"To Go" Boxes
Cubbies are not only good for organizational purposes, but they help with student responsibility. Cubbies or "to go" boxes as I like to call them, help students learn to take responsibility for their papers/items that need to be brought home. However, if your classroom doesn't have cubbies (like mine!) here is a smart alternative. Go to IKEA and ask where the FLYT Magazine files are. They have some in other colors, but they are little more pricey and you really can't beat 5 for $1.49! Once you put the files together (super easy!) label each one with a students name or in my case, their class number. These also work great for "book boxes" or places to store books for individual students. STOCK UP ON THESE! Tip: If you use these magazine files to hold books, occasionally the weight of the books will make the bottoms fall through. All you need to do is put some packing tape on the bottom and WA-LA! Good as new!)
"Play On Words" Treats
After student teaching with the infamous Mrs. Buttars, I learned the cutest tips and tricks. At the beginning of the year, Mrs. Buttars handed out little containers of bubbles to each student. On the bubbles there was a cute note that said something along the lines of "I'm bubbling to meet you!" While I was at the store I found a huge bag of gummy worms and a clever thought came to my head... "I've been squirming to meet you!" Below is a picture of the treats I will hand out. Simple and cute!
Numbered Pencils
Teachers! Are you tired of your students losing pencils all day, every day?! Here is a simple, positive solution... Assign each student in your class a number. That number will be associated with the student all school year long. Label their pencils (you can also label glue, box of crayons, notebooks, etc.) with the number. Let students know that at the end of the week if they still have their numbered pencil they will get a sticker or some sort of prize (POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT!). Extra tip: put their number next to their name on their desk (ex: Miss Rohner 12). That way, if a student finds a pencil on the ground with a #12 on it, they know who the pencil belongs to! Hope this helps!
Behavior Chart
If you read my previous post, you saw the perks of assigning students to a number. Courtesy of Mrs. Buttars' (my colleague and friend) brilliant ideas, I have implemented this number system into my behavior chart. Now, when the students "clip down" for undesirable behavior their name won't be broadcasted, but rather their number. This will create a sort of privacy for the students and eliminate embarrassment (it's easier to memorize names than it is associate a number for a name). The picture below shows my behavior chart with the numbered clothes pins to represent each student.