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Bright Ideas - Cheap Way to Tame the Clutter!

Time for another Bright Idea!  We all know that teachers are consistently short on time, so this hop is perfect for the busy teacher - chock full of effective, short, and classroom tested Bright Ideas!

Since I have 53 kiddos this year coming in and out of my classroom throughout the day, I have a lot of clutter! Today I'd like to tell you about my favorite cheap "tool" to tame the clutter...

Actually, they you can use any kind of removable label or even blue painter's tape.  As long as you can switch out the labels easily, you're good.  I label binder clips with the time for the kiddos who use the resources in the clip.  You could label them by subject, to be graded, writing samples, Tier II documentation, etc...  Then set them on the shelf.  Look how easy it is to find the materials you need!
 Here's a larger view of my mess pigsty reading groups shelf.  I clip together their notebooks, then set them in a stack with the books we are using.  I am able to quickly find student materials, allowing me to spend my time teaching and kid watching instead of searching high and low for their notebooks, which I wrote about in an earlier post.  :)
Once you have a set of removable labels, you'll wonder how you lived without them!  They stick to your old Crystal Light containers...
 They stick to wood (and remove easily!)  Since I work with multiple grades this year, and began after the school year started, I inherited a closet full of teaching junk treasures resources.  I put everything I use for each grade level on its own shelf, then label the shelf.  This makes it easy for me to find what I need, and for other teachers to borrow resources, too!
If you like any of these ideas, please pin your favorite picture to share the Bright Ideas.  Next in this month's Bright Ideas Blog Hop is Tammy from 1..2..3.. Teach With Me.  She's sharing Bright Ideas for Parent Communication.   Happy Sunday!!

If you want, you can visit blogs in the hop via the links below.  There are over 150 amazing bloggers participating...  That's a lot of Bright Ideas!

Comments

  1. Mel D3/09/2014

    I love anything that has the words POST IT on it! Great idea!
    Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sally3/09/2014

    I love anything that has bright colors! Thanks for the bright idea!

    Sally from Elementary Matters

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alicia3/10/2014

    Notes on the binder clip...genius!

    ReplyDelete

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