Teaching Tools to Streamline Your Classroom and Engage Students (K-5): Through the Eyes of a Teacher

Copyright © 2015 by Linda Herrman Powell.

ISBN:          Softcover          978-1-5035-2142-1

                    eBook               978-1-5035-2141-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

I would enjoy hearing your thoughts about this book. Please email me at: [email protected]

Share strategies that you use in your classroom and I will share them with other teachers.

Rev. date: 01/27[/2015

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CONTENTS

Binders

Bright Ideas

Bulletin Boards

Cabinets

Classroom Environment

Classroom Helpers

Classroom Management

Classroom Theme

Communication

Computer

Folders

Homework

Magnetic Boards

Memory Book/Portfolio

Plan Book

Pocket Charts

Positive Environment

Rewards

Starting Up

Teacher’s Desk

Teacher Organization

Tools

Workbooks

Sample Pages

This book is dedicated to the hundreds of children I had the pleasure of working with and especially to my own wonderful children Jessica, Kory, and Kraig.

Binders

Binders make easy portable storage units. Keeping everything in one place saves time when preparing for an activity or unit of study. The term portable storage unit refers to the use of binders to house related materials for computer programs, creative writing, seasonal projects, etc. Follow these steps to create your binder(s).

CREATING THE BINDER

• Purchase binders and label dividers to create your binders.

• Look for binders with front clear pocket covers and spine pockets.

• Create a cover and spine label that clearly identifies the topic within each binder.

• Use plastic protective sleeves for easy added protection and the ability to delete and add pages quickly.

• Include pockets (tag board or plastic) for storage of additional items such as pictures or manipulatives. Zippered pockets for binders are a secure way to store smaller items.

• Remember to include lists that identify where needed supplies are located in the room that apply to the subject matter housed in each binder. This list should also include visual aids that are located in the school library or borrowed from a colleague.

• Keep any CDs with information to be used inside each corresponding section of your binder.

SUGGESTED USES OF BINDERS

Sections included in this book are suggested ideas for binders to create.

COMPUTER PROGRAMS

• Keep a list of teacher and student programs that are in your classroom.

• Store hard copies or lists of handouts created on the computer and indicate the binder/file name for quick retrieval.

• House CD’s and flash drives in a zippered pocket.

CREATIVE WRITING – STUDENT VERSION

Student binders for creative writing are also time savers and practical. At the start of a creative writing lesson, simply distribute these binders to students for help while working.

• These binders should include helpful sheets such as lists of holiday words, how to start a paragraph, proof reading marks, punctuation marks, etc.

• The pockets of the binders can be used to store a paper dictionary or rhyming dictionary.

• This is a great place to store works in progress.

• Completed writings could also be stored in this binder in plastic protector pages.

• At the end of the year, make a booklet of their writings to send home. See MEMORY BOOK/PORTOLIO section for ideas.

CREATIVE WRITING - TEACHER VERSION

A teacher creative writing binder is an easy way to file new ideas and keep old ones close at hand.

• This binder can be divided into sections by months or subject matter. Here, you can store hard copies or CD’s of forms used and notes to self.

• Also, include a section on poetry which includes poem patterns and copies of masters used for writing these poems.

• Include pictures of displays used on bulletin boards for these activities.

• Keep a list of resource books you use and where they are located.

END OF YEAR MEMORY BOOK/PORTFOLIO FOR TEACHER

If you make a memory book/portfolio for parents at the end of the year, you should also keep a copy of pages used yearly in a binder. These pages could include creative writing, written poems, pictures of field trips, pictures of special occasions or days, birthday pictures, etc. See MEMORY BOOK/PORTFOLIO section.

MEDIA RESOURCES

It is important to create a binder with a list of library books, videos, equipment, etc. that you use yearly. Identifying where these items are located will save you time when setting up lessons.

MONTHLY BINDER

Create binders with monthly activities, handouts, pictures of bulletin boards, and notes to self for each month.

PLAN BOOK

A plan book created on your computer and stored in a binder creates a versatile, time-saving storage space. See PLAN BOOK section.

See SAMPLE pages 10-11.

SUBJECTS

Develop binders for each subject you teach.

SPECIAL TOPICS

Other binders should be created for specialty topics such as field trips, guest speakers, etc.

TEACHER HANDOUTS

This binder would include notes from office, announcements, standards, etc.

Bright Ideas

The following is a list of ideas that you may want to implement in your classroom.

ANSWERING YES/NO QUESTIONS

• You will need to purchase enough girls’ ponytail bands in two different colors so that each student gets one of each.

• Students store the bands in their art box or desk backpack. Each color is assigned as the answer for yes/no or true/ false questions.

• When a question is asked, each child secretly places the color that matches their answer around their thumb and holds it up above their head.

• This way, students aren’t able to change their answer after seeing another student’s response, and you can quickly assess their responses.

BALL TOSS

A fun way to review skills taught can be made simply by using soft sponge balls and markers.

• Purchase the number of soft balls that you need based on the number of groups you will have or skill(s) being reviewed.

• Write the skill, numbers, or letters on the separate balls.

Example: using noun and verb as the skills being taught, the following is a description of how the game is played.

• Write noun and verb on two separate balls.

• Toss the balls to two students one at a time.

• Each student must respond with an example of a noun or verb as noted on their ball.

• After both students respond, they toss their ball to another student.

• Students sit down after giving a correct answer.

• Game continues until all students are seated.

• Game can be played as teams or individually.

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

Make Christmas ornaments from old CDs.

•