As an early childhood educator, you probably spend a lot of time in your classroom. Five days a week, it's the place where you instruct, encourage and invest in your students, helping them to become better learners. 

While you have likely already spent a lot of time making the most of the workspace, there are always ways to improve your classroom to create a safer and more successful space for your students.  

Areas for learning
Start by looking at the areas that are specifically dedicated to learning. The following are types of classroom centers that can help your kids develop important skills:

• Music: Sound is an critical part of a child's development and music is particularly powerful. This area can have small drums and other noisemakers that kids can explore  during approved times. You might want to keep them packed away until then to avoid creating a loud, chaotic environment when it's not music time.
• Art: Give your students an opportunity to express their creativity with art supplies, such as paints, crayons and colored paper. While you will need to supervise any wet supplies carefully, having a few coloring books and pencils or crayons out is a great option for free time. 
• Math: Though your students may not be ready for formal math lessons, there are still ways you can encourage this type of learning. Jars with small objects like beanbags can help with early counting. Just be sure that you don't use items that could be a choking hazard. 
• Reading: Books are an important part of any education, including at the preschool level. Create a comfortable space with pillows or cushions and plenty of books with colorful pictures to make reading time fun. 

The right setup in your classroom can do a lot for your students.

Areas for playing
Though learning is an important part of any preschool classroom, play is also a critical component of the school experience for young children. During this time, kids are able to develop their creativity by making up their own games and taking on roles in fictional storylines. You can encourage this by providing supplies that create opportunities for this type of play, such as dress-up clothes and imaginative props.

Having materials for active play is also important. Hula hoops, jump ropes and similar items show children that exercise can be fun, which can help set up good habits for an active lifestyle. Water tables are another exciting choice that can help kids develop motor and sensory skills.  

To learn more about creating a safe and educational classroom for your preschool students, consider enrolling in early childhood education courses from ProSolutions Training. Some courses that can help you develop your classroom are "Classroom Management 101" and "The Mindful Classroom."