One of those is how students will not be sharing community school supplies.

How are you able to organize all the student supplies that are probably tossed inside the student desk?

Markers without caps left to dry up next to pink erasers that are constantly picked at throughout the day makes for an organizational nightmare.

Perhaps I have a solution that would work for now.

Cheesy Student Supplies

So what does a box of “cheese” have to do with student supplies in the classroom?

It actually holds the key to having a mini supply center right on top of the students’ desks!

This is so easy and inexpensive, it just might be a change you decide to use forever.

Let’s get to pulling off a little classroom diy!

How to Make Personal Student Supply Stations

Step 1:  Grab half the amount of “cheese” boxes than the number of students you have as each box will make 2 caddies. Note: Ask parents to buy the food and donate just the box to you. Or donate the food to a local family or food pantry in need.

Step 2:  Find a roll of wrapping or Kraft paper that will match your existing classroom decor.  Pro tip:  Use something you already have or check in at the dollar store.

Wrap up the outside of the box.

Attach using a stapler, tape, or a combination of both.

Step 3:  Create and print off name tags for the boxes and attach with tape.

Step 4:  Place the boxes on the student desks and add in the individual student supplies. You CAN still collect whole classroom supplies if you like and sanitize them before placing the individual student box.

The boxes are big enough to hold pencils, highlighters, scissors, notecards, post its, and a box of crayons. You could probably even fit in a calculator, glue sticks, and a box of markers/colored pencils if you use those regularly.

You could choose to attach the boxes to the desks with double-sided tape, though I might get that cleared via your custodial staff before you do anything drastic (or ask if they have another solution to attach or hang from the side of the desk).

It really is that easy!

While the boxes won’t hold up year after year after year, they are a cheap way to recycle a box that would most likely end up in the trash anyway. Plastic would work better for sturdiness, but I know we have some very eco-friendly teachers out there who might prefer this option instead.

And students can take them home at the end of the year or end of the semester depending on how rough they are with their box.

Student supplies stay out of the desk pit – and easily accessible to them when needed.

What other ideas do you have for organizing student desk supplies at their own desks?

Leave us a comment below – we would love to add it to our teacher toolbox. Sharing is caring.

Need a quick label sheet? Simply print on 3″ round label sheets or even plain paper, write your student names, and go!

Click here to email your freebie

~Charity

The post Personal Student Desk Supplies appeared first on Organized Classroom.

Centers are wonderful for allowing small group time to work with students on a specific skill, they teach students how to time-manage and work semi-independently, as well as allow for movement during learning which increases retention rates! 

If you aren’t doing centers, you might want to reconsider.

Many teachers who don’t do centers choose not to based mainly on management of the system.  Depending on the class, centers can be a very challenging experience! 

I have found that even the most challenging of classes can eventually be “trained” how to work during center time instead of playing.  Check out Centers Management Tips, and I will explain how I am able to manage my centers, while still allowing students free-choice!

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for simple routines in your classroom? This 106 page digital book has you covered!

Includes 15 articles from Organized Classroom, including topics such as:
• Organizing Absent Work
• Helping Student Get Organized
• Remembering Names on Papers
• Organizing All the Paperwork
• Bathroom Break Tips
…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price!  

See it HERE.

But, today’s blog post is mainly about the organization of centers and the materials to set them up. 

I worked at one school that did not allow for anything to be hanging from the ceiling. 

Another school I worked at had 10+ foot ceilings in my room, so there was no way I was going to easily be able to get up there to change center signs (and I like to change them weekly). 

Plus, I wanted the specific directions for how to complete the center right there so I didn’t hear “I don’t know what to do” ten times throughout the center time.

I was wracking my brains trying to figure out a better way, when I was looking at photo frames in Walmart and spied the plastic clear cheapie photo frame/stands!  The small ones (5×7) were only $1 each, so I quickly grabbed about 10 (just in case, you know – lol). 

They also have 8×10 versions, but I worried that they would be too hard to store (and the point was to find something that would store away easily for the next year when I was done).

I quickly headed home to see if I could make a template for my new find. 

I was able to create a custom label template that would allow me to edit the signs each week.  My example is below.

Once you have your different center signs created for the week, you are able to print off (I suggest card stock), and keep safe in a file folder for the next year!  No new prep needed! 

Just make a note of the supplies needed for the center on the back of the sign, so when you grab the signs the following year, you can also grab the corresponding supplies needed to complete the activity  Super simple! 

If you are at a loss for some center ideas, make sure to check out the FCRR for lots of great ideas!

You do not have to get fancy with your centers, as I did in my examples.  Very rarely did I get that ambitious. 

