
How To Create a Productive Space For Your Students & Your School's Professionals
Setting the Stage for Success
When creating a productive and engaging learning environment for students, it's important to prioritize functionality, durability, and flexibility. Investment in the right furniture, supplies, and technology directly correlates to overall student engagement and success. With classroom furniture solutions from Staples, you'll have everything you need to create an ideal learning environment that fosters growth, creativity, and academic achievement.
With the best warranties in the industry, you can invest with furniture from Staples with confidence. From student desk sets and chairs to storage solutions and boards, our furniture options are built to stand the test of time and support the learning needs of students—year after year.
What To Include In Your Classroom
The best classroom atmosphere is one that supports student engagement, comfort, and overall academic success. When students feel comfortable and inspired in their learning environment, they're more likely to actively participate—leading to improved academic performance. That's why it's important to find furniture, supplies, and technology that promote engagement, facilitates learning, and supports multiple teaching styles.
Classroom Furniture
It's important to recognize that not all classrooms are alike. Each one serves different age groups and subjects, which is why choosing the right furniture is crucial. Especially for elementary school classrooms, it's best to opt for durable materials which can be easily wiped clean, such as vinyl and plastic.
Desks and Tables
When it comes to choosing student desks and classroom tables, versatility is key. Look for options that can be easily rearranged to accommodate different learning activities and foster collaboration among students. We offer a range of table types to meet the needs of different class types, such as science tables.
Open learning environments, classroom space, and flexibility in furniture arrangement can have positive effects on learning outcomes.1
Furniture that can adapt to different classroom layouts creates a flexible environment that encourages student engagement and teamwork. Whether it's group projects, discussions, or individual work, having mobile desks and tables that can be easily reconfigured ensures that classrooms can cater to the specific needs of students and their learning objectives.
For older students, you may opt for training tables for a flexible and collaborative set up.
Seating Options
It's best to choose classroom chairs that provide optimal comfort and support to students. Vinyl chairs are particularly great in the classroom as their durable material offers easy maintenance and cleaning as well as resistance to spills and stains.
Incorporate bean bags and comfortable seating to create cozy corners or alternative seating areas where students can relax, read, collaborate, or work independently. This type of seating promotes the mental health of your students and offers a more relaxed and inviting atmosphere, seamlessly accommodating different learning styles and preferences.
Room Dividers
Whether it's creating quiet study corners, organizing small group discussions, or setting up project workstations, room dividers offer a versatile solution for optimizing classroom space. With a room divider, you can create distinct areas within your classroom, providing privacy for individual tasks or focused activities, as well as designated spaces for collaborative group work. This flexibility allows teachers to easily adapt the classroom layout to suit different teaching styles and activities.
Classroom Organization
Organization in a busy, high-traffic classroom is crucial for student and teacher success. Having proper storage solutions in place ensures that supplies and materials are easily accessible and well-maintained. Whether it's storage shelves, carts, cubes, cabinets, or bins, choosing the right storage option can make a significant difference in maximizing organization and promoting efficient classroom management.
Storage Carts & Bins
In the dynamic world of the classroom, where learning materials and supplies are in constant demand, classroom storage carts, mobile carts and storage bins come to the rescue as they offer mobility and flexibility so teachers can easily transport supplies from one area to another with ease. These versatile solutions help teachers streamline efficiency so students can learn without disruptions.
Thanks to their compact size and lightweight construction, storage bins can easily move around the classroom, following teachers and students to different areas as needed. Whether during group work, individual activities, or transitions between subjects, these portable storage bins provide the flexibility students and teachers need to carry essential supplies wherever they're required.
Storage Cabinets & Shelving
Storage cabinets, shelves, and cubes offer an efficient solution for larger classroom storage needs. Ideal for storing books, binders, and other larger learning materials, classroom storage shelves provide ample storage space. Storage cabinets offer an enclosed storage option that may be better for extra supplies or important information.
Storage cubes are a convenient solution that offer a more custom approach to classroom organization. Thanks to their stackable design, teachers can create a storage system that perfectly suits their classroom requirements. Available in various sizes and configurations, storage cubes are a great way to store and easily access toys, books, and other classroom essentials.
Classroom Technology for Students and Teachers
Create a vibrant and effective learning environment that supports both students and staff in achieving their goals with thoughtfully integrated technology solutions. Empower students with comprehensive solutions designed to enhance learning at all grade levels, from early education, to K-12, and higher education.
