Lunch Cards

In our school, the students have two choices for hot lunch each day. They also receive "lunch cards" that act as their debit cards for their lunch accounts. In the morning, each student is responsible for finding their lunch card from the pocket chart. They then place their card in one of the three baskets that I have on the board: Lunch from Home, 1st Choice, or 2nd Choice. It is an easy way to take attendance and take the lunch count at the same time!

Pocket Chart

Lunch Choice Slips - These get sent up to the office each morning with our lunch cards.

ZAP!!!

This is a great idea to use for review activities or just for fun! The game consists of a poster board with pockets on it that are labeled from 1-25. Inside the pockets are index cards (make sure that they are the same color). Each card says something on it such as "Add 2 points to your team's score", "Both scores stay the same", or "Switch scores with the other team". Be sure to include a couple of cards that say "You just Zapped your own team", "You just Zapped the other team", and "You just zapped both teams".

Begin playing by separating the class into two teams. The teams take turns answering questions. I usually use either math flash cards or BrainQuest cards. If the student answers their question correctly, their team is given one point and they get to choose a card from the ZAP board. The card is read and the scores are affected by whatever it says to do. If the card says to ZAP someone, that means that all of that team's points are taken away! The students love how quickly the outcome of this game can change from team to team!

Writing Center

I keep all of our writing materials on a table at the front of the room. I have a literature organizer which separates our different types of paper: notebook paper, white paper, handwriting paper, stationary, graph paper, and "fun" paper (which is paper with pictures on it).

I also keep staplers, hole punchers, erasers, pencils, sticky notes, markers, pens, and other supplies in this center. I use a desk drawer organizer to keep everything in its place! :o)

Posters

I got this idea from Ms. Powell's website. Hang string or yarn from the ceiling with ceiling hooks. Attach clothespins to the string and use the clothespins to hang up posters!

Extra Supplies

I keep extra supplies such as glue sticks, erasers, pencils, rulers, scissors, and highlighters in drawer storage containers. The drawers are clearly labeled so that the students can find what they are looking for without disrupting the rest of the class. Extra copies of papers that have been passed out to the class are kept in a bin for about a month. If the students lose a copy of something that was given to them, they are responsible for finding a copy in this bin.

Under the Table Storage

Out of cabinet space in the classroom? I keep all of my math materials under a table in my classroom. In order to hide everything from view, I put up a piece of cloth using thumbtacks. The students are always surprised the first time I go under the table and pull out a huge box! :o)

Xerox Copies Storage

Treasure Box

I always have tons of xerox copies waiting around to be used throughout the year. I usually run out of space to keep all of these copies. To solve this problem, I bought blue storage bins from Ikea and two small wooden boards from Menards. I keep all of my xerox copies in one of the bins and cover up the bins with the boards. The bins are organized by subject so that it is easier to find the copies that I need. I keep my listening center and treasure box on top of the boards. The treasure box was purchased at a garage sale! What a find! I usually fill the treasure box with donations from parents as well as items from the dollar store. Smilemakers has pre-filled treasure boxes as well. Last year, I bought one of the refill packages to fill up the treasure box. It didn't cost very much and the treasure box still has a good number of prizes in it a year later!

Storage Containers

Pencils

I keep two cans next to our electric pencil sharpener. One is labeled"Please Sharpen" and the other is labeled "Ready to Use". When a pencil is found on the floor, it is put in one of these cans. At the end of the day, the Pencil Patrol sharpens all of the pencils from the "Please Sharpen" can and puts them in the "Ready to Use" can.

Pizza Portfolios

Pizza Boxes

Pizza Portfolios Sign

My students maintain portfolios throughout the school year. They store their work samples in a pizza box, which I store on a wire shelving unit. The boxes are much easier to use than file folders, since some of the work samples are not always flat or the size of 8 1/2 x 11" paper.

Classroom Library

My awesome husband built my classroom library out of milk crates, wooden boards, and plastic zip ties. The milk crates are used to support the shelves and I can also put one of the book bins in each. I got the large blue book bins from Ikea and the boards from Menards. Most gas stations that I asked allowed me to take a couple of their milk crates when I told them that I was using them for my classroom. My husband drilled holes at the end of each board and used zip ties to connect the boards to the milk crates.

Book Checkout

In the front cover of each book in my library, I keep an index card with the book's title. When a student wants to check out the book, they take out this index card and put it in their assigned pocket on our Book Checkout poster. The students are allowed to check out two books per week. When the books are returned, the index card is placed back inside the front cover. Then, the books are put in a plastic bin labeled "Books Looking for a Home". The class librarians put the books back during their free time.

Book Bags

Students also have the option of checking out one of our Book Bags each week.

The Book Bags are stored in a wire shelving unit that I got from Target.

Cereal Box

Cereal Box directions

My students keep their "fun packets" in cereal boxes on the windowsill. During free time, they can choose to work on these packets. Having them kept in cereal boxes keeps the students' desks organized and free of extra clutter!

Easel

I LOVE my easel so much! Not only is it great for meeting with small groups, but it is also great for storing extra index cards, post-it notes, and other supplies!

Reading Corner

When I was in second grade, my teacher had a stage that he had set up in the classroom. This stage was used for independent reading time. I always loved being the student chosen to sit on this stage to snuggle up with a good book! When I became a teacher, the first thing that I wanted to do was to set up the same kind of environment in my own classroom...The Reading Corner! I built it from six wooden skids that I got from a print company's warehouse.

