Our district hired a carpenter/wood craftsperson (with excellent references) to make a customized cart out of oak for each of our buildings. [See bottom of page for a photo.]
For the design, I looked through piles of school furniture catalogues. My husband (an engineer) and I designed one to fit the needs of FLES traveling teachers.
Each is in a "tepee" shape (from a narrow top to a wider bottom for stability) and has large magnetic white boards on each side. Each is exactly six feet high and three feet wide to fit through all doorways. YOU MUST MEASURE ALL DOORWAYS IN EACH SCHOOL BEFORE CONSTRUCTION TO INSURE ACCESS TO ALL AREAS OF THE BUILDING!!! -- AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY).
There are hooks (for hanging decorations, pocket folders, etc.) and a poster strip (which allows you to hang a poster without magnets) on the uppermost oak board. There is a tray below the white board on each side to hold erasable markers and erasers. Under the tray on each lower side is a cork board for posting pictures, etc. Inside, there are four shelves (the bottom one is removable for transporting bulky objects like piñatas).
It has plenty of storage and is very stable. The only disadvantage is the weight since it is of oak. One teacher requested larger wheels so it moves easier. I opted for smaller ones since I did not want the heavy cart running away from me.
Everytime I push or pull the cart or maneuver it through a doorway, I gain the
benefits of weight-training which is super at any age. My husband has even
remarked about how much stronger I am now when we have to move furniture around the house. (One teacher has had handles installed on each side to make pushing easier.) When pushing, it is essential to remember to stand up straight and push in the most natural way so to avoid back problems, of course.
It's essential to move slowly through the halls; I have not had a collision yet! The children have been told to watch for the cart, not to push it for me, and not to touch anything onboard.
The two-sided, magnetized white board allows you to prepare visuals for two grade-level lessons ahead of time. This feature is essential with a schedule of back-to-back grade level changes. Displaying Spanish print is easily done via my cart since I have minimal/no space inside classrooms at this point for displays.
I love my cart and am so grateful to the administration in my district for spending the money (~$1500 each!) to allow traveling from room to room to be more productive and efficient.
Note: I am happy to report that there are fine carts available commercially. It incorporates some features of my cart and is less expensive. Visit
to view the many varieties of carts and literacy centers on wheels available.
