If there is one thing I am constantly searching for, it’s a better storage system to organize classroom supplies.

I love a clean, organized area. I love the idea of every supply having a home. I love those perfectly organized teacher closets on Pinterest.

Actually, keeping everything organized? That’s a different story.

No matter how many systems I create, things somehow end up piled in a basket, shoved in a drawer, or tossed into a bin with the intention of “I’ll deal with it later.”

By now, some of you are probably thinking, “Amy, haven’t you written about organization before?”

Yes. Yes, I have.

In fact, I’ve shared my Teacher Toolkit Organizer, classroom organization systems, storage ideas, and probably enough containers to fill an entire teacher supply closet. Yet somehow, I’m still finding new areas that need a better system.

Apparently, organization isn’t a destination. It’s a lifestyle. Or maybe it’s a cycle where I get everything looking beautiful, work for a few months, and then start over again.

If you’ve missed those posts, you can check out my Teacher Toolkit Organizer and my 3 Classroom Organization Systems That Save Time. They were both part of my ongoing quest to create systems that actually stick.

This latest project focused on organizing the supplies and teaching materials that I reach for most often. And honestly, the biggest game changer wasn’t buying new containers or finding a magical storage solution.

It was labeling everything. 

Why Labels Make Such a Difference

I’ve learned that organizational systems only work when they are easy to maintain. If I have to stop and think about where something belongs, there’s a good chance it won’t make it back to the correct spot.

Labels remove the guesswork. When every container clearly says Dry Erase Markers, Pencils, Scissors, or Glue Sticks, there’s no decision-making involved. I can quickly grab what I need when I’m creating resources, prepping materials, or getting ready for a substitute teaching day.

Even better, if someone else is helping me put things away, they know exactly where everything belongs. That’s a win for everyone.

And if you’re ready to stop playing the “where does this go again?” game, these exact supply and storage labels I used to pull it all together drop inside the GYTO Library soon!

Organizing My Daily-Use Teaching Supplies

The first area I tackled was the shelf that holds all of my frequently used supplies. Instead of digging through drawers or random containers, I sorted everything into clear bins and added simple labels to the front.

Now I can quickly find dry-erase markers, pencils, scissors, glue sticks, crayons, markers, colored pencils, and math manipulatives without digging through multiple containers. Having supplies visible and labeled makes it much easier to keep the area tidy and saves time when I’m working on resources or preparing classroom materials.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that if supplies are hidden, I forget I own them. Clear bins solve that problem instantly. Clear Bins + Pretty Labels = Organization of My Dreams

Organizing Curriculum and Activity Storage by Month

Once my supply shelf was finished, I moved on to organizing teaching materials and classroom activities. This is where I started using labeled curriculum boxes by month. I’ve done something similar for our Rooted in Reading units, but these new colorful labels bring me so much joy.

The goal is simple: when April rolls around, I can pull my April box and immediately have access to seasonal activities, crafts, centers, and teaching resources that fit that time of year. It eliminates the need to hunt through file cabinets, digital folders, and random stacks of paper, trying to remember where I saved something.

Now before anyone gets too impressed, let’s agree not to look inside those boxes.

The outside is beautifully labeled. The inside is still a work in progress.

Let’s just say the organizational transformation has not yet reached the contents of the April, May, and August boxes. Right now, we’re celebrating the fact that I know where the boxes are. Organizing what’s actually inside them is a future Amy problem.

Want to give your supplies the kind of home they actually deserve?

The Supply, Storage, and Toolkit Labels I used throughout this post are dropping soon inside the GYTO Library — and they make the whole process feel a little more joyful and a lot less overwhelming. Be the first to know the moment they go live by joining us in the GYTO Library.