So...you're moving classrooms! Whether you're moving classrooms or schools, I've got some tips for you that have made moving not quite so scary! I have moved schools 4 different times, and have moved into 10 different classrooms, so I had to create a system that would work for me. Last year, I moved schools again, into a temporary building, and next year will move back to our permanent building. Below you'll find my best tips for making your classroom move smooth and stress free! Before you start doing any packing, find some time to clear out a shelf or two a day and start the dreaded PURGE! Getting rid of things you don't need any longer helps the process go much faster! After that, start saving boxes (especially the boxes from Oriental Trading Company) so you have plenty to pack your items into!
Before I packed up my room last year, I created a color coded system that would help me when packing and unpacking. I created a chart on a piece of paper listing out all my content areas and other areas that I might need to pack a box for. Then, using the Colorful Masking Tape Set, I gave each area a color. Literacy was orange, Math blue, Science was black and so on until I had a color assigned to each area. Each time I packed a box, I labeled it with the appropriate color on the two sides of the box and stacked it in the pile. Once you're ready to unpack, and know the zones in your classroom, you'll be able to take each box directly to the correct area and not have to keep move boxes to find what you need!
Before I pack my first box, I start by sorting items. I purge what I don't need anymore and donate it. Then, I get out some boxes, bins and colored tape and start sorting. I use these bins with lids every time I move. They're great for collecting small items that don't need a huge box to themselves! I label each bin with some colorful tape and a Sharpie. I can either pack these bins right into a box or move them into a larger or smaller container if needed. They can then be reused to collect other items. If I place them in a box to be packed, when I unpack them, they are already in a container and ready to go on a shelf! Make sure to sort like items together or items that will be used together (small group materials or math manipulatives) so they can be packed together as well.
In my district when we move schools, a moving company picks up our boxes and moves them for us, but we aren't able to write on the boxes because they will be reused. This made packing very challenging last year! Each box had a small space on the side where we placed a label with our name and the classroom number the boxes should be taken to. I added a small number in one of the corners and then made a list on paper of what was packed in each box so I had some idea where boxes belonged in my room. For the boxes that I moved, I color-coded them with tape and was able to take them to the correct area in my classroom to unpack them. I also created a check list of what items to pack first. I started packing in April, so I knew I could pack anything we had already used that year and wouldn't use again. That saved a ton of time at the end of the year and I've already started packing fall and winter items up for our move next year! Find a fun notebook to keep all your lists in and other notes about your move!
When packing, I like to think ahead to help myself out with the unpacking. I label each cord in my room with some colorful tape. I write what the cord belongs to (tablet, laptop, robot, etc.) on a piece of tape and fold it over one end of the cord. I place the same color of tape on the back of the item the cord belongs to so I know they match up. I know right away when unpacking a box, which cord goes with what item and I can get them plugged in and charging right away.
I never know how to pack larger items like posters and bulletin board borders. There is never a box that will fit them! Instead, I use a Bulletin Board Storage Bag for my posters and other items that get hung on the wall. The bag is clear, so it's easy to see what's inside when I need it later. I use this bag year round to store my posters, but it would also be great to pack big books and other large charts when moving. I carefully take down all my bulletin board borders and remove all the staples. Then, I stack all the pieces and clip them together with a binder clip on one end. You could also roll them up and use a binder clip to hold the roll together. I can take these right out of the box and hang them up on a hook when unpacking them.
Books can be a hard thing to pack because there are so many of them in different shapes and sizes! I've found that packing books by how and when I use them helps me quickly organize them when unpacking. I used to pull my book bins off the shelf and put them into boxes, but I was running out of boxes because the book bins took up too much room in the box. They get stacked up and packed separately. I now pack my books by theme in plastic Book Bags. I like that I can see through these to find what's inside and that I can take them right out of the box and line the bags up on my bookshelf in the order I want them in before unpacking. The Book Bags also take up a lot less room in a box, so I can fit more books inside.
Just like when you're moving homes, there are things you will need to get to first in your classroom to make everything else happen. Staplers, pens, pencils, staples, scissors, and classroom decor are all needed first. I have several boxes of these items that I pack each year whether I'm moving classrooms or not. I label these boxes with colorful tape and write "OPEN FIRST" on the side and top so I can find them quickly amongst all the other boxes. They're not the prettiest boxes, but they're the most helpful! I hope these ideas help make your move a little bit easier and save you some time when packing and unpacking!
