20 Tips For Doing Your End of Year Science Classroom Inventory

No matter how tempted you are to just lock the door of the science classroom and “deal with it in August”, you will appreciate the time you took at the end of the year to get things in order. When the busy new school year comes, and you have everything labeled and at your fingertips, you will be much more relaxed!

Here are some basic organization tips that I’ve done every year. I like to have a well stocked classroom, but I have a very limited budget so I need to be careful with all of my supplies. I put together what I consider to be the essentials for what should be in you science classroom inventory if you are teaching middle school. Basic Supplies You Need in Your Science Classroom.

Set Up Your Science Classroom Inventory

• Give all drawers, closet shelves and cabinets a number and label them with tape or a label maker. These numbers will correspond with your inventory list that you keep near you during lesson planning.(Are You Looking For A Super Organized Lesson Planner Just For Science Teachers?)

• Label every container with it’s contents. You will also know what belongs in an any empty container you find during the year.

• Use as many transparent, cheap Dollar store shoe boxes as possible. Visibility is key when you are in a hurry to gather supplies.

• Put like objects together in bins, such as all electricity unit materials. However, don’t add often used items like magnifying glasses or thermometers. Keep these items in easy to reach areas.

• Count and record your graduated cylinders, beakers, Petri dishes, flasks, etc.  Perhaps order more if needed. I use dollar store measuring cups A LOT. (Teach Science with Dollar Store Classroom Supplies!) 

• THROW AWAY ITEMS THAT YOU HAVEN’T USED FOR TWO YEARS OR MORE! We all have those weird items that we inherited from a past teacher or was donated along the way. If it’s using important space…donate it or trash it. 

• Trash any old chemicals, consolidate multiple containers of one substance and write down what you have. (I dictate a list on my phone while I’m working)

• Take pictures of your cabinets. I add them to my Google Drive and Trello for quick reference. (How Teachers Can Use Trello for Organizing Lesson Units!)

Inventory Your Science Resources

• Organize and record your bulletin board components. I ALWAYS forgot I had good posters before I started doing this inventory. I would finish the entire unit before remembering! Also, take pictures throughout the year of the bulletin boards that you are proud of, as part of your teacher portfolio!  

• Take everything out of your desk and organize it so you start fresh in August. If you share a room, get a Dollar Store toolbox to put your own supplies such as Expo markers, pens, stapler, etc. in a separate drawer.
  

• If you have a filing cabinet, get it in working order and throw out what hasn’t used for over a year. 

• Organize your classroom library. Group your books by subjects. If you are ambitious, give them codes or colors. Write the names of the books you want to remember to use with each unit of your pacing guide.
  

Your Digital Files Need Attention

• Organize your Google Drive! Trash files that are duplicates or haven’t been used for years.  

• Add new materials and kits to your pacing guides to remember to use them.

• Organize your YouTube playlists. Over time, some videos become broken links and others aren’t useful anymore. Go for quality vs quantity so you aren’t scrolling in front of students. I put video links in my lesson plans so I don’t have to scroll at all.

• Organize your bookmarks. Discard broken links or sites you no longer need. Add specific sites to your lesson plans. (A List of Super Websites for Science Teachers)

• If your students do digital science notebooks, save two or three representative notebooks from each unit  as PDFs to save in your Google Drive. These can be used to show students in the future and to remind yourself exactly what you covered. (How I Use Digital Notebooks to Maximize Student Learning)

Prepare Your Labs For Next Year

• Based on your finished inventory, prepare shopping lists and purchase orders. This is much easier when you are relaxed and not rushed before a unit.

• Review your reflection journal(if kept) to tweak your lab procedures and pacing guides. (7 Reasons Why You Should Keep a Teacher Journal)

• Gather a list of recyclables for parents to collect such as toilet paper rolls, cardboard, cereal boxes, wrapping paper rolls, etc. I like to send this out before the summer so they are part of my science classroom inventory in the fall.

Conclusion

Taking the time at the end of the year to inventory and organize your science classroom is endlessly rewarding in the fall! You will thank yourself many times after you enjoy your summer and start the new school year with ease!

By the way, make sure that you stay in this left column. If you find yourself having only one column, the sidebar will come first on mobile screens and the placement will be out of order.