day. It’s exactly what I wish I’d had during those early weeks!)

Teacher Back-to-School Checklist: Make a Plan That Works

You wouldn’t stand in front of a class without a lesson plan, would you? So don’t approach classroom setup without one either.

Take a few minutes to think through everything you need to do before Day 1, then write it down. Getting it out of your head and onto paper (or a screen) will make everything feel more manageable.

Of course, if you want your tasks already written down and organized into neat, helpful categories, I’ve got you covered. Just grab the freebie below. It’s a classroom setup checklist with everything you need to prep before Day 1.

It includes sections for:

• Teacher Systems
• Classroom systems
• Student supplies
• Bulletin boards
• Paperwork 
• Prep work
• And more!

Download your free Room Setup Checklist here.

Oh, and one more thing?

Breathe.

You can do this!