I found that if you printed off your black print center signs on brightly colored cardstock, it served the same purpose.  Even better if you use the same color cardstock for all the centers for that week – makes for easy spotting by students, and easy organization for packing away and finding for the next year too! 

Each week just print, lay out the supplies needed, and pack it all up at the end of the week – super simple!

Would you like to know step-by-step routines that put teachers back in control in just 4 weeks?

Download the FREE Classroom Systems Starter Kit now!

Feel free to download my customizable templates and my 2 “fancy” examples.  You can edit in either Google Slides or Power Point.

One word to note – you will find that there is not much room to type out the directions for the centers.  This is intentional. 

You should not have so many directions the students can’t keep track. 

Make your centers fairly simple to navigate, and you will find that you have better results AND behaviors throughout center time.

What are some of your favorite centers?

~Charity

The post Easy Center Sign Holders appeared first on Organized Classroom.

I often use whiteboards daily. Each day I like to utilize whiteboards for a different reason to keep things fresh.

When I ask a question in class, students often look like this.

Or students often look like this.

Whiteboards are a great tool to help students organize their thinking.

To facilitate a discussion, I sometimes have student go to the whiteboards for 3-5 minutes to share with their group and create a bulleted list of ideas related to our topic. When students return to their seats to start the class discussion, everyone is ready to share.

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for organizing your classroom storage?  This 83 page digital book has you covered!

Includes 13 ad-free articles from Organized Classroom, including topics such as:

• Student Cubbies
• File Folder Game Organization
• What to do with old office furniture to maximize your storage
• Ideas for Student Headphone Storage

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price!  

See it HERE.

Concept map creation is a great way for students to show their understanding. I have had all the way from my third graders to twelfth graders create concept maps.

For students unfamiliar creating concept maps, it is helpful to provide a list of words that must be included in the map. This can provide a good review of vocabulary terms.

Whiteboards are also a great way to review multiple choice answers.

My favorite way to review is to have students independently answer all the review questions.

Next, in groups of two to four students, each group comes to a consensus on the correct choice for 3 or 4 of the questions.

They also analyze the question by writing why each choice is correct or incorrect. This gives me time to go around and make sure each group has the correct answers.

Then, all the groups visit the other boards to check the rest of their answers.

Last, we discuss any questions as a class that students missed the most.

With all this groupwork, I have a question for you. What suggestions do you have for creating student groups quick and efficiently?

P.S. Come visit me at my “home” at Mrs. Harris Teaches Science!

Need a handy basket label for storing your whiteboards?

I really like storing mine in a tall basket for easy access.

Here is a free set of 3 labels – print and attach to your basket and you’re all set!

Click here to email your freebie

The post Ideas For Using Student Whiteboards appeared first on Organized Classroom.

Some teachers use a checklist to get set up. Others make sure to send parents a specific flyer or invitation letting them know about the event.

And even others might be doing a virtual open house that involves invites and information that is sent electronically before hand. On the night of the event, they might be “zooming” in from their classroom or even their own home.

Open House certainly does not look the same for everyone, but with the tips below, you can adapt your night to be the most successful and stress-free than ever!

Making ALL Parents Feel Welcome – Even When They Don’t Show Up

I realize that not all parents will typically show up for Open House Night at school and the reasons why can also vary greatly. Works schedules can sometimes get in the way, especially if it is a single parent household. It could also be a lack of communication from the school district as to when it is being held especially if the parent is not readily connected to technology.

Whether I have a packed classroom or a handful of families in the room, I still want to make sure that my students’ caregivers understand the expectations and policies for the school year.

This really helps to let them know how your policies work – and there is little room for discussion when a situation arises later.

Plus, I personally like to give something for those families to take home that doesn’t involve connecting to a network, giving me their cell phone numbers or emails, or donating a pint of blood. Haha.

I even have an extra copy sitting in my file on the desk just in case I ever need it.

Creating Your Own Classroom Parent Handbook for Open House Night

I make sure to place a Classroom Parent Handbook on every desk before Open House starts. This also helps me in seeing very quickly at the end of the time who was not present so I can send the Handbook home with the student on their first day of school.

Here are the contents of my Classroom Parent Handbook. Of course, some of the information within is not accurate, but I think you’ll get the gist from looking through the sample pages.

After the cover page, I like to include some personal information about myself. Parents, in particular, appreciate knowing you are a regular person like them and having some personal information (without giving them your address or social security number) is great for creating that first bond.

Next up: the Classroom Schedule page.

You could even include specific times for arrival, tardy bells, and such.

