A little background, I work at a Montessori school, the same one where I got my training. I've worked there for about a year as an Infant and Toddler Teacher. This year, I am taking over a brand new classroom, Room 3, that's 3-6. The classroom I'm taking over was being used as the lunchroom, and I had the chance to transform it into a classroom again. (the children will now be eating in their own classroom instead of a communal lunchroom, which is the norm in most Montessori schools).
It took a LOT of work, a LOT of digging through closets for materials, a LOT of moving furniture, and a LOT of help from the wonderful girls at my school to set it up, but here's what we've come up with!
Here it looks like an absolute MESS! trying to figure out what jobs were complete, what I needed to make or scrounge from the closets and where to put what.
Here it's getting a little more cleaned up, but the shelves aren't in their final positions, i'll move them around like a hundred more times!
Here we go! Finished!!! from back to front, language, cultural, sensorial, math, practical life.The peace area is that around sheet in the very back. That island in the middle doubles as part of the Sensorial area and other side is the art shelf, conveniently located next to a table.
Here is our bulletin board and circle area. This is where we'll do a lot of our language work, so it's nice and roomy for rugs.
On the bookshelf are a lot of books about the first day of school, individuality, and emotions. (I feel Silly, Hug, What I Do Best, etc.)
I'll take a lot more pictures of the individual shelves to show detail once they are set up. I'm still missing a few essential jobs.
So I learned a few things while setting up my room. Are you setting up a room for the first time?
If so, take a look at this list of things to keep in mind.
Things To Keep In Mind When Setting Up a Montessori Classroom
1.) Decide where you want your Circle to be FIRST and build around that - Your circle is where your classroom will meet together several times a day to take roll, sing songs, read stories, do calendar activities, and group lessons. This will be the HEART of your classroom, so pick where you want that to be and build around it. (and make sure your circle is facing NORTH! this will come in handy when introducing directions)
2.) CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!
Before you put in all the shelves and materials and decorations, CLEAN THAT ROOM! It will never be easier to clean all the nooks and crannies. I spent the first few days cleaning the walls, wiping down shelves and washing the windows. It will never be as clean as the first day, so make your starting point a good one. Also, have you ever heard of the Broken Window phenomenon? People treat clean environments better than dirty environments. Want your children to respect your classroom? Start with it clean and KEEP it clean!
3.) Be Creative with your Shelves! -if possible, get shelves that aren't too long. The shorter the shelves, the more creative you can be with them. My classroom is very long, but not very wide, so my shelf space is limited. I compensated by making wings and offshoots from the main shelves, and creating islands. Also, you can do a LOT more with a 4 tiered shelf than a 3 tier.
And don't be afraid to try different combinations, move them around multiple times.
4.) Be mindful of room for children to work both on MATS and TABLES
Much of the Montessori materials need to be done on a mat on the floor, while others need to be done on a table. Much of Practical Life needs to be done at a table. So put the PL area near the sinks with two long tables in that area. Also, PL is the CORE area for your youngest children, so I made sure they were our lowest tables and smallest chairs. However, handwriting jobs also need to be done at a table, like recording for math and writing for language. So I put some of the LARGER tables in the back of the room where the Handwriting station is. There is also a larger table in the middle of hte room next to the ART and MATH area.
The rest of the room as ample space for working on mats. Language and Sensorial need a lot of mat space, so I put them next to our circle. As you arrange your classroom, lay down a few mats yourself, and try to walk around. Can you navigate? can you pull a job off the shelf without disturbing a mat?
5.) Keep in Mind that Cultural can be broken up
Sometimes it's hard to organize everything, but one secret is that cultural can be broken up! If you can't find room to put botany, zoology, history, music and art together, don't worry! Have a little extra room there? Make it botany. A little extra way over there? History! Bam! Makes it a lot easier. I chose to put Botany and zoology close together, I put music next to practical life, Art next to sensorial, and history next Language.
Try to put much of your cultural next to language, because it's the CULTURAL materials that inspire your kids to want to read!
Those are my tips, Do you have any? I'd love to hear them!