It is covered with a layer of foam rubber and then a layer of astroturf. I got the astroturf from Menards. I made sure to put a couple of beanbag chairs and a pillow on the Reading Corner, along with a few stuffed friends! I found a hamper on sale at Jewel that I use to store smaller pieces of astroturf. The students can use these to put anywhere on the floor for a special place to read.

Guided Reading

To help keep my Guided Reading materials organized, I use a drawer storage chest. I put each reading group's materials in a separate drawer. That way, I can easily find what I am looking for when I begin working with a group of students!

Turn In Bin/Mailbox

I keep a plastic organizer near my desk where the students turn in their homework or notes for the office in the morning. When the students enter the classroom in the morning, they are responsible for turning in any homework that they had the night before in the top bin that is labeled "Homework/Turn In". I also use this bin after we have completed a class activity during the day and I want the students to turn in their work. The bottom bin is used to collect any notes from parents for myself, the nurse, cafeteria, or office. That way, I don't have to search through the pile of homework to find lunch money or doctors' notes right away in the morning. I also keep a cardboard box labeled "Notes for Mrs. Van Dyke" on top of the turn in bin. The students use this mailbox to write me notes or to ask questions that they did not want to ask in front of everyone. The students especially love when I write them back the next day! How exciting!

Teacher's Corner

While I normally don't spend much time at my desk, or even near it, during the school day, I keep everything as organized as possible so that I can find things easily while I am teaching. I keep a plastic basket on top of my desk, which contains my sub folder, anecdotal records, class checkoff list, as well as any unit plans that I am using.

I also have three stacking trays on my desk. The top tray is my "To Do" tray. I try to go through this tray every night before I leave work, so that my paperwork and small tasks do not pile up throughout the week. It is not always possible to finish everything in one night, but I try to get to at least one or two of the items. The middle tray is where I put anything that I need to have copied. Whenever I am making a trip to the xerox machine, I check in the tray to make sure I am copying everything that I need. It is definitely a time saver. No more walking back and forth to your room! The bottom tray is used for anything that I need to turn in to the office or mail to another teacher. Again, if I am making a trip to the office, I always make sure to check the bottom tray so that I can mail everything in one shot!

I also keep my "Lottery Can" on my desk. This is just an empty soup can which I decorated. Inside, I keep popsicle sticks with my students' names and class numbers on them. Whenever I am asking review questions or forming teams, I pull a stick from the lottery can so that I am choosing students fairly. That way, I don't have to worry about if I am calling on enough boys or girls or if I am picking on the same student over and over again. After I pull the students' name out, I put their popsicle stick right back in. That way, they don't sit back and relax, thinking that they already answered, so they are "safe" for a while. :o)

Student Mailboxes

I found these plastic literature organizers from HOBO and I LOVE them! Each student has their own mailbox. Whenever I need to pass something out, I can quickly put a copy into each mailbox. To make life even easier, assign a student to be the classroom"Mailperson" for the week and have them "mail" these copies for you!

Emergency Sub Plans

Just in case I have to call in for a sub and one is not available, I keep a plastic crate full of Emergency Sub Plans near my desk. I found some wonderful sub plans at Teacher's Clubhouse!

Third Grade Emergency Sub Plans

Shoe Organizer

This is a wonderful space saver! Simply hang up a shoe organizer on a closet door or on a classroom wall with sticky hooks. The pockets can be used to store small items, such as erasers, pens, glue sticks, googly eyes, etc.

Student Records

I keep all of my anecdotal records on a clipboard that I have at my desk. To make it easier to write down information quickly, I label an index card with each student's first name. Then, I put these cards in alphabetical order and tape them to the clipboard. When I have to jot down a short note about something that happened in class, I simply grab my handy-dandy clipboard, find the student's card, and write away! Convenience at your fingertips! I also keep class checkoff lists and parent contact information on the clipboard.

Bus Calls

At my school, the students are dismissed at different times. The class is split into four different "bus calls" and the students stay in the classroom until their bus call is announced. In order to make it less confusing during the first couple of weeks, I make sure to write down each student's name and bus number on the first day of school. I write this information on one of four laminated signs, each labeled with one of the bus calls. If a student is not sure of which bus call they are on, they just have to check the signs above the door.

Bus Call Signs

Binders

This binder shelf is such a space-saver! I have so many binders, since that is how I store all of my units and lesson plans. This shelf makes it possible to hold many, many binders in a tiny, tiny space!

Binder Storage Nook

Mat

Each year, I used to buy a brand new carpet for the classroom. I found that these carpets always got beat up by the end of the year, especially around the edges, where the janitors would vacuum. I finally think I found the solution! I bought these interlocking foam squares from Target. Each package contained twelve squares that were 2' x 2'.

I'm Sick!

The nurse's office is quite far from my classroom, so I keep this garbage can in the room for students who may not feel like they can make it all the way up there without throwing up! I know...it's gross to think about, but it is better than having a student throw up in the middle of the hallway! :o)

Poster Organizers

I use Ziploc Big Bags to store all of my posters and bulletin board decorations. The bags are very strong and can hold a ton of stuff! I label each bag with its contents and then put all of the bags at the bottom of my closet.

This is a great way to store your window clings throughout the year!