I always think it’s nice when parents see this list and are trying to choose upcoming doctor’s appointment times, they just might take a look and choose a time closer to the end of the day or the beginning, depending on what the academic learning schedule looks like. Or maybe that’s just me when I’m making the choices for my own children. lol.

It’s great to have a Fun Stuff page that lets parents know the birthday treats policy, snacks, water bottles, etc. All those little things are addressed in the document, so you don’t need to answer those emails later down the road.

Of course Curriculum should be mentioned.

While the parent might not care what textbook company you use, they most likely WILL care how often their child has a spelling test…

…or what the grading scale looks like.

An extra page for Other Academics which may not be covered in the last 2 pages.

Kids also get really excited when they know ahead of time they are learning something they might look forward to, such as specific computer games or even cursive handwriting.

You can’t have a Parent Handbook without including the super important Homework policy page. On my page, I also included a little tip about how we will be communicating daily via an agenda book. Your policies may be different, but you can adapt your Handbook to match your specific routines.

Parent Involvement page!

This page is wonderful if you are looking for parent helpers too. You could even include a list of ongoing things you might need help with in the classroom – or even things parents can do at home wot help out, such as cutting, glueing, or stapling items and sending them back when finished.

If you have standardized testing or even benchmark testing, you could include a little about that process, when it is, and maybe how to best prepare their child for those days.

Another VIP: Very Important Page – Behavior Expectations.

You want to make sure you expectations and consequences are there in black and white so there is truly no question later about how your classroom rules work. This one page has seen me through some very trying times.

Last up is a finishing page where you can include your contact information again and a little message.

That’s it!

I usually print the handbook one-sided just so it’s easier to flip through and read, but depending on your paper usage allowance you might want to print double-sided.

If printing in color isn’t an option, they print great in grayscale as well.

Finally I thrive hole punch and pop into the brads of a plain folder or report cover and place on student desks.

What do you DO on Open House Night?

This is one of the best things for me: I actually create a quick Power Point presentation using these same document templates and put it on loop in the classroom.

Parents can then come in at their leisure during the time frame, find their child’s desk, take a look at the slideshow, and grab their Handbook and any other documents I might have for them before they leave.

While they are streaming in and out of the room, I am able to float and meet everyone individually which is the best part!

No timed presentations that start before everyone arrives. No worries about parents who might need to be in 2 different classrooms at once having multiple children in the building.

Instead, just a light and breezy evening of getting to meet my new families with no stress attached.

Open house really is an enjoyable evening for me and I hope for the students’ families who attend.

For those families that cannot be in attendance, at the end of the night I make sure to pack up the items on the student desks and label them with their name to be given to take home on the first day of school.

However I would normally contact the caregiver, whether that is a note in the agenda book or an email, etc., I let them know the Parent Handbook that was given out at Open House is in their child’s things for them to review and let me know if they have any additional questions.

That way, the caregiver gets the same information and does not feel as though they are “penalized” for not being able to make the school event on that particular evening.

Do you do something similar? We would love to hear about your ideas in the comments below too!

Need an Open House Night checklist so you feel more prepared before families start rushing through the door? Here is a quick 1-page template to use. Enjoy!

~Charity

The post Parent Handbooks for Open House Night appeared first on Organized Classroom.

There are a variety of ways to prevent this or at least keep the chaos from rearing its ugly head too often!

Classroom management is the key. This needs to start on the very first day of school. Actually it needs to start with some prep by the teacher before the year even starts! What are the classroom rules going to be? Will students have some say in them? Where will the rules be posted? How will students learn and practice them? These and other questions should all be answered in order to have a successful classroom environment.

But what do you do if you’ve done all of this and you’re still having problems? Maybe it’s one student, maybe a small group, or perhaps your entire class has morphed into little monsters as far as behavior is concerned. Regardless, you need to get it back under control!

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for classroom management? This 105 page digital book has you covered!

Includes 16 articles from Organized Classroom, including topics such as:
-Tattling
-Using Peer Pressure to Solve Behavior Issues
-Utilizing a Simple Plastic Cup for Your Mgmt Plan
-Creating a Simple Token Economy
-A Character Building Game
-Group Work Mgmt Tips
…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price!  

See it HERE.

Here are some suggestions. Feel free to try one or several!

