Making a Music Room Floor Plan

It's official - I am getting my music classroom back next year! After pushing into teachers' classrooms for nine months, I am excited to be back on my own turf. I can't help but plan ahead!

This will be my 18th year in the same classroom! It feels unbelievable that I have worked so long in this one lovely and roomy space. I still ask the principal every year if she will knock down the wall between my classroom and the identical empty classroom next door to double my square footage. Guess what...it has not happened yet!

Here are my tips to create a classroom layout that works for you and your students.

DEALBREAKERS

When planning your classroom layout, start by listing your must-haves and deal-breakers. This will be different from teacher to teacher, so think about your own! Here are mine:

• Wide open area for games and creative movement

• Barred instruments out and available for all classes

• Clearly defined student seating area

• Work area for both myself and a student teacher

• Lots of room for kids to enter/exit without messing with all of my stuff

• No chairs or risers to move during the school day (I HATE IT)

Moving chairs in the middle of the day?

PHYSICAL SPACE

With all of that in mind, take a look at the physical space available and what structural elements you need to work around.

My classroom is roomy - a long rectangle with multiple doors and built-in storage. I want all classroom and cabinet doors to remain accessible. Be sure to note your projector and computer port placement!

TRAFFIC PATTERNS

Time to mark traffic patterns...

SEATING

Now the seating arrangement. As I said before, chairs or risers are not an option for me because I hate moving them with all my heart and soul. I am not exaggerating. Moving chairs or risers between classes makes me sweaty and angry. It makes me hate everything and everyone. It is in everyone's best interests for me to avoid chairs and risers.

Thankfully my classroom has carpet, and my students sit on the floor. I use 1" sew on hook fastener to mark students' spots. The hooks grip right into my carpet. If you think this solution will work for you, go to hookandloop.com for an amazing selection of colors!

This type of seating allows for every wall to be a teaching area. My students can turn any direction without having to move chairs or risers. It is awesome! My lines are blue, green, and yellow with a red rectangle around the perimeter.

FURNITURE AND INSTRUMENTS

Now determine what instruments and furniture to keep in your classroom. If you're able, only keep the stuff you will use. I hate having a bunch of extra stuff around, and I am serious about getting rid of extra furniture. This is what I keep in our learning area:

• Barred instruments and other large unpitched percussion

• Piano

• Desks and chairs for teacher and student teacher

• Small Book Display Shelf

Next the fun part - place your instruments and furniture! Think about student placement and what they will bother when they are moving, sitting, entering, and exiting.

After being in the same room for an era, I've got my arrangement down pat! But there are still a few spots that bug me. The kids by the piano always mess with the wheels. Those sitting by the barred instruments like to mess with the glockenspiels and mallets, so I always give them the jobs of being INSTRUMENT PROTECTORS (you have to say it in an impressive voice). They make sure nobody breaks anything! If the class is small enough, I just leave those areas empty.

Phew! That is a lot of thinking, but putting this thought into classroom layout before looking at decor will have a huge impact on how my classroom runs during the year. Let me know how you have made your space work!