How to Start a Classroom Revamp When You Don't Know Where to Begin
I walked into my classroom, took one look around, and immediately promised my daughter we could go to the pool afterward. That's how it started.
Everything was pushed to the sides. Books were everywhere. There was a filing cabinet full of things I couldn't explain. Behind a bookshelf was a corner I was calling "The Hole That Time Forgot." I was completely and entirely overwhelmed.
This video is the beginning of a full classroom revamp series - and it is exactly as messy and unfiltered as that sounds. I show you what I walked into, how I started making sense of it, and what I actually got done before I had to go play mermaids.
Why I bother - and why you might too
I know some teachers wonder why anyone would spend summer time in their classroom. Here's my honest answer: I'm in this room more hours than I'm in my own living room. The students who come in here deserve a space that makes them feel comfortable, welcome, and safe. And the data I have - just from student feedback over the years - tells me that the environment matters. A lot.
That's not an expectation I put on anyone else. It's just why I do it. And if you're watching this, you probably feel it too.
How I got unstuck
The key wasn't having a plan. It was making one — in the moment, out loud, with a camera rolling and the knowledge that my executive functioning would eventually kick in.
Here's what actually worked:
Start with the books. I pulled everything off shelves and sorted into piles: theatre books (going across campus), PD books (staying), Shakespeare (his own shrine, always), books to pass on, books for my son. Sorting is not glamorous but it's concrete. Concrete tasks break the overwhelm.
Name the problems out loud. I literally walked around calling out what was wrong. Filing cabinet I don't use. Cabinets I hate the look of. Corner that needs a purpose. Once problems are named, solutions become possible.
Commit to one corner. I decided the far corner was going to be a reading nook. That's it. One decision & everything else stayed in motion.
Stop before you hit the wall. I did stop. I had to. I was starting to spiral. Stopping before you fully crash means you come back the next day - and the day after that - instead of avoiding the space for a week.
The most useful thing I can tell you
It's okay if it looks like a mess at the end of day one. That's what a real classroom revamp looks like. It gets worse before it gets better, and that's not a sign that you're doing it wrong - it's a sign that you're actually doing it.
Watch the full video for the complete walk-through of what I walked into, what I decided to do about it, and what I found in that donation bag that made the whole thing worth filming. (Spoiler: it involved erotic poetry and a religious pamphlet in the same bag. I cannot make this up.)
Looking for help setting up systems — not just furniture — in your classroom?
SYS 104: Classroom Culture at BNT University walks you through the first weeks of school: how to set up your space, establish routines, and create the culture your students need. Free at the 100 level.