• Try something new! There’s nothing that says you have to keep the same behavior plan and strategies all year. You could start a marble jar where students get a marble each time you catch them being good. When the jar is full, there is some type of reward for the entire class! Or perhaps individual students need a sticker system implemented. Just don’t go switching things up every week!
• Keep your students engaged! Bored students are often behavior problems. Have an “early finishers” board where students can go to work on enrichment activities and make sure students always have books, magazines, and newspapers readily available!
• Sometimes just going over the expectations you set at the beginning of the year is enough to get the students back on track. Review the rules, discuss them as a class, and even have students write or draw about how they plan to follow them through the end of the year.
• After going over your rules and expectations, stick to them! Don’t give students multiple warnings. You begin to sound like the talking head, and your students won’t take you seriously. If there is a consequence for a certain behavior, give it. Students will learn to appreciate your boundaries.
• Talk to your students openly about the problem. Even the youngest learners can help you brainstorm ideas on how to behave and the possible consequences of not doing so. (I’ve even found some students want harsher punishments than I would give out!)
• Call the parents or guardians. Make sure to use the sandwich approach of stating a positive, discussing your concern, and ending with a positive. See what ideas they may be able to offer that have worked at home.
• Maybe you have older students who will not stop chatting. Give them 2-3 minutes of talk time every class period. That gives you enough time to teach the lesson, but also lets them know that you will give them time for friendships at the end of the period.
• Lead by example! Are your students chewing gum in class, bringing in food, or texting? Are you? Start acting the way you want your students to, and it will soon trickle down to them!

So maybe you’ve been wracking your brain, talking to colleagues, finding ideas on Pinterest, and trying different techniques all year. There are truly years where a class may simply be more challenging than the average one. We all know them! Everyone refers to them as that class. Just keep trucking along and doing your best! {Adding in a little chocolate or extra coffee can’t hurt!}

Take care all!

~HoJo~
https://hojosteachingadventures.com

Want a handout of the ideas above to reference quickly? Download it below!

Click here to email your freebie

The post Regaining Control of Your Classroom appeared first on Organized Classroom.

Like any other math concept for young students, you will want to start by using concrete models and then eventually moving to abstract ideas.  This super fun fact family house project, complete with cardstock dice, is easy to set up, yet super effective for learning.

What is a fact family?

The definition of a fact family is actually quite simple:   Use 3 numbers to create 2 addition and 2 subtraction number sentences.

Now – this also holds true for swapping out addition/subtraction for multiplication and division.

When you start to realize that the same three numbers can be moved around, it suddenly becomes far easier to memorize your math facts.

One example of an addition and subtraction fact family using the numbers 3, 2, and 5:

• 3+2=5
• 2+3=5
• 5-3=2
• 5-2=3

Something I always like to share with students:  That largest number will always be the answer in your addition number sentences and the largest number will always start out your subtraction number sentences.

You might also enjoy:

Math Games Bundle

6 math products that will be perfect for students in grades K-6!

See it HERE.

What is a fact family triangle?

Math games for fact families can be played with fact family triangles.  Fact family triangles are just a triangle shape with each of the fact family numbers placed in each of the 3 corners of the triangle.

You play by quizzing yourself or another student by holding a hand over the largest number to see if the student can correctly identify the missing number by stating the related facts.

Make Your Own Fact Family Funhouse:

Are you ready to make your very own fact family house?   It was super easy {and you all know I’m not super crafty, so if I can do it, anyone can.  Even my hubby was impressed – haha}!

Step 1:

Grab some basic supplies, such as a wooden house (I found mine in the Target Dollar Spot, but we know how long those items last), cardstock, scissors, and washi tape.

Step 2:

Measure and cut pieces of cardstock to fit into the compartments of your house.

Here’s what mine looks like when completely filled.  Kind of boring, right?   That washi tape will jazz it up quite a bit!

Step 3:

Add washi tape to the cardstock shapes in any direction you like.  This part is where you get to get creative!  Go all the same color or mix it up.  Plain or pattern is wonderful too!   Want to skip this step?  Use colored cardstock instead as another option!

Step 4:

Now that your house is ready {how cute is that, right?} you will want to download the Fact Family Funhouse Packet of worksheets below and print them off.  Use cardstock for the dice templates.

Bonus tip:  Use cardstock for the handout, laminate, and it can be used over and over again by students with a dry erase marker!

Step 5:

Cut out your dice, fold on the dashed lines, and use a little tape to secure.  Place in your house and you are done!

How fun is that?

Now, use your house for small groups and/or center time.  Students are able to use the dice to show a number sentence first, then they can manipulate the dice (without rolling them) to show another fact in the fact family.  Last up – they can show the remaining 2 facts.

Once they have mastered that part, use the worksheet so the student can write down the 4 related facts in the house on the paper.

Make sure to grab your free fact family worksheets below.  I have included the basic number dice, operations dice, a blank template to create your own dice, and the worksheet for showing students’ work.

