Five for Friday: Classroom Tips

I have been very busy working in my classroom and wanted to share five classroom tricks and tips to help you out this year! These ideas are super easy and cheap! Yay!

One of the most frustrating problems with setting up a classroom is hanging things on the walls. You have limited space and things either fall off or pull off paint.

 #1: Buy a pack of clothespins at Dollar Tree and attach them to the walls with Command strips.

 

I love this because I can easily change out posters throughout the year without a hassle! And the posters don't fall off the wall onto a student's head!

 #2: Cut up alphabet banners from Dollar Tree to create flashcards for literacy centers!

 

Last year we had these donated to us and I had no idea what to do with them since I already had alphabet banners. Now I seriously use these flash cards all the time! They are super cheap so you can make multiple sets for students to use during literacy centers, your own guided reading groups, and for your para-educator. 

We mix them up and practice letter naming fluency, sounds, magnetic letter matching, etc. They are also super handy to pull out when a student is struggling with writing a letter. I have them practice tracing the letter on the card with their finger. 

 #3: Give each student a pom to use as a white board eraser.

I've seen the Pinterest posts where teachers glue a pom onto the tops of markers and honestly, I just don't get it. I don't have time for that! And do you do it all over when the markers run out?!

Just giving the kids a black pom works for me because A) It's cheap B) It's effective C) It doesn't take up my time and D) They are easily replace if lost or swept up by the janitor.

That's enough for me! 

 #4: Use page protectors to give everything a wipe-off surface!

I put almost all of my center activities and games in page protectors. Kiddos use the dry erase markers, wipe them off with one of the poms, and they are ready for the next center. This helps your school save on paper and printer ink. Plus, I always keep mine ready for easy sub planning or a center emergency (paper jam, computer probs, para-educator dealing with potty emergency, etc.) 

 #5:Put your name somewhere visible for student reference.

Students want to include you in their drawings, stories, and notes! Place your name somewhere in your classroom for their easy reference so they don't have to ask how to spell your name everyday :)

I keep my name on the front of my desk and the students always refer to it.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope these suggestions save you time and frustration as you are setting up your classroom!