Organizing Your General Music Classroom: Containing the Joy in a Safe, Neat, and Productive Way

• Kelsey Helton
• Posted 9/12/20
• 0 comments

Getting and staying organized can be a fun or dreadful experience for elementary music teachers. For me, it is a joy. I love to organize and clean, especially when I move into a new classroom. 

In my current classroom, I sorted through books and worksheets that dated back to the fifties. Built-in the early 2000s, and I was amazed when I found music materials that old in a relatively new building. I think that sometimes teachers are afraid to throw things away, believing they might need materials they have used in the past!  

Whether you are getting a new room or want to spruce up what you already have, I highly suggest reading or watching the Netflix adaptation of Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. The book is an excellent jumping-off point to getting organized and mentally sorting through what to keep and what you can let go.  

First – think about what kind of teacher you are. Are you a paper and pencil person or a get-up-and-do-it person? Your teaching personality will determine what you need to keep or remove. 

Second – determine what brings you joy. Kondo talks about holding an item and seeing if it brings you joy. If there is no joy, get rid of it.  

Third – time to sort! The easiest way to do this is to take everything out of the cabinets and drawers, organize the items into categories so you can see what you have, then start the purge.  

• Trash (anything that was previously wet, badly crumpled or torn) 
• Recyclables  
• Donations – what can you share with colleagues within your building or district 
• Repairs & Replacements – what instruments repairs or to be replaced 
• Save – all the materials you will use.  

Throw out the trash in the big dumpster (it will feel so good!), recycle what you can, and contact colleagues about items you want to re-home. For example, science and STEM labs might be able to repurpose used instruments.   

Disclaimer: Don’t forget to talk to your supervisor or principal about getting rid of items purchased with district or grant funds. 

Look at what remains and survey the situation. Inventory how many instruments you have according to size and brand. Ask yourself; do I have enough mallets for xylophones? Do I need more handheld instruments, so each student has one? Do the scarves and parachutes need to be cleaned? Are your curricular materials current? 

Time to organize!  

Remember to clean everything before putting them in containers and cabinets. Save yourself a few steps and some time! 

I was lucky to have a few built-in cabinets and shelves and a Wenger cabinet. I originally wanted everything behind a door so that the children wouldn’t touch anything. It turns out; hidden items do not get used. I barely used my Orff instruments during my first year because they were such a pain to get out and set up. In my second year (after a summer of stalking music teacher Instagrammers and Pinterest), I found that you could leave your teaching materials out without feeling like the room is closing in on you. 

Instrument Storage Quick Tips: 

• Smaller Orff instruments fit in normal-sized bookshelves 
• Place extra bars (those B flats and F#s!) in a silverware sorter, so they are safe 
• Cover Orff instruments with cheap fleece blankets or drums with shower caps to keep the dust away 
• Raid the cafeteria for some bean or pudding cans (the silver galvanized ones)- they make extra mallet holders (or drums if you’re an Artie Almedia fan!) 
• Small handheld instruments fit well in trays or bins. I recommend heavy-duty bins and containers so instruments can remain inside the bins.  That way, there are no worries about the bins breaking while the container passes from student to student. I used the Wenger tubs that fit into their cabinets, but Target dollar spot has excellent tubs with and without lids.  
• Boomwhackers can be hung on the wall with velcro, sorted by color in magazine holders, or rolled into xylophones with handy holders. 

Manipulatives Need a Home: 

Loose crayons, markers, pencils, and highlighters will stain. Unsorted station supplies, tangled ribbon wands are enough to drive a sane person crazy. 

• Test out your markers and craft supplies. It is a tedious task, but it is worth it – better yet have your students help!  Did you know Crayola has a recycling program for dead markers and crayons? Check with your art teacher; he or she may be able to utilize what you do not need. 
• Back to School – is a great time to replace supplies. I bought a class set of markers and crayons for students to use. I reinforce the boxes with tape so each student can have their own supplies, so I don’t have to listen to someone not having a blue crayon. 
• Clean recorders, plastic rhythm sticks, and scissors. – I recommend using the dishwasher.  
• Wipe down shakers, scrapers, and other manipulatives.  
• Replace broken Ziplock bags.  
• Store station and bulletin board supplies in scrapbook containers. They stack or slide on shelves and look great! 
• Target book bins are excellent for organizing books! They work for both for teacher materials and in my classroom library. 
• Laminate station supplies, manipulatives, and classroom materials.  
• Clip borders together, roll them up and put them in upcycled frosting containers or hang them from a command hook inside a cabinet door.

Time to Decorate: 

Time to think about your classroom colors and theme. I could talk all day about design and decorating, but my number one tip is to use clear or neutral colors when purchasing bins and other organizing materials. 

When I first started teaching, I decorated using rainbow bins to create a bright and cheerful room. Recently I wanted to experiment with a natural classroom esthetic. My rainbow bins won’t work—rookie mistake. Using white or clear containers, then swapping out the colored label inserts or sticker labels, is easier and more cost-effective than purchasing new items when you feel you need a theme change. 

The items above are for a “normal” school year. In the year of COVID-19, there are a few more precautions you can take to help keep your classroom safe. 

• Bar soap containers from the dollar store will hold one box of crayons. Spraying disinfectant on plastic containers easier than wiping down cardboard crayon boxes. 
• Have students put items that they use inside of hula hoops on the floor so you can easily spray sanitizer on them in between classes. Hint: Don’t forget to read the labels of disinfectants and cleaners so you know how long they should sit on the item before it is safe. 
• Have copies of manipulatives and individual instrument sets for each student, so they aren’t passing things around the room. Instrument sets can be a simple as an upcycled pudding can from the cafeteria, drop-in plastic rhythm sticks, a star tambourine, a plastic cutting board, and an egg shaker. Add Artie Almedia’s KidStix, and you’re ready for a fun and safe year. 
• PVC pipe and transparent plastic shower curtains make accessible “splatter guard” partitions. I made one for my church music ministry and plan to use it for a backdrop or green screen when my teaching no longer requires a “splatter guard.” 

Organizing can be a big task, but it is worth the inner peace you will find in a less chaotic environment. When you walk into your classroom on Monday morning, and everything is in its place and easily accessible, you will be thankful you tackled the task.  I encourage you to take the plunge and discover the freedom of a junk-free and happy classroom.  

References: 

• Kondō, M. (2014). The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (1st ed.). Ten Speed Press. 
• Almeida, A. (2015). Kidstix: Rockin’ Repertoire for Rhythm Readiness. Heritage Music Press.