• Get organised

Creating and organising a work space for teaching and learning doesn’t need to be a daunting task.

With a little planning, your home classroom will be efficient, engaging, productive and fun.

Colourful, inviting spaces can be created in order to manage worksheets, books, maths equipment and teaching resources you will enjoy.

For younger children, organise your space to encourage learning through play and set everything up at or below the eye level of the child.

If you are studying independently, invest time into a home classroom that you can love.  Ensure the space is one that you feel comfortable yet productive in.

Organise Your Home Classroom

• Get creative

Integrating a classroom into your home can be a fun project.  Where space is limited get creative and think outside the box.  You or your student should associate the area with the habit of study and routine.  Organisation is key and will lead to efficient learning time and effective study sessions.

If you cannot dedicate a whole room to your home classroom, spread out to smaller areas around the house.  A desk in one room and a laptop computer in another is not a negative.  Changes of scenery can be beneficial to the home learner, refreshing you during longer periods of study.

Be creative with your classroom.  Use spare cupboards in your home to house larger items.  Make use of labelled baskets and boxes to tidy equipment away after a hard day studying – returning your home to a relaxing environment is as important as getting your classroom space right.  You may feel anxious to see text books winking back at you during a movie night – where possible, store such items away or cover shelves – perhaps with a pretty and colourful curtain.  It is so important to support your time away from the books!

Opt for a desk that suits your requirements and preferences in order to teach yourself maths.  Make a DIY project for yourself – paint your desk or decorate your space with inspiring and peaceful prints  – the possibilities are endless.

Choose Your Furniture

• Be practical

Make use of the space available to you.  The backs of cupboard doors can be used to display worksheets – along with the usual wall space.  Invest in a fold down desk if space is limited and always, always ensure you work from a comfortable chair!  A room doorway is the perfect place to hang a white board.  Magnetic paint is another great idea for displaying work, timetables or study plans.  Stationery can always be stored neatly in a hanging organiser – or if one is not available a shoe organiser will do the job just perfectly!

Think about how you want this space to work for you and most importantly enjoy the project of creating your perfect home classroom to encourage your learning!