Cleaning Tips for the Classroom

Do you have a cleaning routine for your classroom? Classroom jobs? It can definitely be a challenge to keep the room tidy during the school day with everything else you have going on. There are definitely days when I have to leave the room in a hurry and things are ...well...not neat at all. I have in no way perfected keeping things clean. We do have classroom jobs that we do nearly every day, but here are some fun ways that I have figured out over the years to help tidy things up quickly when necessary either at the end of the day or throughout the day. The key is to break it up and not use the same strategy too often or it can lose its effectiveness. 

Keeping the Floors Clean

Throughout the day, the floors can collect little pieces of paper, pencils, markers, water bottles, books, out of place flexible seating, you name it... but these will be simple solutions to combat the problem and have a tidy classroom floor. 

1. Set a timer and have students race to see how many things they can pick up that should not be on the floor. They place the items on their desks and at the end of the minute or two, whoever has found and cleaned up the most will get a prize. I keep a jar of small erasers and another of candy. Either works, and it is super affordable. Sometimes, if it seems too close, or if the class in general does a great job, I will give everyone a prize for a job well done.

2. Turn cleaning the floor into a game. I like to introduce this game to every class I have. I call it the Secret Piece Game. It is simple to play and manage. Before you announce the start of the game, look around the classroom floor and find a certain piece of trash or item that is out of place. Then I announce to the students that I have a secret piece of trash. They scramble out of their seats and find as many items as they can. Before they throw the trash away or put the item back in place, they must show me. I just tell them thank you as they show me, but do not reveal whether or not they have found my secret piece. I do pay attention to who has picked up the secret piece. I do not end the game until the classroom floor is cleaned up. Once it is cleaned up, I do a ten second countdown and they know to show me all they have before sitting back down in their seat. Once everyone is seated, I will announce the secret piece finder who will usually get a small decorative eraser. I keep a jar of erasers that I purchase at Target in the Bullseye Playground. Usually you can get a bag of 60 for a dollar. 

As you can see, keeping your classroom neat and tidy can be quick and it can also be fun. By simply adding a timer or playing a clean up game, students are engaged and attitudes are positive. Students will have fun cleaning up your classroom. 

Happy Cleaning!