Saturday, December 13, 2014

Classroom Hacks to help you Get Organized

Hi friends, it's Kristen from Easy Teaching Tools and I'd love to share with you some ways I try to  stay organized in my class.  I've shared a few of these ideas on my Instagram page and received awesome feedback that I'd love to share with you!
I have very high ceilings this year so I can't hang table point signs from the ceiling.  This year, I bought table card holders (like you see at weddings) and made cute table point signs.  Yes, I have 5 tables that are vowels!  When kiddos are being awesome, they get a table point. Super easy because they know to come grab a clothespin and clip it.  It's also a great visual if kiddos are being too chatty and you need to take a point away.  I've found this system is so much more powerful than tallying table points on the whiteboard.  Try it and let me know how much you love it!

Sit Spots are THE best because they give kiddos personal space and there is no more friends sitting in the wrong spot.  Since I don't have carpet this year, I'm using my sit spots in sitting areas like this one, our listening center.  I don't want to hear kiddos argue about where they sit, so I plop these down and have eliminated a potential problem.  Time saver and super cute!

See the rest of the classroom hacks over on my blog!


15 comments:

  1. Great ideas!! I love the table card holders and how you use clothes pins to give tables points!! Thanks for sharing!!

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  2. Soooo many awesome ideas! I LOVE the clothespin table points and the work turn-in folders! Thanks so much for sharing!
    Amber
    Mrs. Masters’ Kinder Love

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  3. My room seems to always be in need for organizing !! LOVE these ideas!! Definitely going to be using some :-) One question though... Where did you find that shoe organizer?? I have been looking for one like that... Thanks :-)
    Karen
    tommysmom0206@yahoo.com

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  4. I love your instant memory books!! Those are a great idea! I've thought about seat spots but heard they don't work well on some carpets! Do they stay still on yours??

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    1. Hi Alexis,
      The memory books are so easy. Great way to display student work and easy peasy to send home at the end of the year. Sit Spots are amazing. They work best on short carpet that's a bit tough. You can order a free sample and see if it works on your carpet! They don't move on mine, even after the custodian vacuums over them!
      Kristen

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  5. These ideas are fabulous, Kristen! I am definitely stealing your table points idea for when we return after break... and the prongs for the memory book is genius!

    Ashley
    One Sharp Bunch

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    1. I'm so glad, you'll love them. Just make a cute cover for the end of the year and you're good to go. I take a picture of each kiddo wearing a graduation hat, laminate it, and stick it on the cover!

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  6. I love the instant memory book idea! Do you just add a cover at the end of the year then?

    Amanda
    A Very Curious Class

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    1. Hi Amanda,
      I take a picture of each kiddo wearing a graduation hat, laminate it, and stick it on the cover! I use cute scrapbook paper so I don't waste color ink and I'm good to go!
      Kristen

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  7. Kristen, you had some great ideas. I need to look for those magnetic pockets! They would be wonderful to have. I saw a Kindergarten teacher at my school adding artwork like your memory book example. In 20 years I have never seen this idea before this year!

    Sebrina
    Burke's Special Kids

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  8. Thank you!! Some of these I do but some others I could actually imitate for I like them - other helps that have been talked about I was like; eh, nay! But here I found some to use-- thank you!

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  9. Do you do something at the end of the week or daily for students with the most clips?

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