Two Classrooms into One- The First Steps

Often times when presented with a co teaching situation, two teachers are combining resources and classroom materials into one space. This has happened to both of us. It's a good idea to have open communication about how to do this without stepping on anyone's toes. The best advice is to always be open and honest with your co worker.  Everyone has pet peeves but as long as everyone is open about them, the more problems can be avoided.

Some things to consider when merging classrooms are as follows: 

• materials do you combine them or keep things separate? Referring to teacher resources many of us spend our own money on materials. It seems the longer you teach the more we accumulate...often some are past down from our friends who are lucky enough to retire. Make sure your name is written somewhere on the resource.
• classroom supplies-paper, pencils, markers and all kinds of other crafty supplies 
• teacher desks- should you have one to share or both have a desk? This may also depend on how much room there is in your classroom. Recently we decided to forgo one teacher desk to save room. After all we don't sit at them much anyway.  If you decide to each keep a desk is it ok for the other person to go in your desk to get something? 
• set up the classroom where is everything going to ? How will student desks be arranged? Rows? U shaped? 
• file cabinets 
• student access to supplies- markers, glue etc.
• bulletin boards - do you each have your own? Is one person going to be in charge of all the bulletin boards in the room? 
• If you do not teach all your classes together is it a problem if the person who is on prep is doing work in the room while the other is teaching?