Teacher Tip #3: Daily Organizing

Last Saturday, I shared with you one of my favorite summer finds for my classroom - the Pen Pal.  In today's Teacher Tip, I would like to show you how I organize my weekly papers and materials.

For several years, every Friday I would copy all my papers for the next week and file them into labeled manila file folders.  I had a file folder for each day in a file holder on my desk.  This worked great for papers.  They were right at my fingertips, and I could just pull out the file and be ready for the day.  However, anything else I needed to use {manipulatives, task cards, games, etc.} did not easily fit into the file folders.  I started having stacks of items piled up around my desk and classroom.

So this year, I switched my paper organization to something that would also hold larger items.

I bought two of the Sterilite drawers from Walmart so that I had six drawers total.  Each drawer easily hold regular size papers.  I can also fit any other items that I will need for the day - task card sets, review games, and math manipulatives. I also found some cute labels on TPT. {I'm sorry that I can't remember who they were from.  However, I found another free set similar to mine that is just as cute! }  I taped them inside the see-through drawer fronts, and so far they have held up nicely.  Plus the drawers fit perfectly on my counter!

Now on Fridays I still copy all my papers for the next week, but I slip them into my drawers instead.  I also add any thing else I am using for that day.  Every morning, I just pull everything out of that day's drawer, and it's all ready to go. 

The only thing I haven't been able to fit in there are posters and my Judy clock, but I can live with that!

On an unrelated note, something exciting is happening on April 2nd.  I can't tell you about it yet, but I can't wait until I can!!

 

Teacher Tip #2: Pencil Pals

It's Saturday again which means that it is time for the next post in my teacher tips series.  Last Saturday, I shared how you can use your laminator to make pockets for games, centers, and even storage. Today, I am sharing a tip that has helped me so much this year in my classroom.

Over the summer as I was planning and preparing for a new school year, I found an interesting product at my local Walmart.

 

{It's actually called a pen pal, but since my students only use pencils, I automatically call them pencil pals. You can also find them on Amazon.}  Of course, the Walmart I was shopping at only had one package of three pen pals.  This obviously was not going to be enough for my classroom.  I kept looking every time I went near a school supply section of any store.  Finally I found a Walmart that had enough for all my desks!!

The pen pals came in packs of 3 with one green, red, and blue in each pack.  They have a peel off sticker underneath {similar to a command strip} which allows the pen pal to stay firmly in place on the desk.  I honestly expected them to start falling off about half way through the year.  However, it is almost the end of March, and I still haven't had to replace or fix even one of them. 

I put a pen pal on every desk right above the name tags.  Each student has a neon colored pencil that stays in the pen pal at all time unless they are writing with it.  Every day after school, my son sharpens all the pencils and puts them back in the pen pals.  

I can't tell you how much I enjoy not having to wait while one or two students struggle to find a pencil in their messy desks.  For that reason alone, these useful tools have been a lifesaver in my classroom this year!

Teacher Tip #1: Lamination Pockets

Teaching is both challenging and rewarding in so many ways.  We strive to inspire our students, teach them to love learning, and help them do the best they can.  Those goals are complicated by the everyday classroom difficulties like messy desks, lost pencils, and desks covered in glue.

 I am starting a weekly linky on Saturdays where I will be sharing some of my favorite teaching tips.

I'm sure many of us use our laminator on a regular basis.  Did you know that you can use the laminator to make pockets?  Here's how:

1. Laminate two pieces of paper the same shape and size together.  The front of my pocket is from my Irregular Verb Tense Sort.  The back is just an off-white piece of paper that I cut to fit. {Don't glue the pieces.  Just set them inside the laminating pouch together.}

2.  Cut around the pocket, but make sure you leave about a 1/2 inch of lamination on every side. This edge ensures that your pocket doesn't separate into two pieces.

3. Cut along the top edge of the pocket.  This time, cut as close to the paper as you can get.  Cutting close to the paper allows your two papers to be opened up.

 Lamination pockets work great for word sorts and centers.  You could also make the center directions a pocket and store the pieces or task cards inside the directions.  I have also used lamination pockets with my students names on them to hold their reward tickets until they redeem them. 

Now it's your turn.  Tell us about your favorite tip to make teaching easier.  Add the following graphic to your post with a link back to my blog. Then add your blog link to the linky below.  Remember to show some love and comment on at least three other blogs.  I can't wait to hear your teaching tips! 

An InLinkz Link-up