How do you teach fact families in your math class?  I would love to hear in the comments below – we love collaborating here at Organized Classroom!  Talk to you soon!

~Charity

The post Fact Family Funhouse appeared first on Organized Classroom.

Zig zags formations are the center of this class seating chart.  This would work best for individual student center work as the students would be able to work independently, while also allowing for freedom of movement throughout the classroom.

How else could you use this seating arrangement in your classroom?  Feel free to share in the comments below!

You might want to check out:

Want an AD-FREE resource book of all seating charts in one easy-to-print format?  188 pages in total!  Now available in our Bookstore!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price!  

See it HERE.

Grab a printable handout of this seating chart!

Click here to email your freebie

~Charity

See ALL the Seating Chart options HERE.

The post Classroom Seating Chart: The Dippers appeared first on Organized Classroom.

Choosing the right books and activities for your students really can make a difference in whether they will want to return after their first day of school.

Some good book choices are posted below, along with some other fabulous return to the classroom activities – all provided by some of my fellow blogging buddies just for you!

Activities to Start Off the School Year

• Classroom Freebies is always a great place to start!  {Though I may be biased as that site is one I also created and manage – haha!}
• Need some new solutions for using binders this year in the classroom?  These 3 Back to School Binder Ideas might get your wheels turning!

• An entire page devoted to The Kissing Hand!  How fun are these cookie cutters?

Need a quick idea (or 18!) for a Back to School board?   I’ve got you covered!
18 files in one spot!

Each includes directions, premade printable title letters, borders, and student name accents.  You simply need a student roster and a printer.  Easy and lots of choices!

Includes:  Legos, shamrocks, writing, cookies, Tootsie Rolls, dogs, space, sunglasses, fish, gummy bears, buckets, rulers, calculators, owls, wild animals, bees, dinosaurs, and candy themes!

Click HERE to Get Your 18 Sets Now!

• With the littles, it is super important to teach name writing as soon as possible in the school year.  This name writing activity that goes along with the book Chrysanthemum will certainly come to good use!
• First Day Jitters anchor chart!  {source}

• Here is a handout you can use in your class to follow up your reading of the book What if Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick.
• A full week’s worth of lessons and connecting activities using Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!  Love these!

• Who doesn’t love the adorable Lilly and her Purple Plastic Purse?   I know I do.  Here is a free 20 page unit to go along with that book.  Your lesson plans were never done so quickly.

• The No, David books are some of my favorites!   I love the colorful large illustrations and simple words children can understand.  Even better when there are some teaching ideas to correlate with David heading to school!
• Speaking of great series, If You Take a Mouse books are always fun and I enjoy how the story always circles around back to the beginning somehow.  Here is a great unit for If You Take a Mouse to School!

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for Back to School?  This 114 page digital book has you covered!

Includes 14 ad-free articles from Organized Classroom, including topics such as:

• Easy Bulletin Board Ideas
• Quick Classroom Decor
• Fundraising Hacks
• Getting Parents On Your Side Right Away

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price!

See it HERE.

• Love these super cute listening posters from the teacher wife!

• Oh, the Places You’ll Go is a classic book – perfect for graduates and new students alike!   Here is a page of several worksheets to use with your students too!
• Do you have older students and prefer to start the year off with a great chapter book instead?   Thank You, Mr. Falker is a perfect title to take a look at when choosing your best book.  This website includes some suggestions for comprehension and discussion along the way.
• If you like the book Wonder (and like to watch the movie after), you’ll want to check out this site with tons of resources to accompany it!
• So, so, so many ideas here from The Picture Book Teacher’s Edition for How I Spent My Summer Vacation!
• Lots of comprehension connections listed for the book A Fine, Fine School if you have first or second graders!   Even includes a point of view freebie to practice!

Great Books for the First Weeks of School

Thanks to all the blogging buddies who shared their great ideas and I hope you are able to get some fresh ideas for yourself!

Need one more bonus printable?

Check out this super fun “Note to Myself” handout I just created for you.

Perfect for a first day or first week activity, it allows students to reflect on what they hope to do or accomplish this year, but in an informal way.

Make sure to have students date their paper – and then save them in a safe place where you will remember to grab them again the last couple weeks of school.

Students can get their papers back and see how they actually did.

They just night be amazed at how many items they unconsciously checked off their sheet!

Grab your handout below.

What other activities and/or back to school books are on your go-to list that might have been missed?  Feel free to leave a comment below to add to our collection!

Enjoy,

~Charity

The post Back-to-School Books and Activities appeared first on Organized Classroom.