Everybody Clean-Up! Tips for Keeping Your Classroom Clean

7/20/2017 (Permalink)

Are classroom messes making you miserable?  Get students in on the act and straighten your classroom in no time at all.  The ideas below are teacher-tested with excellent cleaning results!

Classroom Clean-Up Ideas

Magic Helpers

Linda, who teaches 1st Grade in Pacific, MO, adds a bit of magic to her clean-up routine.  “I found that my little ones will be more willing to help clean up our classroom if we have some fun with it,” she explains.  “I tell them that it is time to ‘call in the elves’ to help with the cleanup. Of course, the elves only come out and help with my students, so I turn my back and count to 30 (or more, depending on how messy the room is…) and when I turn around the kids are in their seats, the room is spotless, and the elves have magically disappeared! They love the idea that only they can get the elves to come out and help, and it works every time ! They even beg to “call in the elves” when it looks like the room needs tidying. This has never failed to get the class motivated for some cleanup.”

Mystery Trash

Keep your floors clean with this idea by Sarah, who teaches 3rd grade, in Kentucky.  “I always had problems keeping my floor clean throughout the day and by the end of the day it was always messy. In order to get the students motivated to clean up the floor, I pick a mystery piece of trash. Sometimes I plant it in a place that is hard to find, or I pick something that is obvious. As soon as I announce that there is a mystery piece, the students race to pick up as much trash as they can find. If they find the mystery piece, they get a piece of candy. They are happy and I am happy because my floor is spotless!”

Stuck on You

Get students stuck on cleaning with this inexpensive and fun idea by Laurie, a 2nd Grade teacher, from Shannock, Rhode Island.  “Clean up after messy cutting projects or even at the end of the day can go quicker when you give each child a masking tape bracelet. The children delight in cleaning up when picking up scraps with their bracelets!”

What are some of your favorite ways to motivate students to help you clean the classroom?  Share them with us below!

Credit: Brandi Jordan, Really Good Stuff
http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/community/classroom-clean-up/