Hello Mrs Sykes

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 th...

So... we got the email this week.  The one I dread every year.  You know which one - the one reminding you about copying quotas, and how we all need to limit our copies as much as possible.  I always try to limit my copies by projecting as much as possible and having the students use whiteboards, but I'm trying out some new things this week to avoid making copies.  I thought I'd share... If you really need to make copies, do you need a class set?   Check out these C-Line Reusable Dry Erase Pockets .  I've tried tons of alternatives, like a piece of cardstock in a sheet projector, a laminated sheet, and a sheet inside a zip-lock bag.  (Teachers liked to reduce, reuse, and recycle before it was cool, right?)  Ummm, those alternatives might work for a while, but then they look ragged and icky.  These pockets are rugged, sturdy enough to use in the classroom, and wipe clean easily with a felt eraser, a tissue, etc.  We've been using t...