Happy Thursday! How is everybody?? It's Friday Eve and the fourth day of the Blog Hoppin' Teacher Week 2015!!
Today's topic is Sanity Savers: What Makes Work Easier??
One Word: Astrobrights!
This paper is the best thing since sliced bread. Like the best. I use Astrobrights to color code EVERYTHING!! I use it for file organization, classroom decor, labels, notes home, storage, etc.
Here is an example:
With my Math centers, I usually make about 5-6 copies of each center. Why? Because I have 26 students and when I have 6 students trying to do one center all at the same time it tends to get a little louder than is necessary. And then stuff gets lost and kids start getting a little rowdy while they wait for pieces from the center. BUT if I have a center for each student or pairs of students then this issue goes away.
When I make a new center or purchase a new center I make sure to have it available in B&W as well. INK SAVER ALERT!!
Then I print them out in different colors. All parts of the center.
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| Roll and Write Center |
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| Roll and Write Center |
The students know to grab all parts of the activity in the same bright color. So if you are grabbing the pink dice, then you also grab the pink envelope with the pink cards inside it.
I cut the paper in half, fold it, and then staple or tape the sides to make an envelope. Sometimes I even laminate the paper before doing this.
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| Counting Caterpillar Center |
So the students each have an activity in the same color so no pieces get mixed up and each child is happy with his or her own center. Man, when I started doing this my life got so much easier!!!!
Centers are quiet and engaged. Students are working the whole time. There isn't any loud volume voices. I can work with small groups. It's just amazing!! And it is so bright and the paper is such good quality. It just makes sense!!
Well that's it for my sanity saver today. Can't wait to read how everybody makes their life easier!!
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