Over 70% of schools reported that teachers use technology for enhanced teaching in school, with about half saying that the teachers wouldn't be able to complete classroom work without it.2
Classroom Technology
Amplify learning with classroom technology that supports lessons and promotes productivity, helping teachers with presentations, and keeping students engaged.
Teacher Solutions
Help teachers keep tech organized and powered up with computer storage and charging units that house shared laptops and tablets in a central storage location.
Printers allow teachers to create differentiated worksheets, handouts, study guides, and visual aids so students have access to tangible learning materials to refer to that are fit to their specific needs. Take this a step further, using a laminator to create interactive activities like flashcards, puzzles, and other learning games to promote higher engagement amongst students.
Students experience greater reading comprehension, and can read 30% faster when looking at texts that are printed.3
Label makers and binding machines aid in classroom organization, and can be used to label calendar and classroom charts for younger students, and student work, files, grades, equipment, and additional learning resources for older students. These items help present these materials in a durable and organized format, elevating the overall learning experience.
With the ability to create large visual displays, projectors and projector screens improve classroom presentations, making complex concepts easier to grasp. With this, lessons become more engaging and interactive for students. These tech essentials not only enhance teaching methods and keep students actively engaged in learning, they also help teachers create and maintain a well-organized classroom space that supports educational growth.
Student Solutions
Laptops & Tablets
Encourage digital literacy and create an absorbing learning atmosphere for students with tablets, iPads, and Chromebooks. These powerful tech tools not only foster interactive learning but also enable personalized instruction and collaborative experiences. There's no use creating an analog world in your school when students live in an increasingly digitized one. Embrace the present and equip students with the digital resources they need to thrive in today's technology-driven world.
45% of schools reported having a personal computer for each student.4
Committing to the regular maintenance for these products such as using screen wipes on surfaces to prevent the spread of germs and keep the tech from getting dirty, as well as canned air dusters to remove dust particles and crumbs from nooks and crannies keep products clean and maximizes their lifespan. Adding tablet and Chromebook tablet accessories such as cases keep products safe, while keyboards and styluses help students maximizes productivity.
Tech Accessories For Students
Computers and tablets aside, basic calculators, graphing calculators, and headphones are other important classroom items that enhance the learning experience. These solutions help create a well-rounded and immersive learning environment that caters to diverse needs and learning styles.
Classroom Boards & Resources
Classroom accessories are a great way to personalize and enhance every type of learning space. In addition to essentials like white boards, teachers can add a bit of flare and fun to their classroom with decorations, posters, and more.
Whiteboards
As the canvas for sharing lessons, visuals, and important information, whiteboards and easels are one of the most important aspects of the classroom. For educators, investing in a high-quality, stain-resistant, and durable glass whiteboard or porcelain whiteboard is a wise decision. These boards offer exceptional clarity and visibility, ensuring that lessons and presentations are crisp and easy to read. Mobile whiteboards bring flexibility to the classroom, allowing teachers and students to easily adapt their learning environment and switch between different activities and teaching methods.
With high-quality whiteboards, students can focus on the lesson being shared without distractions, while teachers can confidently present information knowing that it will be seen clearly by everyone in the classroom. No whiteboard is ever complete, however, without a reliable supply of dry erase markers, whiteboard erasers, magnets, and whiteboard cleaners and wipes.
Make sure to stock up on all essential easel supplies such as easel pads and markers to stay prepared and ready for the next lesson.
Teacher Resources
There are many learning accessories and resources that teacher's can choose to foster a fun, productive, and inspiring learning space. Bulletin Boards serve as a versatile tool in the classroom, offering a space to display classroom decorations and showcase student awards. Maps and globes and educational posters also provide valuable visual aids, helping to capture students' attention, reinforce learning objectives, and create an engaging atmosphere.
Especially for younger grades, incorporating arts and crafts supplies and educational toys can further enhance the learning experience. Supplies, such as crayons, colored pencils, markers, construction paper, and glue, allow students to express their creativity and develop fine motor skills. Educational toys, on the other hand, provide a fun approach to hands-on learning, helping students develop important problem-solving and critical thinking skills. From building blocks and puzzles to interactive games and STEM Kits, these resources engage young learners and make the classroom a dynamic and interactive space.
Sources
1Investigating the impact of Flexible Furniture in the Elementary Classroom - baylor-ir.tdl.org
2Use of educational technology for instruction in public schools: 2019–20 - nces.ed.gov
3Why your classroom still needs a printer - perryprotech.com
4Use of educational technology for instruction in public schools: 2019–20 - nces.ed.gov